“We had never thought about clowning as a performance or as an art. We always thought of it as something small, for a few kids, not to connect to all of people. The adults would come with the intention to take care of the kids, and then they would leave their kids to watch the performance and enjoy it. The adults were so engaged. We all learned that clowning can be an art for everyone to share.”
-Rami Khader, Diyar Theatre
Program Overview
Clowns Without Borders has launched a three-year program in Palestine. The program focus is clown training for artists working within their home communities—communities experiencing protracted displacement and violence. Over the next three years, CWB has committed to the following activities in Palestine:
- Six 30-hour training intensives for local artists.
- The creation of six original clown performances to be toured in refugee camps, schools, and rural areas.
- Train-the-trainer workshops for social workers and teachers, to bring levity to their work.
Program Context
After CWB’s tour in April 2019, both partners discussed forming a long-term relationship, one that emphasizes clown training for Palestinian actors and dancers. CWB is delighted to support its tour partners as they train and perform in place, even after a traditional CWB tour is over.
Palestinian refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) are an example of people experiencing protracted displacement. Reaching back to the first Arab-Israeli war in 1948, displacement touches generations of Palestinians. CWB previously performed in Palestine in 2013.
The Team
October 2019: Osama Awwad, Ahmad Ghaib Michael O’Neill, Ania Upstill
Michael and Ania will lead the first tour of this series. They will teach a week-long intensive in Clowning Fundamentals. Osama and Ahmad will join for the creation and performance of an original clown show.
CWB has formed a 3 year partnership with Diyar Theatre, a Bethlehem-based dance theatre.
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.
