Brendan Ramsden
Minister of Earth-based Faiths, CSS
Artistic-Director, CCBS;
Professional Physical Comedian (1+0="Clown");
Sculptor, Activist, Actor & Free-Thinker.
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Things are not as they seem. Nor are they otherwise.
The Lankavatara Sutra
Do or do not. There is no try.
Be or be not. There is (most definitely) why.
Yoda yodeling
a summary:
My artist, experiential, directorial dream-journey really began as a child.
At the end of my teens I leapt suddenly beyond my solitary sculptor/artist-identity
into multi-medium sculpture & performance-art at the San Francisco Art Institute.
This led me into clown conspiracies and other embodiment trainings,
as well as occult and esoteric studies:
Hermeticism, Gnosticism and western mysticism generally.
Meanwhile enjoying many ecstasy-dancer's commonwealth halls;
into community-theatre acting and scenic-art fabrication;
into character-acting and professional, variety-performance employment;
into alternative/activist/diva/family/carnivalesque/circus-community;
into creating clown laboratories I facilitated in central California, England and Germany;
into self-exploration, self-expression, self-governance & group-ritual paratheatre states-work;
into Earth-based faiths reverence/community/ceremony/service/contribution;
and now
weaving what I've come to love and practice extensively into an ambitious synthesis
through which I intend to gather, serve and inspire soulful-seekers, cultural-creatives, free-thinkers, community-enthusiasts and growing hearts of all kinds.
​(for Biographical Synopsis, scroll to bottom of this page)
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Teaching to Transgress:
From Celebration, to Revolt, to Reconciliation.
Coming out of our anthropocentric worldview
toward a necessarily more-than-human, Creature-respecting, Natural-world Participation,
through 3 Frames & Lenses:
1) The Beautiful 2) The Humorous 3) The Sacred,
because we are now in a process of reconciling our outworn cultural circumstances.
Put another way:
Surfers surf, but they also pay taxes. Romantic surfers romanticize surfing, but they too must eat and go grocery shopping. Antiestablishmentarianists would establish revolt against corruption,
if their walk was as big as their talk. But they walk their dogs just like others do.
Clowns, to the contrary, have virtually no familiar social context recognizable to the untrained eye.
It is unlikely you will see clowns just clowning around town. That is, without any socio-political premise or purpose. No. The town that becomes clown-town is actually a parallel universe reserved for the truly adventurous, bold and brave. Meanwhile, through the docility-inflicting lens of popular syndication, sheer banal history and rampant complacency, "clown" alone has become insubstantial to identify the true and ancient-historical, multi-cultural creature, referred to by literary scholars as chaot-hero.
That is, the inspired and deliberately absurd transgressor.
Even more obscure than "clown", the absurdist is yet another type of animal. Perhaps a Pug or an Australian Shepherd. Having overcome their fear of domestication, as well as "inappropriate" behavior and formal-lessness, they immediately enter the "world" where they can walk themselves, shop their very own dogs, eat revolt and, lest they be accused of corruption, surf romantically just like taxes do.
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In our times, there is still a place and very good reason, for this kind of behavior.
Evidently, it has fallen to me to be a minister of such rare-area community.
Thus the creation of this sacred-absurdist sanctuary.
The freedom to be or Not be Real (= Creature-hood).
The choice to choose and not choose The Ideal (= Citizen-hood).
Either way,
never by default.
..always fulfilled ON-PURPOSE.
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The Argument for Activating our Imaginations:
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From the cradle to the grave, we are surrounded and enveloped by language.
Formed and informed by our local, native tongue, we come to realize how much it has benefitted us and informed our worldview. At a certain point along the journey, however, some will find it useful (others useless) to acknowledge that our worldview has no accessible value unless we possess
a corresponding "word-view". That is, have the words to walk our talk and Be our word.
If we're paying attention to the babble we monkeys make, words are far more powerful than we tend to realize. Words are magic 101. Spells done by spelling. Sentences that, too often, sentence hastily. Just as one's certainty diminishes possibilities, so too do convictions make convicts of us all.
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The Art of Being Human, in truth, is a life-long occupation all to itself.
To enhance our journey is an entirely personal choice. An inside job.
However, what we are led to eat from the menu of life may eventually be disagreeable to our digestions.
Don't eat the menu! Eat the meal.
Just like mistaking our map of ideas for the actual territory, the map is Not the territory!
This is a very important measure of consideration.
The map "in here" is Not the territory "out there". To refresh and renew ourselves, both must be navigated separately to then be repeatedly re-authored, expressed and navigated interdependently.
Not abiding in this distinction makes us lazy, boring and unaccountable if we're lucky; tyrants, imbeciles and poor-politicians if we're very unlucky.
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This might be considered the "grammar-school" level of what I facilitate.
At the "high school" level, both The Art of Creature-Citizenship and the Deliberately Absurd Human transgressor might combine lucid indifference, consistent imagination-activation
and regular specificity of intention-as-attention.
