Residency artists and researchers Circus Thomas Monckton Diploma in Circus Arts, diploma in Physical Theatre Thomas Monkcton is a New Zealander from small town Patea, South Taranaki. He grew up with four older brothers and an irrational desire to be a clown. Thom has trained two years at New Zealand’s circus school CircoArts and two years at the physical theatre school of Jacques Lecoq in Paris. Thom graduated from Lecoq in 2007 and went onto performing with Hurjaruuth in Helsinki. He has returned to Finland in the following years to perform as part of Sanaton Theatre Festival, and Cirko Festival of Contemporary Circus, and finally co-founding the finnish based physical theatre company Kallo Collective with fellow Lecoq graduates; Jenni Kallo and Sampo Kurppa. Kallo Collective have just returned to Europe after performing in New Zealand. At the Saari Residence Thom is working in the dance studio on a solo physical theatre show using clown, dance, object and body manipulation. It will be performed later in the year with plans for Finland, in New York, Montreal, and around New Zealand.