NEWS
‘Impact of Covid-19 on European Healthcare Clown Organizations’
a survey of Rote Nasen International (RNI) and efhco in summer 2020
In the past weeks we have seen amazing examples of how quick, creative and resilient healthcare clowning organisations scoping with the current COVID-19 crisis.
This June, efhco and RNI have created a survey to collect information on how COVID-19 affected the European Healthcare Clowns sector, working with professionally trained and paid artists and being registered in all EEA countries (+ Switzerland) and how members of the community reacted to this new situation.
We herewith cordially invite you to share your experiences with us by completing our survey, covering
General information / General impact / National and International Cooperation / Artistic programme /
Impact and Evaluation / Communication / Human Resources / Fundraising /Outlook on the future
Using the information we collect, we want to publish a report in autumn highlighting the most important challenges faced, sharing some inspiring practices, documenting if and how the sector changed and showing possible ways forward. We hope that this will give us insights we can share with all of our stakeholders (donors, partners, beneficiaries, policy makers, artists) and which will help us to learn for future moments of change and crisis to come.
Interested in participating and your organization did not yet receive the link to our survey ?
Simply CONTACT US via info@efhco.eu
Stay safe and all the best to you all, RNI & efhco
Dear worldwide friends of Healthcare Clowning worldwide,
the current Corona crisis challenges our creative spirit in these difficult times for everybody, as a healthy adult, as parents or as a vulnerable person in a hospital, a caring home or at home. We share your sorrow and fears!
efhco supports its 18 members across Europe in exchanging their new experiences and creative ideas as all usual work places within healthcare are also cordonned off for our needed clown doctors.
The Clowns are now connecting with you in new ways, bringing human interaction, laughter and smile to the littles and the grown up ones! Discover some of them here - enjoy! We all need a smile now ....
Finland
Czech Republic
Denmark Germany
The Netherlands
...and never forget .....
a Handwash Guide for everybody
from our Scottish member Hearts & Minds
Do it like the clown doctors!
¡Hazlo como los Doctores Payasos!
Doe het zoals de Cliniclowns!
Fait comme les Rire Medecins!
Mach es wie die Clown-Doktoren!
Fallo come i Dottori Clown!
Sorry, CANCELLED Fundraisers Xchange 2020 in Morges, Switzerland
we are planning a virtual meeting later and will keep you updated !
2020 Active in Research in Healthcare Clowning?
Join the Autumn Research Workshop by efhco and H-CRIN+ in Lisbon from 27 – 30 September 2020.
During our 3-days intense workshop we propose to share experiences among participants, present case studies – learnings and challenges, regarding research on healthcare clowning. Discuss the relevance of collecting knowledge, share good practices and strategies to involve your organization as well as potential partners. Discuss relevant topics for planning a research study and have expert supervision of ongoing European and global research.
You will find more information here or send an email to info@efhco.eu.
Bom dia in Portugal!
Out now, our first efhco newsletter 2019/2020 with a smile !
Enjoy the read! You are all welcome to join us, even as a non-member.
Buon Giorno Italia – efhco welcomes two new Associate members
Our European Federation is growing again this fall 2019: we are welcoming two new associates from Italy: Dottor Sorriso and Fondazione Theodora, both from the Milan region.
Dottor Sorriso, located in Lainate (MI), set up in 1995 works with 30 clowns in about 20 hospitals and care institutions.
The Milanese Fondazione Theodora, a sister organisation to our Swiss founding member Fondation Theodora,
is active in 18 hospitalsand institutions, visited by 32 clowns. 
All clown visits of our new Italian members are carried twice a week.
Both new members are working with professional, specially trained artists, according to efhco’s principles.
Benvenuti a efhco !
‘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.
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 2019 - dear Cliniclowns in Belgium and
The Netherlands, Rote Nasen Austria, Fondation Theodora
and many more....
