NEWS
‘The Power of a Clown’
Inspiring Days in Geneva for Healthcare Clown Professionals
Bonjour Geneva – The biggest efhco Annual Meeting since its foundation in 2011 took place in Geneva end of September 2019 with over 50 attendees.
‘efhco is in full and vivid growth, we wish you all inspiring 3 meeting days’ said chairwoman Monica Culen while welcoming among the participants also three new efhco Associate members: HumorHilftHeilen (Germany), Dottor Sorriso and Fondazione Theodora (both Italy) as well as Ursula Fährer, new efhco secretary at the Brussels office.
The Inspirational Power of a Clown
Cheerful laughter filled the HUG Auditorium when Prof. Dr. Klara Posfay Barbe (Chief Medical Officer at HUG Geneva, General Pediatric Department) shared her personal experiences with clown doctors in her hospital career.
Standing ovations were given to Prof. emer. Dr. Jean-Philippe Assal, Geneva after his key note. Having been like an efhco obstetrician over 11 years ago, he was very happy to experience today a powerful, lively organization with 18 members across Europe.
The Inspiration of an organization
Beside tackling the legal and operational necessities of the European Federation, the Exchange of ideas, strategies, positions and techniques was the principal topic in 3 working groups for Artistic Directors, Managers and R&D, and how to develop them in their respective home countries plus within efhco. Key words were
· Diversity in the Healthcare sector (Clowning with kids, seniors or refugees, in intense care or hospices),
· Communication with Donors and In-house,
· Relevance & Competiveness in a growing charity market,
· Creativity and Professional Education of Clowns or Clinic staff and
· Impact of Clowns in Healthcare institutions.
A Come-Together Night and meeting breaks gave further room for informal talks. In addition two artistic workshops were offered by the outstanding trainers Hélène Gustin and Lory Leshin, France – boosting existing clown skills or to acquire new techniques.
A big compliment and ‘Merci Beaucoup’ goes to the Swiss member Hôpiclowns Genève for organizing this 2019 convention, and to our all supporters at Geneva’s HUG (Hôpitaux Univèrsitaire de Genève).
We are looking forward in meeting all again in 2020 in Portugal, hosted by Operação Nariz Vermelho.
Welcome & Herzlich Willkommen
to our new Associate member
Stiftung HUMOR HILFT HEILEN from Germany
efhco is growing – we are welcoming in Spring 2019 our most recent addition to our European Federation:
The Foundation (Stiftung) Humor Hilft Heilen was established in 2008 by Dr. Eckart von Hirschhausen, a well-known personality in Germany, who, after studying and practicing medicine himself, traded in his doctor coat to be a medical cabaret artist on stage and TV.
By combining his medical knowledge with the power of humor and comedy, Hirschhausen identified three main goals for this organization:
Funding healthcare clowning – in 2019 HHH engages 40+ clowns visiting children’s hospitals, palliative facilities and nursing homes in more than 25 locations across Germany. The clown visits vary between twice a week and monthly.
Conducting workshops for medical staff throughout Germany employing a workshop concept created and brought to HHH by Michael Christensen.
Projecting and supporting scientific studies which deal with the effects of clinic clowning and humor.
Fundraisers Xchange in Paris on April 8+9, 2019
16 efhco's members and other European Healthcare Clown organisations from 12 EU Countries shared in-depth knowledge and their experiences in professional fundraising for Healthcare Clowning. A splendid variety in activities from Finland, Norway to Czech Republic (see picture), Italy or Mallorca ....
Greetings from our Finnish efhco member Sairaalaklovnit.
Kinda small, but nevertheless a nationwide organization & right now growing and super busy all the time. A nice little video of an R&D project in 2018
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CA2QKv-fsus
This great project by the Ministry of Education and Culture enabled a new type of study and impact assessment of hospital clowns, encourages the role of artistic and cultural activities in health and social services, well-established in many wards across Finland. Hospital clowns and the HUS children’s Hospital, Helsinki joined the Ministry’s project to measure the actual impact of the clowns’ work on the smoothness of procedures and the experiences of the young patients.
Kiitos, Suomi
Happy Birthday dear Cliniclowns Belgium
25 years of bringing smiles into now 40 hospitals and institutions!
Vítejte, Welcome to Prague!
This year’s efhco’s Annual Meeting was held in September 2018 in the Czech capital city of Prague, organized and hosted by our Czech member, Zdravotni Klaun.
The chairwoman, Monica Culen, welcomed as guest’s two additional healthcare organizations to the meeting, from Germany and Italy, both interested in a possible efhco membership in the future.
Besides tackling the ongoing legal necessities of our European Federation (minutes, finances, memberships) all attendees devoted time on the exchange topic ‘What’s the state of our institution?’ and on the further development of efhco goals.
Paulien Trapman, the efhco coordinator since 2011, was organizing her last meeting for efhco and would be leaving efhco at the end of September. Paulien received an outstanding Thank You from all members for her excellent job, her never-ending support and to her efforts in growing the federation and its member organizations.
The next day the attendees had the opportunity to acquire new skills or to test the waters in a workshop on aerial acrobatics, ground acrobatics, juggling of all kinds, rola-bola, rope walking or unicycle – offered by the local circus CIRQUEON.
We are looking forward meeting again next September in Switzerland.
