“We open a space where connections are palpable, where we work together to create a life experience that brings joy and affection for all.”
– CoiCoi, performing artist
Tour Overview
In February, 2018, CWB – USA spent three days in Soledad, where project partner La Sombra del Matarraton works with local youth. Our workshops focused on leadership training. The second stop on this tour was Barranquilla and its surrounding area. CWB performed for people affected by displacement due to the ongoing armed conflict, the presence of criminal gangs, and micro-trafficking.
From Baranquilla, the team travelled to La Guarija, where they supported the reincorporation process of former FARC combatants into the ETCR (Territorial Spaces of Training and Reincorporation) of Pondores. In the municipality of Puerto Colombia, Atlántico, CWB worked in partnership with the Sanarte Foundation. This organization focuses on children and young people at risk of sexual exploitation and consumption of psychoactive substances.
The tour concluded with a full day in the municipality of Piojó, Atlántico, working with the MUVISA Living Museum of Ancestral Knowledge. CWB performed for the indigenous community of Mokana, in tandem with a gathering of young leaders. The team participated as guests in a tribute to the intangible heritage of Piojó.
Tour Context
This tour had a broad, yet unique focus. The clowns worked to help reintegrate FARC combatants—people struggling to return to “normal” life after decades of war. They also worked with at-risk youth and young indigenous leaders. The tour encompassed the deep vitality and the ongoing struggle of Colombian people. Colombia has experienced generations of violence, internal displacement, and economic hardship. Many young people struggle to imagine their country at peace. This tour was designed to provide interventions that allowed the region’s young people to strengthen their life-goals.
The Team
Carolina Duncan, aka CoiCoi, joined CWB for her second project. CoiCoi has performed in many parts of the world and made history with the Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey’s “The Greatest Show on Earth” as their first clown of Colombian origin.
Aline Moreno, co-founder of Palhaços Sem Fronteiras, is a long-time volunteer with CWB – USA. She has performed with CWB in Nicaragua and Mexico.
Whenever possible, CWB – USA works with local clowns, and this tour was no exception, Agua E ‘Coco Caribbean Clowns joined the tour. Diana Bolaño (Yonose), Mario Bustillo, (Mario-Netas), and Julio Mario Cabarcas López (Mü) are all clowns and theater-artists in Baranquilla, Colombia.
Highlights
Each tour brings its own unique set of challenges. For CoiCoi, performing at a women’s prison taught her the importance of arriving with an attitude of non-judgement.
Diana Bolaño writes about a tender performance in a hospital.
“They look at us as if they’re seeing the most beautiful thing. Their laughs are intense, not loud, but deep, coming from the soul. Their laughter is transformative.”
CoiCoi made an educational video about the tour. It provides background information about the political situation which affects the daily lives of CWB audience members in Colombia.
CWB – USA follows United Nations naming conventions for all countries, nations, and territories, along with the Declaration of the Rights of the Child and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. To read more about our Code of Ethics, click here.
