© Piros Orr
In our experience through ClowNexus, people with dementia and autistic children can both enjoy art because it engages their senses, lets them express themselves without words, gives them a sense of structure and freedom, and helps them remember and share emotions. Art is a way for us all to connect and communicate.
Intention: Propose familiar activities that foster unity.
The clowns embody various animals, encouraging participants to use their bodies and join in the role-play.
This activity trains children to recognise the animals represented, promotes physical activity, and facilitates emotional expression in a fun and appropriate manner.
Intention: Connect and play using familiar props, imbuing them with new meaning and purpose. This activity allows children to be passive observers or active participants.
Explore the sensation of wind using songs, sounds, and props that simulate wind (e.g., fans, fabric, ventilators). Engage in activities like flying in the wind (using leaves, fabric, feathers), imitating the wind (with gymnastic ribbons), and transform it into a participatory performance.
Two potential settings: 1. Children sitting in a semicircle, awaiting the activity to commence. 2. Invading their space during an ongoing activity to capture their attention. The goal is to engage them in the activity offered.
Intention: Engage in imaginative play together.
Description: Clowns use fairy tales as a foundation for shared clowning activities. They adopt various roles, and children are encouraged to join in.
Fairy tales serve as a structural framework for the visit, guiding children from beginning to end. With the assistance of the clowns, children learn to follow the story and discover their preferred roles within it.
This kind of play enables them to be active or passive participants, fostering a deeper connection between mind and body.
Create a whimsical atmosphere and employ props. It is helpful to begin with a familiar story known to the children and, once the method is established, introduce new stories.
Intention: Activate all the senses, encourage participation, and foster play.
We initiate the experience with a newspaper, using it as a sensory tool to facilitate engagement.
Together, we explore the newspaper’s potential, creating sounds and connections with the material. The object serves as a foundation for building connections.
Playing with the object entails transitioning from its conventional use to creative exploration.
We discover ways to transform the object, using it to narrate stories through its various forms (e.g. using simple paper to represent wind, water, boats, rain, and more).
Allow ample time for presenting the object. When transforming it, maintain clarity and simplicity, giving each step adequate duration for acceptance and enjoyment.
Intention: Cultivate connections through play, evoke emotional memories, spark sensory responses.
We enter the scene with a sound and voice impulse, mimicking the noises of a young kitten or puppy while introducing a partially concealed object.
The hidden item is a plush kitten or puppy, and we suggest that we found it on the street. We engage in playful exchanges, imitating the animal sounds and encouraging the audience to interact by touching the small animal.
As the play unfolds, the focus shifts towards the connection between the audience and the object of our play. We invite everyone to collaboratively name the little animal.
While the scenario is built on fantasy, the interaction rekindles physical memories and emotions.
Initiate play with sound, allowing it to set the stage for the context. Only introduce the object when the residents actively search for it. The sound and their reactions establish the connection; be patient to nurture it.
Intention: Validate a narrative and rekindle memories.
The foundation of this activity is a deep connection.
A resident shares a story, and we engage by expressing the emotions evoked by the narrative.
Gradually, we enhance our expression, initially through gestures and facial expressions, and as the game unfolds, we incorporate more extensive movements and vocal sounds.
These expressions create a powerful connection, and when executed skilfully, they help the resident recognise and relive the story or memory.
Begin with uncomplicated signals. Maintain awareness of the connection throughout to avoid imitating.
Intention: connection, emotional memory calling
Incorporating elements and characters from folk tales into our collective play provides a wonderful opportunity to awaken childhood memories.
These tales also possess deeper significance, as they often contain archaic symbols and universal motifs that resonate on a profound level.
Our approach starts by introducing a specific folk tale element, often initiated with the use of a relevant object, such as a storytelling prop.
We initially establish a connection with the audience through clowning, creating a playful and engaging atmosphere.
As the play evolves and the concept becomes clear, we transition with clown play to the roles of the folktale characters.
Audiences have the option to actively participate in the play or enjoy it as part of the audience, so they can engage in a way that suits their preferences and comfort.
A simple storyline is key, with the folk tale element serving as the impulse for our play.
Props are used to represent different roles, and objects are employed to support the narrative consistently. This approach keeps the play enjoyable and coherent, emphasising the joy of playing together.
Intention: calling back memories through well-known activities, sensory impulse, group connection
The proposal is a game involving a familiar activity: washing clothes.
This activity uses scarves for sensory benefits, allowing for hand-washing movements, the graceful motion of scarves during drying, and the fresh smell of the flying fabric.
Our entrance involves scarves placed in a large washbasin, and we invite the audience to participate in this washing activity.
This physical engagement quickly activates the memories of the audience and connects them to the theme.
Rhythm and singing are incorporated into the play, fostering a sense of group connection as everyone participates in the shared experience.
To enhance the fun, a long drying rope and clothespins are introduced, and both relatives and staff members become part of the play, helping the older people hang the scarves on the line.
This collective effort brings forth the fresh, floral scent of clean clothes, enriching the sensory dimension of the activity.
Involving both relatives and staff in the game is a great idea. Everyone can play together, and we can even incorporate different types of clothes to make the activity more enjoyable and engaging for everyone.
Intention: creating a sensation of travelling, recalling memories, activating imagination
The invitation is to travel together and the central theme is storytelling, accompanied by the creation of a train-like atmosphere.
Starting with the suggestion of sounds and voices reminiscent of a busy train station, the journey begins by moving through the audience as if there’s a rush to catch the train.
This initial phase offers opportunities for connection and establishing engagement.