Advancement into "College" level
There are all kinds of beneficial tweaks, challenges and changes we can employ to counter
the less-than-fortunate certainties that no longer serve us.
We renew our outworn maps. Stay present to explore the frontiers discovered at hand.
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So, all the above arm-waving being done, I’ve come to realize
that I am most interested and invested in other people’s autonomy and well-being.
In people fulfilling their life-purposes and accomplishing whatever liberation, creation and genuine empowerment suits them.
This curriculum is meant to embellish and enhance any willing participant's journey.
I believe in the irreducible reality of the Self. That complex of energies, experiences, cognitions and preferences we each represent. As well as the all-possible renewal of colorful, luminous psyche through self-exploration, self-confrontation, self-expression and active-imagination. Which, to me, beyond becoming anything else, adds up to personal self-development and well-comprehended and integrated Spirit. That is, Correct Spirit and living, evolving yet improvisational Soul. In other words, through conscious sovereignty, positive imagination and potent self-governance we can become more self-possessed, more empowered and ultimately, more likely to serve conscious community purposes.
Said another way, we procure our tools to "put ourselves through immediate changes". So that, any time we find ourselves suffering or "stuck" in undesirable mind-frames, we have methods to correct this promptly.
Through everything I do, my central aim and purpose is to extend this opportunity to discover, appreciate, enhance and/or create your own equanimous and balanced “sacred actor/activist",
be it Human Being, "Creature Citizen" or Sacred-Absurdist.
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Once upon a time:
​My peregrination has been an improvisational excursion beyond my brain-frontal wizbang and meaning-making equipment. Down to the center, premise and origin of my/the "human condition".
Even as I don't believe a universal condition can be, in any way, summed up.
What I mean to say is, it's been a trip back (and forth) to the the Ever-Present Origin standing squarely (as it has in all moments and times) forever, right before us.
Our way out of any collective bad dream, is and must be discovered, right before us.
That is, the always-already, unflinching or glitching, permanently-accessible, cleverly-foreseeable, rarely-apprehended, transcendently-uncommon yet commonly-immanent, ever-present magical doorway into Super-Subjectivity, Dynamic Equilibrium, No Form, Creature-qualified-Citizenry, the Pataphysical domain and Right Here, Right Now.
Where language/image/symbol/motion turn Viriditas-Green.
Not any sort of no-place Place, but the spacious/luminous premise and promise hopped-up on infinite-potential and formal-lessness.
As in the notion of 'purity', we can only each define such things for ourselves.
The Fertile Void where a squeaky-wheel can have it's grease or turn into a souring peregrine.
Whereby peregrination begins, returns, resets and re-terms it's soul-found conditions.
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Alright, well, saying it that way
is much better than some long-winded,
sanctimonious explication
on my little trip down memory lane.
​Biographical Synopsis
(from present to beginnings)
Minister of Walking Prayer (title) with Center for Sacred Studies
a multi-cultural, Earth-based faiths curriculum.
(as dedicated foundation/commitment to Human/Nature interface & to all Natural-World, Creature-dignity and protection practices;
from which to design & implement correct-strategy curriculum for this
Absurdist-Holistic Salon/School; Creature/Creative-Citizenry Sanctuary.
As well as it's future as would be Theatre-Company; activist & professional entertainment agency; dinner-theatre restaurant franchise-chain; etc. ad nauseam, ad infinitum.)
Ordination May, 2025 & launch of this website.
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​Director, Artist & Teacher
specializing in Creative-Agency; 1+0=Clown aka DeliberatelyAbsurdHumans;
Movement-based Awareness Practices;
& Ritual-Theatre Technologies,
Designed for professional's and non-artist's dreamtime & daytime general creative-motivation
& personal-development.
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Writer/Creator/Director of:
Box-in-the-Jack: a trans-dimensional mid-life real estate. (one-man show, Portland, OR)
Now or NeverLand: 100 yrs of Peter Pan Composted (in 3 production-phases, SF, CA)
What Is Erotic?: variety cabaret (founder/creator, Santa Cruz, CA)
(full created/directed-shows listed at end)
Professional Clown & Character-Actor, Physical Comedian, Dance-Theatre Performer,
Multi-Medium Sculptor
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InterChange Therapist/Counselor graduate.
2014-'15
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Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree- Sculptor & Performance Artist
SanFrancisco Art Institute 1994-'97.
