The Finnish healthcare clown association Sairaalaklovnit spent three days in September surrounded by the beautiful nature and forests of Nuuksio National Park.
Each year, the association provides training for its healthcare clowns, and this year’s full-company training focused on themes such as clown and artist well-being, adapting the level of clowning to the needs of each situation and clowning inspired by nature.
Three trainers contributed to the programme: Dan Söderholm brought clowning tools from Lecoq school, while Katja Lehtola and Elina Selamo introduced their method of clowning inspired by nature.
Photo: © Sairaalaklovnit
Throughout the training, participants reflected on how to incorporate elements of clowning and play into more sensitive settings, such as pediatric and youth psychiatric wards. The forest was seen as a refreshing source of inspiration, as well as a tool for calming and grounding.
Since the whole forest cannot be brought into somatic or psychiatric wards, the artists explored ways of bringing that same sense of wonder, calm and grounding energy into these spaces.
‘The training brought us closer together and provided tools to use in both psychiatric care and with the medical professionals working in the hospitals. As clowns, we have the ability, tools and resources for bringing and fostering different mental and energetic spaces in the wards – whether by bringing calm, energy, empathy or laughter,’ said the artists from the Sairaalaklovnit.
Photo: © Sairaalaklovnit
The training was a part of the ClowNexus 2026-2029 project.
The consortium is composed of nine healthcare clowning organisations and one research organisation: RED NOSES International, Cultural Welfare Center (IT), CZERWONE NOSKI – Klown w Szpitalu (PL), ČERVENÝ NOS Clowndoctors (SK), CRVENI NOSOVI Klaunovidoktori (HR), PIROS ORR Bohócdoktorok (HU), Pallapupas (ES), RAUDONOS NOSYS Gydytojai Klounai (LT), Sairaalaklovnit ry (FI), ZDRAVOTNÍ KLAUN (CZ)
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
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