Send in the Clowns

Send in the Clowns presents interviews with twenty-four pioneering humanitarian and activist clowns and thought leaders working in hospitals, refugee camps, orphanages and war zones, and at the sites of street protests and locations of social unrest across the world.

This book is built around interviews with some of the world’s leading practitioners of clowning for change, justice, and health outside of the entertainment mainstream, featuring artists and organizations including Patch Adams (US), the Dream Doctors Project (Israel), Clown Me In (Lebanon), and Doutores da Alegria (Brazil). Situating the topic in relation to indigenous and ritual clowning, investigating the various functions of the clown in early societies, and centering the discourse around interviews with key practitioners, the book explores a wide range of clown applications across the globe. This includes the special significance of the clown archetype in socially, politically, and culturally challenging situations, the successes and challenges of the art activists who are at the forefront of this movement, and the modern humanitarian clown’s relationship to original forms of clowning that can be traced back through history.

This is a vital resource for anyone studying, teaching, or practicing clown work in applied contexts, from health care to conflict resolution.

David Bridel is an artist, scholar, author, and educator, and the Founding and Artistic Director of The Clown School in Los Angeles, US, a studio devoted to the study and practice of clowning and related theater arts. His work as a playwright, director, teacher, and choreographer has been seen in theaters, opera houses, and festivals around the world.

Mike Funt has led workshops in clown, mask, improv, and circus arts in China, India, Japan, England, France, Brazil, and all over the US, with his home base as Associate Artistic Director of The Clown School.