Through the use of music and carefully crafted sounds, we transport ourselves to the bustling train station, setting the stage for our collective adventure.
Before embarking, we ensure that everyone has joined us, thereby stirring memories and prompting imaginative play.
Upon reaching our seaside destination, a multitude of possibilities emerges, enriched by sensory elements such as blue fabric, the gentle sounds of water, and the tactile sensation of temperature.
These elements add depth to our play.
As our journey concludes, we make the return trip by train, mirroring the initial game, creating a coherent framework for our entire encounter.
Throughout, we maintain a keen awareness of sound and movement to prevent overwhelming sensory stimulation.
We prioritise simplicity in our communication, ensuring clarity in each part of the journey.
Intention: empower, transfer emotions
The game aims to create positive feelings using poetry and imagination.
We start by noticing something beautiful about an elderly person and express it poetically, comparing them to lovely things like stars or rivers.
We continue by describing the beauty in more detail through storytelling and body language, making the ordinary seem extraordinary.
This makes the person feel appreciated and happy, and we carry this positive energy forward as we dive deeper into the imaginative world we’ve created.
Keep the poetic images clear and simple, avoiding complexity, stay with images and avoid abstractions.
Aways approach this with genuine intentions, never pretending. The goal is to authentically celebrate the beauty in each person.
Intention: changing the atmosphere, making residents feel beautiful, recalling memories
Clowns introduce an activity by bringing in vintage objects to decorate and transform the space, evoking a nostalgic retro party atmosphere.
These objects, such as a knitted tablecloths, a vintage vinyl record player, jewellery, and scarves, serve as a bridge to the past, triggering cherished memories and setting the stage for a joyous celebration.
Residents are warmly invited to participate and have fun together. We engage them by helping them dress up in costume, and involve them in the process of selecting old songs, creating a sense of collective ownership and contribution.
The creation of the party atmosphere unfolds gradually, step by step, to prevent overwhelming residents with sensory stimuli.
As this activity can evoke strong emotions and memories, be sure to provide enough space for residents to experience and live their feelings freely.
Creating the party, listening to music and dancing together raises the energy and brings joy.
Intention: creating familiarity, creating group connection.
We begin our interaction from the room’s entrance by saying hello and calling everyone by their name.
The act of speaking your own name serves as an invitation for connection.
Playing with the sounds of saying hello awakens interest and creates joy. We make it fun by playing with different ways of saying hello and paying attention to how people react.
As the game progresses, we add more physical movements and play with the distance between us and the audience, getting closer or moving farther away based on their reactions.
It’s important to know everyone’s names for this to work.
We usually begin with waving hands, doing it slowly and clearly to communicate our message. The game evolves based on the audience’s response – if they react positively, we make it more exciting, and if there’s a negative reaction, we tone it down.
Intention: connecting, play, making the audience move.
The initial step involves being fully present and establishing a connection with the breath. Then, the clown begins by mirroring one of the resident’s movements.
As the game progresses and the concept becomes clearer, the residents can suggest new movements to mirror or, alternatively, mirror the actions of the clown’s .
As the connection deepens, the activity becomes a source of increasing joy through the mutual mirroring of movements.
Mirroring is a sensitive activity, initially utilised to establish connections, with playful elements introduced later on.
It requires a substantial amount of time and a mindful approach to truly hear and see the resident’s reactions.
Intention: connecting, breaking the space.
Everyone gathers around the parachute, and the gentle movements of this object capture their attention and arouse curiosity.
Clowns invite the audience to engage with it, either by tossing soft objects onto it or simply enjoying the spectacle. We carefully observe their reactions to gradually build up the play.
In the next phase, we introduce a table beneath the parachute, and one clown lies on it. The movements of both the clown and the soft objects beneath the parachute create a simulation of flying. The audience contributes by imparting their own impulses to the object.
The feeling of flying can be quite surprising. Keep focusing on how the residents react while making sure they stay physically safe.
Intention: minimise the fear of strangers, improve the children’s social skills, improve their rule-following skills
The clowns seamlessly integrate into the daily classroom routines with a gentle and sensitive presence, always open and playful.
While they actively participate in the regular activities, they still carry out their clownish behaviour, often dialled down to about 30% to avoid disrupting the class.
Nevertheless, their genuine openness and playful spirit shine through. They engage in the same exercises and lessons as the children, even receive the same rewards.
This touch of playfulness often works wonders. It can rekindle the interest of a child who may have been struggling to focus, or inspire a child who typically isolates themselves to join in during teamwork exercises.
The clowns act as catalysts to create an inclusive and engaging atmosphere within the classroom, fostering connection and participation among the children.
Intention: Delineate space, draw attention
The clowns use a colourful rug to make a special area. It creates safe boundaries for play to happen.
Using a rug to mark out a special space works like magic. It seems to naturally attract the kids, and they gather on it without any need for persuasion.
Intention: Connection, communication, finding a common game
Set the stage for a delightful game of imagination with a child.
You begin by miming the presence of a car in the room, complete with the revving of an imaginary engine and the gentle hum of wheels in motion.
With playful enthusiasm, you extend an invitation to the child to join in the fun. If the child eagerly accepts, the room transforms into a bustling roadway, and together, you embark on the common game of a make-believe car ride.
Take your time and savour the moment. There’s no need to rush; let the magic of imagination unfold at its own pace.
Make your gestures and mimes crystal clear, ensuring the child can easily grasp the concept of the car in the room. Keep the atmosphere playful to keep the game light-hearted and amusing..
