Iva Peter-Dragan
Iva Peter-Dragan is the founder and artistic director at TRIKO CIRCUS THEATRE, awarded the Best Croatian independent theatre of the season 2011/2012. The performances of Triko have been performed around the globe.
She continually works in professional theatre productions in Croatia, both as director, movement choreographer and performer. Her most recent work is the circus solo Palunko’s Wife which she directs and performs.
Her TV & movie experience includes casting circus artists for big productions, as well as creative coaching for variety acts on Croatia’s Got Talent season 2019 & 2020.
Throughout her theatre career she has participated in many drama and clown workshops led by prominent international clowns and comedians: Lee Delong, Jango Edwards, David Shiner, David Larible, Nola Rae, Eric Debont, Ira Seidenstein, Slava Polunin, Tortel Paltrona and many more.
Skills: walking on stilts, aerial acrobatics, juggling, playing trombone.
In 2004 Iva graduated from the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Zagreb, her main subjects being English Language and Literature, and Comparative Literature. She is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Zadar, the title of her research is THEATRE CLOWN, PERFORMATIVITY OF COMICAL.
She is a member the CROATIAN ASSOCIATION OF DRAMA ARTISTS and the CROATIAN ASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDENT ARTISTS.
Four years ago, while researching clown schools and pedagogical approaches to clown/clowning for my PhD, I ran into this very interesting article of a man who dared to ask some peculiar questions, who listed some rarely spoken about aspects of clown education in general. I wondered who that man was, as I found his writings very interesting and helpful. For me, a baby clown, to question any well established clown school was a like blasphemy at the time.
But, as life has funny ways of functioning, only a few months later I found out that I’ll meet that man in person in the Garden of Fools Clown Academy. As you may guess, that man is Ira. His short workshop at the Moulin Jaune in 2017 opened my eyes for the pure physicality of clown, for how to use your body for inspiration.
You often read thing like “your clown is you”, “look inside yourself”, “be in the moment” etc. Yes, deep down inside we all know that is true, but how to work with that on stage? After our second meeting, a workshop I organised in Zagreb, I really started to understand, as a performer, how your own body, its position and rhythm of movement can guide you on stage and serve as never ending inspiration.
I’m very grateful for discovering that tiny but great secret! I still have a lot to learn, the journey never ends, but I’m happy that our paths have crossed!