“One of the camp leaders heard people talking about how they’re going to follow the show around, since they’re having so much fun. And one very old man told her, ‘I never thought this could happen in this camp. I’ve only ever seen this on TV!’ ”
-Robin Lara, CWB – USA artist
Tour Overview
This program provides emotional relief and psychological support to children and caregivers in areas affected by Cyclone Idai. CWB – USA will tour to the Tongogara refugee camp and selected schools, in partnership with artists from South Africa, the United States, and Zimbabwe. Cross-cultural collaboration is a key component to artistic excellence.
Tour Context
In April 2019, Cyclone Idai devastated parts of Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe, killing over 1,300 people and affecting over one million people. This tour comes at a precarious moment for Zimbabwe’s economy and political stability. There is a shortage of physical cash, and uncertainty about which currency will be adopted in the coming months.
Tour Partners
Clowns Without Borders – South Africa is CWB – USA’s sister chapter in South Africa. CWB – SA is dedicated to improving the psychological condition of children and communities facing crisis and adversity. This includes responding to humanitarian situations by empowering children through artistic interventions.
Gift of The Givers is the largest disaster response organization of African origin, on the African continent. Established in 1992, the organization now has 22 categories of programs, which cover areas such as health, job creation, and education. In 2018, the organization received the Goodwill Award by the FW de Klerk foundation in recognition of its incredible work towards the achievement of equality and advancement of human rights.
Zimbabwe Theatre Academy is a performance center in Harare, Zimbabwe. Its mission is to strengthen the skills of emerging theatre professionals, thus generating contemporary Zimbabwean theatre. The Academy was founded in 2017 by Lloyd Nykadzino, alumnus of Dell’Arte International.
The Team
Robin Lara returns to CWB – USA on her second tour. She first toured with a circus when she was 13 years old, and has been working ever since. Her training includes the year long Circus Center of San Francisco’s Clown Conservatory. Sibusiso Khambule is a key member of CWB – South Africa and a board member of Clowns Without Borders International. He trained for two years at the Jacques Leqoc School of Paris. Thandolwenkosi Dube and Philomon Fuka are both graduates of the Zimbabwe Theatre Academy and will be joining CWB for the first time.
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.
