Suzie Ferguson
Suzie graduated from Glasgow University with a degree in Hispanic Studies in 2004. In 2006 she moved to Barcelona and after a short clown course she spent 2 years street performing a successful clown/magic act.
In 2008 she joined Theatre Modo, a Glasgow-based theatre company specialising in large scale community engagement projects and social circus as a Workshop Leader.
After training with Angela de Castro and Eric de Bont, she co-devised and performed SICK, a solo clown show exploring the experiences of being sick and in hospital through the eyes of a clown, with Martin Danziger and was nominated for a CATs award for best female performance in 2010.
After training with Ira Seidenstein, Suzie worked with Tenterhooks theatre company to co-create and perform in Werewomen, Call of Nature and The Weird Sisters as well as several short clown sketches for theatre.
She is now Artistic Director of Hearts and Minds, and continues to practice in Children's Hospitals, Hospices, Respite centres and Dementia Units across Scotland as her alter egos, Dr Maybee and Bonnie Elderflower.
Working with Ira Seidenstein completely changed the way I think about clown, and most significantly, the way I see myself as an artist. In my life, I am surrounded by Visual Artists and have always been familiar with the concept of an 'Artistic Practice' but never saw that this could be a part of my life. In a very short time, Ira changed that. He is generous, concrete and specific. He de-mystifies and encourages self-sufficiency. He taught me the importance of knowing what you know, and knowing what you don't know. The rules and precision of this exercises create space for joy and great discoveries.
I am now the Artistic Director of Hearts and Minds, Scotland's healthcare clowning organisation, and the practice and techniques that Ira taught me are central to the artistic health of the team. Ira's methodology has changed a job where sometimes we fall into 'same-same' as performers, into one where each day, each visit, is a real opportunity – to learn, understand, develop – with a common language, understanding and joy.