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Chuckie Sleaze leads the Clown Cult taking over Brooklyn nightlife

July 25, 2024 Mandie-Beth Chau
Photo courtesy of Charlotte Chauvin/Clown Cult
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Brooklyn Live LogoCharlotte Chauvin, commonly known by her clown name Chuckie Sleaze, is on a mission to help Brooklynites tap into their inner clown through Clown Cult, an interactive performance art and variety show that intersects queerness with the carnivalesque. 

“A clown is so many things,” said Sleaze. “You can be a stage performer, but you can also be a birthday clown. You can be a stilt walker or a juggler. I think that’s what’s so inviting about it; there’s so many different ways to interact with the archetype of the clown or the fool. The biggest project I’m focusing on is Clown Cult, an immersive, all-clown variety show.”

Photo courtesy of Charlotte Chauvin/Clown Cult
One of the Clown Cult parties. Photo courtesy of Charlotte Chauvin/Clown Cult

While the idea of a cult usually implies a subsequent true crime documentary, Sleaze emphasizes consent and creating a safe space for people to be a little silly. Sleaze lovingly refers to the show asthe great gathering of fools,and Clown Cult lives up to its creator’s description. The show attracts people who need an eclectic catharsis, ranging from drag and burlesque performers to comedians or Bushwick partygoers. 

Photo courtesy of Charlotte Chauvin/Clown Cult
Chucky Sleaze. Photo courtesy of Charlotte Chauvin/Clown Cult

“This is a super-duper welcoming space to meet some clowns,Sleaze said. If you’ve ever been titillated or excited by the concept of clown, Clown Cult is a super-duper welcoming space to not only see it but be a part of it. Put on your wackiest clothes and sparkles, a little bit of makeup, be silly and express yourself.”

Sleaze uses Clown Cult to teach people how to experience joy in new ways and notes that clowns help people see themselves in a refreshingly uninhibited light.

Chucky Sleaze performing. Photo courtesy of Charlotte Chauvin/Clown Cult
Chucky Sleaze performing. Photo courtesy of Charlotte Chauvin/Clown Cult

“The clown falls so you don’t have to. The clown gets on stage, falls on its butt, gets the pie to the face and slips on the banana so you can feel joy and laugh with the clown,said Sleaze.You are thus healed or maybe have an easier time working with your embarrassment in the future, because it feels good to feel joy for somebody else’s embarrassment, and it gives you the possibility that when you are embarrassed, you can also feel joy.” 

Clown Cult developed from Sleaze’s experience attending music festivals and exploring her role in the art world. She found ways to embed herself into the culture; whether volunteering or exhibiting sculptures, Sleaze’s calling was to create experiences. Those experiences led Sleaze to the clown scene.

Photo courtesy of Charlotte Chauvin/Clown Cult
Chucky Sleaze. Photo courtesy of Charlotte Chauvin/Clown Cult

“I found my character and the love of this art through the community. I would recommend that if you’re looking to become a clown or do it once in a while, find a community, find some friends and go to a show,said Sleaze.For me, I literally was under a red and white circus tent at a festival somewhere and met a lot of clowns and was inspired. I was roped into a cabaret at the age of 19 — a classic story.”

Photo courtesy of Charlotte Chauvin/Clown Cult
Chucky Sleaze. Photo courtesy of Charlotte Chauvin/Clown Cult

Clown Cult picked up traction and attention from hosting monthly variety shows at the up-and-coming queer venue Purgatory in Bushwick. This summer, Sleaze is taking Clown Cult to iconic event spaces like House of Yes and Rubulad

“Rubulad is the legendary, longest-running DIY art space in Brooklyn. They’ve been going for over 20 years. Working with them feels like part of a bigger story,said Sleaze.I was reached out to by this band from New Orleans called LSD Clownsystem, an LCD Soundsystem cover band that clowns on all the songs. They’re going to be the second half, going for two hours after our show. It’s going to be a big, silly party at Rubulad, and that’ll hopefully be one of our biggest shows yet because the space is two or three times as big as Purgatory.”

Photo courtesy of Charlotte Chauvin/Clown Cult
Clown Cult. Photo courtesy of Charlotte Chauvin/Clown Cult

Sleaze has plans for Clown Cult beyond Brooklyn’s borders, taking the show to Elements Music Festival in Pennsylvania. Sleaze’s programming includes a pride parade and clown activities.

“We are working our first music festival at the beginning of August. It’s a big festival, and we’re doing multiple shows, activations and silliness. It’s our first festival, and hopefully one of many more,said Sleaze.I have a long history with festivals — that’s where I started performing and learning about producing and parties. On my path as an experienced creator, it’s super exciting and a big moment for me to be bringing my show, finally, to a festival.”

Photo courtesy of Charlotte Chauvin/Clown Cult
Chucky Sleaze. Photo courtesy of Charlotte Chauvin/Clown Cult

Sleaze is devising other plans for the clown community, including an entirely person-of-color show within the next year and offering clown classes in the fall. 

I‘m in talks with some clowns who have been teaching workshops and classes in New York for a long time. It’ll go from things like makeup, juggling and balloon-tying to classical theatrical clowning, and we’re organizing and hopefully going to start doing it in the early fall, just like school,said Sleaze.We are planning to do an all-POC show. That’s a super important part of Clown Cult. One of the things we hold most important is having a diverse show and bringing diverse voices to our stage. This show is going to be super exciting for the community.”

Photo courtesy of Charlotte Chauvin/Clown Cult
Chucky Sleaze. Photo courtesy of Charlotte Chauvin/Clown Cult

Many loyal Clown Cult participants are people who exist outside of binary definitions. Sleaze said the space quickly became a space for queer creatives to find an outlet for exploring their identities beyond the standard social spectrums. 

Photo courtesy of Charlotte Chauvin/Clown Cult
Clown Cult. Photo courtesy of Charlotte Chauvin/Clown Cult

“A lot of people are genderqueer, and they say,I’m not a he, I’m not a she, my gender is clown,’ said Sleaze.It’s so lovely to hear people resonate with clown so deeply and as part of an identity within themselves because in its essence, clown is expression. It’s exaggerated. It’s what’s within you coming out, no holds barred.”

Sleaze says Clown Cult found footing in the Brooklyn party scene quickly because the concept of clowns resonates with everyone. She said the best description of a clown came from someone who said,A clown is if you were never toldnoas a child.” 

Photo courtesy of Charlotte Chauvin/Clown Cult
Chucky Sleaze. Photo courtesy of Charlotte Chauvin/Clown Cult

“The amount of people that I’ve seen come in, try clown on, and then come up to me and say,This is the first time I’ve tried out clown makeup,orThis is the silliest outfit I’ve ever worn,orI’ve made so many friends at Clown Cult,It’s been beautiful to hear that feedback,said Sleaze.Part of Clown Cult is welcoming new people to the stage. You don’t have to be a clown to be a part of this community, you already are a clown. Everybody has a clown inside of them.”

Clown Cult is performing at Rubulad and House of Yes this summer, and other upcoming events are announced on their social media.

Photo courtesy of Charlotte Chauvin/Clown Cult
Chucky Sleaze. Photo courtesy of Charlotte Chauvin/Clown Cult




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