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Associate Arts Degree- Theater-Arts Technician & Actor
Monterey Peninsula College 1991-'93
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Personal Corporeal Fantasy- Matter before Mind: Actual over Conceptual; The Real vs The Ideal
School of Life 1970-present
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Born, July 14, 1970, Reading, Berkshire, England
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TRAINING & PERFORMANCE HISTORY
Community-Driven History
(from beginnings to present)
Monterey Peninsula College, Drama Department (acting)
Umo Ensemble (buffoonery)
The SanFrancisco Mime Troupe (zanni masked comedia)
Balinese Topeng (mask-carving & embodied, cultural story-telling tradition with Anom Mas, Bali)
Julie Oak's Real Play (improv. theater troupe)
Hiroko Tamano (Japanese Butoh)
Nita Little's Mind In Motion (dance-theater)
Mir & a Company (dance-theater troupe)
The Labyrinth Project (character-acting)
Ana Halprin (dance-theater)
Antero Alli's ParaTheatrical Research (paratheatre)
Fu Fu Ha! (clown & dance troupe)
The Shamanic Cheerleaders (performance troupe)
James Donlon's Flying Actor's Studio (mime & clown school)
The Burly Sisters (dance-theater troupe)
Diego Pinon's Butoh Mexicano (butoh)
PAN (improv. theater)
Pacific Repertory Theatre (acting & scenic arts)
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Clown-Specific
"Random" was a psycho-circus clown with:
The SanFrancisco Buffoons (clown troupe)
Moshe' Cohen's Clown Conspiracy (clown troupe, SF)
The Mystic Family Circus (activist & theatrical-circus, SF)
Xeno (industrial-punk dance-theatre circus troupe, SF)
Cirque du Soleil (clown trainings Stephan Haves, SF)
Japanese Butoh (Berlin)
Japanese Butoh (Portland)
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​Industry Supported History:
a "professional", paid clown, character-actor & variety performer
with:
Skyana Entertainment
Cast of Thousands
Velocity Circus
Earth Circus
Gig Salad
Mirth Productions
Mystic Family Circus
and as Independent Contractor
Created WorkShops, Laboratories & Performance Troupes:
The JesterTerrestrials (clown troupe, India)
The PreDestrians (street theater, Santa Cruz, CA)
N'ensemble (street theater, Santa Cruz)
Extractum Eccentricus (laboratory & performance troupe, Santa Cruz)
Clown Bootcamp (lab & perf. troupe, Santa Cruz)
SuperZero Earth League (lab & clown troupe, SanFrancisco, CA)
GroundSwell (dance-theatre troupe, Oakland, CA)
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Created & Directed Productions:
Peter Plan B (MysticFamilyCircus theater-production SFTheatreFestival)
Now or NeverLand (MysticFamilyCircus theater-prod. XenoDrome)
Now or NeverLand #2 (MysticFamilyCircus theater-prod. UnderOneUmbrella)
What Is Erotic? (created & directed cabaret/fundraiser, 4 years)
Box-in-the-Jack: a trans-dimensional mid-life real estate.
a one-man show for Fertile Ground theatre-arts festival, (Portland OR)
(directed by Floyd Labar)
What Is Erotica? Original Variety Cabaret at What Is Art?, (Santa Cruz, CA)
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Productions Cast In:
Oliver! a workhouse brat (Sandpoint, Idaho)
The Wizard of Oz, The Wicked Witch of the West (Pacific Grove, CA)
Know; Bag is an Island (2-man clown show with Bryan Welch, Arcadia & San Francisco, CA)
Re. Place, Elder-Flower (Cellspace takes over Yerba Buena Gardens for Cultural Awareness, SF)
The Funky Puppet Supper Club, Le Bulge (Cellspace dinner-theatre cabaret, SF, CA)
The Labyrinthe Project (4 seasons) Schizo-Janitor of The Underworld; Jack Slap: gameshow host at The Double-Crossroads; Peter Pandemonium; Jack Slap's Casino (Santa Cruz, CA)
Yambo Yate', The Jester of Chaos (2-phase productions), (MysticFamilyCircus, San Francisco, CA)
Oliver!, Doctor Grimmwig (Pacific Repertory Theatre, Carmel, CA)
Hitch-Hiking to Honolulu, Bananas & Bikini (Berlin, Germany)
Guardians of Light, Wise-ool, (Glastonbury, England troupe at Boom Festival, Portugal)
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Theatre Productions Constructed:
Monterey Peninsula College Drama Department (Monterey, CA)
????
Pacific Repertory Theatre (Carmel, CA)
Waitress
The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Finding Nemo Jr.
?????
Oliver!
Artist's Repetory Theatre (Portland, OR)
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You are Loved:
​To all those I share irrefutably magical times with (you know who you are), wether it be in cosmic and natural reverence, festive thoroughfare, profound affinity, circus or theatre production, smaller-cast performance or short-lived adventure, I am gratefully humbled by the exquisite gift each and every one of you represent and have bestowed upon me in this beautiful life.
You are what is Real.
I've had the great privilege to run wild and on-purpose with truly brilliant, rare-area company.
Frankly, I've tended to love people (more than you'll ever know) on a moment-by-moment basis. However, my desire to have more of you in my life is unshakeable.
Therefore, to those of you dear, near and far, who I've let slip away or who are simply missing-in-action, I offer this labour of love as the continuation of my personal life-journey.
​04/25/25 Brendan Ramsden ​​
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