{"schema":"https://ver.cy/schemas/card/1.0.0","id":"vr.tr.clown","code":"thing-q7358","url":"https://ver.cy/models/thing/q7358/","name":"clown","alternateNames":["white clown","hospital clown","evil clown","Canadian clowning technique","circus clown","Ritual clown","rodeo clown"],"kind":"thing","status":"published","version":"0.2.0-wave.3","language":"en","classifiers":{"family":"Thing Registry","category":"Society, people and institutions","entryKind":"thing","plane":"SOC","domain":["SOC.PER"],"industry":[],"navPath":"","tags":[],"facets":{}},"whatItIs":"A comic performer who entertains through exaggerated costume, makeup, physical comedy, slapstick and audience interaction, in traditions such as the circus clown with its whiteface, auguste and tramp types, the white clown of European circus, ritual clowns in indigenous ceremonies, hospital clowns who work with patients, theatrical clowning techniques taught in schools such as those associated with Canadian clowning, and the evil clown of horror fiction; clowning has ancient roots in jesters and fools.","purpose":"Let an agent explain clowns and clowning traditions, relay types, techniques and history from performing arts and anthropological sources, describe hospital and ritual clowning respectfully, and distinguish clowns from jesters, mimes and the fictional evil clown.","scope":{"in":[],"out":[],"boundaries":[]},"distinguishingFeatures":["Exaggerated appearance","Physical comedy","Audience interaction","Many traditions"],"structure":{"bundles":[{"id":"understand","name":"Understand","description":"What a clown is.","layers":[{"id":"definition","name":"Definition","description":"Definition and types.","findings":[{"id":"definition-finding","name":"Definition","description":"Definition.","questions":[{"text":"What is a clown, and how do whiteface, auguste, tramp and white clown types differ?","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Is the question about performers, ritual clowns or the fictional evil clown?","kind":"boundary"}]}]},{"id":"technique","name":"Technique","description":"Technique.","findings":[{"id":"technique-finding","name":"Technique","description":"Technique.","questions":[{"text":"What techniques and training do clowns use, including theatrical approaches such as Canadian clowning?","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Which entry fits the specific technique?","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"practice","name":"Practice","description":"Practice.","layers":[{"id":"hospital","name":"Hospital","description":"Hospital clowning.","findings":[{"id":"hospital-finding","name":"Hospital","description":"Hospital.","questions":[{"text":"What do hospital clowns do, and what evidence supports their work, with findings attributed?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which references are standard?","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"ritual","name":"Ritual","description":"Ritual clowning.","findings":[{"id":"ritual-finding","name":"Ritual","description":"Ritual.","questions":[{"text":"What roles do ritual clowns play in indigenous ceremonies, presented with respect and attribution?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Is the presentation respectful?","kind":"boundary"}]}]}]},{"id":"history","name":"History","description":"History.","layers":[{"id":"origins","name":"Origins","description":"Origins.","findings":[{"id":"origins-finding","name":"Origins","description":"Origins.","questions":[{"text":"How did clowning develop from jesters and commedia dell arte to the modern circus, as historians describe?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which sources are cited?","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"famous","name":"Famous","description":"Famous clowns.","findings":[{"id":"famous-finding","name":"Famous","description":"Famous.","questions":[{"text":"Who are notable clowns, from Grimaldi and Grock to modern performers?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits the specific clown?","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"context","name":"Context","description":"Culture.","layers":[{"id":"fear","name":"Fear","description":"Fear of clowns.","findings":[{"id":"fear-finding","name":"Fear","description":"Fear.","questions":[{"text":"Why do some people fear clowns, and how did the evil clown trope arise?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits evil clown?","kind":"action"}]}]},{"id":"culture","name":"Culture","description":"Culture.","findings":[{"id":"culture-finding","name":"Culture","description":"Culture.","questions":[{"text":"How do clowns appear in art, film and popular culture?