Clowns on the Road :o)

„Clowns on the Road” developed from of a hospital clown project based in Germany. We have been visiting children in hospitals since 1999 with the motto “Laughter is the best medicine.”

In the years 2005, 2006 and 2007 we drove over 45.000 km and visited more than 6.000 children from Jujuy in the very North of Argentina to Tierra del Fuego in the South. In Chile our visits touched places all over the country.

We make house calls and in a playful manner communicate the awareness and realization that misery, illness and poverty are not necessarily life debilitating situations. This harsh reality can disappear into the background, even if only for a refreshing moment, giving way to the levity of fun and play.

We can’t change the social conditions in a country, but we can give encouragement and innovative impulses inspiring new hope. Clowns ease the situation and bring happiness and cheerfulness. They prove that there is always a silly lining behind every murky cloud!

HOW ARE WE ORGANISED?

We contact the institution we wish to visit mail and arrange for an appointment with the administration. First we organize a so-called "Coordination Day". This serves to explain to the director and employees of the institution our project ‘Clowns on the Road’ and how it works. We inquire about the number of children at that institution and their living circumstances.

The idea of this meeting is to have all employees present, including the cook, cleaning ladies and drivers.

The ‘Coordination Day is followed by the "Clown Visit". This is the actual work with the children and employees. We create an integrative and participatory experience. We don’t need a stage or special set-up.

Each visit is followed by an evaluation done together with the staff: what they saw and experienced, how it was for them, what we noticed, how was the change of the children during our visit, how is it possible to integrate those changes into everyday life.

How do we travel around?
The “Clowns on the Road” team work out of a mobile home/travelling unit, our clown mobile unit, called MAMUT. With MAMUT we can get virtually anywhere – we drive rough ways,can cross a field, the mountains, the desert.