What a visit to a French clown school reveals about clowning

By Rebecca Rosman

Published January 17, 2026 at 6:42 AM CST

A visit to the Gaulier clown school - home to alumni including Sacha Baron Cohen and Emma Thompson - reveals that clowning is all about the art of failure.

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Rebecca Rosman

NPR News

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We remember Ai, a highly intelligent chimpanzee who lived at the Primate Research Institute of Kyoto University for most of her life, except the time she escaped and walked around campus.
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