I used to know what my job was. I produced clown tours and workshops for displaced people, migrants, and communities in crisis. Amidst all of the unknowns and intangibles of that work, I knew what I was doing. Since the … Continue reading
Tag: social circus
Ethical Volunteering
Did you know that all Clowns Without Borders artists volunteer their time during a tour? These professionals donate their abilities and expertise to craft responsive, culturally humble performance tours that create space for levity amidst crisis. Code of Ethics CWB … Continue reading
Know Nonsense: Funny Faces
Know Nonsense is our new program of DIY Clown Activities. CWB can’t come to you, but we still want to clown with you. Clowns live in a world that celebrates everything it is to be human, where anything is possible, and … Continue reading
Empathy, Humanity, and Advocacy Are Not Cancelled
A letter from CWB – USA Executive Director Naomi Shafer: Dear Community, I hope you are well. I know many of you are experiencing job insecurity, restlessness, anxiety, and travel restrictions. You may not be able to see your family. … Continue reading
Coloring Without Borders
Like everyone, CWB – USA is still adjusting to the rapid changes brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Since we made the difficult decision to cancel our tour to Colombia, we’ve worked to set up online and social media resources … Continue reading
COVID-19 & CWB : Program Cancellation
Dear Supporters, Due to the global pandemic of COVID-19 we cancelled our tour to Colombia (scheduled to depart March 12th). We are cancelling all programs through the end of April, after which time we will reevaluate. Cancelling the … Continue reading
The Escalating Migrant Crisis in Greece
CWB – USA shares the following post from our sister-chapter Clowner Utan Gränser (Clowns Without Borders Sweden). It was written by Louise Frisk, CWB-Sweden Secretary General. How Many More Children Will Die, As They Try to Live? “I lost my … Continue reading
Strategic Partnerships
“In Spanish we say resignificar, which I guess you could translate as ‘redefine.’ I wanted to redefine the role of the clown. To really make a transformation or push a button in society, we need professional clowns.” – Ilana Levy, … Continue reading
Meet Ilana Levy, Founder of CaliClown
Do you ever wonder about CWB – USA’s amazing partners? We’re sitting down with project partners from around the world to talk about their organization and its relationship to CWB! Ilana Levy, founder of CaliClown and ClownEncuentro talks professionalism and forging … Continue reading
2019 Goals: Meaningful Impact and Connections
CWB – USA’s scope is growing. From 2015 to 2018, our audience doubled in size. Each year we steadily increase the number of workshops, performances, and people served. It’s exciting to see that outcome, but it is not our goal. … Continue reading
So You Want To Be a Clown?
Do you dream of running away to join the circus? Have you ever tried on a red nose? If you want to meet your inner clown, or take your craft one step further, come take a clown class with us! … Continue reading
Did CWB – USA Meet Its 2018 Goals?
Laughing Matters! This is the core of our work at Clowns Without Borders – USA. Our artists see and experience laughter’s impact on an audience. You’ve probably glimpsed this in our photos. You’ve read our final statistics from a tour. … Continue reading
What Is Protracted Displacement?
What does displacement look like? The UNHCR estimates there are 68.5 million forcibly displaced people worldwide: 40 million internally displaced people (IDP); 25.4 million refugees; and 3.1 million asylum seekers. There are also an estimated 10 million stateless people, or … Continue reading
The Importance of Being Invited
What does a war zone look like? When the artists who work with Clowns Without Borders return from scenes of crisis or conflict, they’re often confronted with incredulity. How, people wonder, can CWB have a relationship with the horror and … Continue reading
