Who is Hyper the Clown?
♪♫♪♫♪♫ Let’s start at the very beginning…
It’s a very good place to start. ♪♫♪♫♪♫
Stacie Ashlett was not always Hyper the Clown, but she has always been Hyper. Her Grandfather, a great inspiration, inspired her to be creative and always be herself! He encouraged her to write, use her imagination, share knowledge and never stop learning! When Stacie was growing up in Sydney, she was involved in theatre, choir and dance. She sang at the Olympic Games opening dinner (with Vanessa Amorosi) and at the Para-Olympics (With Kylie Minogue) – But that’s a whole other story!
Little Hyper the Clown
Stacie moved up to Darwin in 2001. When she moved, she found a couple of jobs involving babysitting. Stacie loved having fun and being creative with the kids. They would help her make play dough, help her create things and help her eat it!! Whoops!
She would also play hide and seek, paint and climb trees. Stacie wasn’t an ordinary 16-year-old; she wanted to have fun with the kids instead of sitting around! Her father, who ran an entertainment agency, encouraged her into the entertainment industry. Bubbles the Clown retired to have little clown babies. So, Stacie ended up with face paints, brushes and Chantal the Fairy’s face painting bible. She didn’t know it then, but it was the start of something big and magical!
Stacie’s Grandfather and Great Aunt were also in the entertainment business.
When Stacie painted faces, she could not control her urge to engage with the kids! – When they were supposed to be sitting still while she was face-painting them! So with this, Stacie ventured towards interactive children’s entertainment. With tremendous help and guidance from Jimbo the Clown. She started popping balloons but kept with it. Stacie began slowly and kept learning new things to make and create from balloons! Finally, she started making balloon sculptures at birthday parties, playing with different sizes and shaped balloons.
Once Stacie conquered balloon bending and was happy with what she could make and create, she was itching to learn new things to entertain the kids. So she studied games, their origins, how they help children develop and everything she could find!
Ever hungry to learn new things and after reading Harry Potter! Stacie focused her interest on discovering the world of magic. She learnt magic from books and DVD’s, as there was no one willing to share their super-duper magic powers! Practice, Practice, Practice!… Soon she became a truly magical children’s magician!
Humanitarian Clowning
Desperate to meet Clowns like herself, in 2013, Stacie ventured off to find Humanitarian Clowning. Humanitarian Clowns provide Empathy, Compassion, Love, Understanding, Stimulation and Support to those living in hardship.
Stacie’s first trip was to India in 2013 with Humanitarian Clowns Inc. For three weeks, she joined the group in the southern state of India, Tamil Nadu. The clowns visited orphanages, rehab units, special needs schools, psych wards, paediatric wards, leprosy colonies and gypsy communities. It was a life-changing experience for her.
She realised that Humanitarian Clowning was a gift, so… In March 2014, Stacie joined the famous Patch Adams from the Gesundheit Institute and 27 Volunteers from all over the world in Morocco. They spread laughter, happiness and smiles in hospitals and orphanages around the country.
Hyper the Clown and the REAL Patch Adams
Hyper the Clown (Stacie) had another fantastic opportunity to join Patch Adam’s again in Costa Rica in September 2014. She contributed in volunteer work and care clowning workshops in San Jose with Patch Adams. In addition to clowning in clinical settings (and prisons!!) There were daily practical workshops in clown technique, song, poetry, improvisation, and composing in small groups. Stacie has brought back much of what she learned from this trip into the community.
Since starting humanitarian clowning Stacie continues to spread the clowniness to all the people who need it. When she has a chance- she clowns at the shops in the car and clowning in the streets of her home town!
Humanitarian Clowning in Darwin, Northern Territory!
Humanitarian Clowning is simply connecting with people through fun, friendship and compassion. If you are interested in doing this, please ask Stacie how you can be a part of it!
After all these years Stacie is still in the business of making happy!!
Why?
Because she is awesome at connecting & entertaining kids AND she loves what she does and it shows!!