Clown me in? Touring the refugees camps for a few hours of laughter?

Posted by: adonis49 on: December 28, 2019

• In: Essays | Events/Cultural/Educational/Arts | social articles
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Clown me in? Touring the refugees camps for a few hours of laughter?

Happy holidays, everyone! We made this video as part of the We Must Clown project last year, but it’s probably even more relevant now!

HAPPENING NOW Year-End Fundraiser of GlobalGiving – Consider an end-of-year donation. Many of you may have already heard about our successful GlobalGiving campaign, which, thanks to YOUR help, guaranteed us a permanent spot on the platform. Due to the campaign’s success, we have extended our fundraiser to be part of GG’s Year-End campaign, which makes us eligible for different rewards and donation-matching initiatives. If you would like to donate to our campaign and help us keep clowning, click here! Help us reach our goal! IIVVSS – The first semester at the International Institute for Very Very Serious Studies is almost over! Despite a few weeks of classes that we suspended to hit the streets together, the students are back to work with full energy and loads of ideas with their amazing teachers. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook to see what they’re up to! IIVVSS Expressive Masks classes Clowning through the Revolution – We’ve been a part of the Lebanese uprising since October 17th, taking part in the protests as clowns, as well as performing for the protesters (although it seems our politicians have been trying to compete with us). We also gave a free workshop with Giovanni Fusetti this weekend, open to any caring citizen wishing to explore the connection between theatre and political, social and environmental action, both on an intellectual level and in an experimental playful way. The day was one of play and creativity, using a series of games, collective exercises, brainstorming and group activity. From the Beirut protests. Photo by Nadim Kamel 2019 HIGHLIGHTS Barcelona  –  We were invited to perform at the La Mercè Festival in Barcelona this September, where Beirut was chosen as the guest city. Not only did we get to perform for a totally new audience, but it was also our first time performing as a group outside Lebanon. Read more about it on our blog! Clown Me In The House! –  After years (literally, it’s been 12 years since we started), we finally have a place to call our own and store all our really weird stuff! The new location is supported by Sintraco, who offered us the space, and Fondation Sesam and Drosos, who partially funded the furnishing of the interior. Not only is this our new rehearsal space, but it’s also the IIVVSS classroom. We also want to take a moment to thank the Golf Club of Lebanon again, for generously hosting us throughout the last months before we settled. Sabine Choucair wins the Il Clown Nel Cuore Award in Italy  –  Our founder, Sabine Choucair, became the first female clown to win this award at the Clown&Clown Festival in Monte San Giusto in Italy for her humanitarian relief work, at a ceremony attended by over 10,000 people! Watch the video here. CRC  –  Our new touring project, Celebrating the Rights of Children, was a huge success! We performed for over 3,360 people around the country and had them participate in games and activities that were both fun and educational. These same artists have been working as trainers and facilitators in their home countries, and have trained over 300 women and teens in these fields. And we couldn’t be prouder of the amazing job they’ve been doing! This project is in collaboration with CWB Sweden, the Palestinian Circus School and Al Balad Theatre, Jordan. Funded by The Folke Barnadotte Academy.

Tags: adonis49, Beirut protests, Clown Me In, Clown&Clown Festival, Folke Barnadotte Academy., Sabine Choucair