“The clowns meet onstage to share their music, stupidity, and tricks. We invite kids and adults alike to laugh at our fragility, and to reinforce our humanism and altruism. Together, we create and recreate the world.”
-Erwan Gronier, performing artist
Tour Overview
Clowns Without Borders went on an emergency tour to Ecuador, in support of earthquake relief. There has been a tremendous aid effort over the past month, and we were honored to be part of that restoration.
CWB worked in Manabi, the most devastated area, and stayed in Guayaquil during our off days. We worked in close partnership with local authorities and Global Smiles to ensure that all of our activities were safe for the artists and the public. When working in the immediate aftermath of an emergency, it’s even more important that CWB be in solidarity with those already trusted by the community. Additionally, our artists participated in disaster preparedness training.
Tour Context
Ecuador suffered a magnitude 7.8 earthquake on April 16, 2016. The severe earthquake struck the northwestern part of the country, killing 660 people and injuring more than 16,000. Two strong aftershocks, magnitudes 6.7 and 6.8, occurred on Wednesday, May 18.
Seven thousand buildings were destroyed, including the entire shopping district of Tarqui, with widespread damage across Manabi province. At the time of our tour, an estimated 25,000 people were living in temporary shelters. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), Ecuador last experienced an earthquake of this magnitude in 1906.
The Team
CWB – USA’s four amazing artists are Julia Register (NYC), Andres Aguilar (Mexico City), Gabriela Sigaud Winters (Sao Paolo, Brazil), and Erwan Gronier (French, living 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.