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits clowns in popular culture?","kind":"action"}]}]}]}]},"agentConduct":{"may":["Explain clown traditions such as whiteface, auguste and ritual clowns, citing performance histories.","Help organisers find information on hiring and safeguarding rules for performers at events."],"mustNot":["Use clown costumes or personas to frighten or threaten people.","Mock sacred ritual clowning traditions of indigenous communities.","Spread hoaxes about clown sightings that can trigger panic or violence."],"requiresHuman":["Booking or allowing a performer to work with children."]},"ethics":{"considerations":["Clowns often work with children, so safeguarding matters.","Some ritual clowns are sacred roles in living cultures."],"affectedParties":["Audiences, especially children","Performers","Communities with ritual clown traditions"]},"owners":{"steward":"The performer; circus and theatre companies employ many.","roles":[],"masterSystems":[]},"relations":[{"target":"Q17307272","type":"parent","note":"registry parent class"},{"target":"circus performer","type":"related","note":"in registry terms"},{"target":"jester","type":"related","note":"and fool traditions"},{"target":"circus","type":"related","note":"and theatre"},{"target":"mime artist","type":"related","note":"who performs silently"}],"interaction":{"identity":{"applicability":"required","items":["Vercy registry: vr.tr.clown","Wikidata: Q7358 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7358)"]},"properties":{"applicability":"not-applicable","items":["classic types: whiteface, auguste, character list","hospital clowning began: 1986 year - Big Apple Circus Clown Care"]},"recognition":{"applicability":"optional","items":["Comic performer with exaggerated costume and makeup","Whiteface, auguste, tramp, white clown, hospital clown, ritual clown, evil clown","Jesters served courts; mimes work silently without clown makeup; the evil clown is fiction","A performer in exaggerated makeup, wig, oversized clothes and shoes."]},"capabilities":{"applicability":"required","items":["explain types and techniques","relay history","describe hospital and ritual clowning","distinguish related figures"]},"hazards":{"applicability":"required","items":["Fear of clowns and stereotyping","Disrespect of ritual clowning","Confusing fictional evil clowns with performers"]},"interfaces":{"applicability":"required","items":["Hospital clowning codes of practice and safeguarding","Performer licensing and child protection rules","Respect protocols for ritual clowning in indigenous communities"]},"context":{"applicability":"required","items":["Comic entertainment and, in some settings, therapy and ritual.","circus clowns including whiteface, auguste and tramp","European white clown and auguste pairs","theatrical clowning and techniques such as Canadian clowning","hospital clowns","ritual clowns in indigenous ceremonies","evil clowns in fiction and horror"]}},"sources":[{"title":"Wikidata item Q7358: clown","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7358","note":"identity and sense of the item"},{"title":"Wikipedia: Clown","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clown","note":"general description of the item"}],"openQuestions":["Should hospital clown and ritual clown be separate primary entries?","How should performing arts sources be linked?","The registry entry has merged aliases naming types and a technique; should they be split off?"],"resources":{"spec":"/models/things/publications/thing-q7358/spec.json"},"provenance":{"origin":"thing registry research (pass 2)","builtFrom":["models/things/publications/thing-q7358/spec.json"],"providers":["Claude"],"researchStatus":"unreviewed","generatedAt":"2026-09-13T05:23:20Z","builder":"tools/build_cards.py@1.0.0"},"completeness":{"sections":{"classifiers":"filled","whatItIs":"filled","purpose":"filled","distinguishingFeatures":"filled","structure":"filled","agentConduct":"filled","ethics":"filled","owners":"filled","relations":"filled","interaction.identity":"filled","interaction.properties":"not-applicable","interaction.recognition":"filled","interaction.capabilities":"filled","interaction.hazards":"filled","interaction.interfaces":"filled","interaction.context":"filled","sources":"filled"},"notes":{"_gate":"Published through the thing publication gate 1.0 on 2026-10-06T19:52:01+00:00: completeness 1.00; sense: Wikidata description; 2 live sources; review by codex: pass","interaction.properties":"Plane SOC: no invented physical properties."},"score":1.0}}