Where in the world am I today?: North Vancouver, BC, Canada
You can chalk this one up to the sort of work that’s ‘Good for your Soul.’ I first became aware of Clowns Without Borders through some benefit shows that I did many moons ago in Winnipeg while participating in the C.A.M.P. Program. Actually, come to think of it, the C.A.M.P. program in Winnipeg came about as a direct result of a trip that the artistic director, Neal Rempel, took with Clowns with out Borders to Guatemala in the late 90s.
The way I remember Neal describing it went something along the lines that as a performer he felt like he was taking more out of the system than he was giving back. To make one’s living from the pursuit of standing in front of an audience eliciting applause and energy seemed to be a pretty one-sided equation, so he took the trip to Central America with Clowns with out Borders as a way of giving something back. When he got half way around the world he realized that he could apply the ‘Thing Globally, Act Locally‘ train of thought and returned to Winnipeg and created the C.A.M.P. program as a way to give back to the kids in his own community who needed smiles and exposure to a different sort of adult role model just as the kids in Guatemala had.
When the C.A.M.P. program started, we did an annual benefit show to help raise funds to send ‘Funny’ to zones of conflict and help fulfill the mission statement of Clowns with out Borders –
‘No child without a smile.’
There are Clowns with out Borders organizations in nine countries around the world all dedicated to (as the website says) –
…offering laughter to relieve the suffering of all persons, especially children, who live in areas of crisis including refugee camps, conflict zones and territories in situations of emergency.
To bring levity, contemporary clown/circus oriented performances and workshops into communities so that they can celebrate together and forget for a moment the tensions that darken their daily lives…
Sound like you’re cup of tea? More information can be found directly on the Clowns With out Borders Website here.
