~ Coming to a community near you ~
Clowns Without Borders (CWB) is coming to St. Maarten! Registered and recognised by Red Cross and UNICEF International, this international organization brings positive vibes to those devastated by nature or human conflicts and is well experienced in working with countries in crisis. Last year, CWB worked in 43 different countries, reaching more than 355,000 children and their communities. The goal is to bring joy and laughter, to relieve the emotional trauma, and to connect people with shared humanity.
Clowns from Brazil, the United States and the United Kingdom will join together with the island’s own resident clown, Albina Matuzko. This is a contemporary clown with some circus style performances. Wherever clowns go, they are a very visible signal to children that it is acceptable to relax and play. It’s considered a form of psycho-social first aid. Positive emotional release can build resilience, well-being, self-esteem and hope.
Albina, who performs under the clown name Klusha, is famous for her character Baba Yaga and has recently begun the “Behind the Beyond” foundation for promoting community theatre for youth and adults on St. Maarten. Behind the Beyond has performed a clownish play for children in several schools already since schools have reopened. The play is called “Yes I Can” and is an initiative to help school children heal through laughter. It’s worked on teachers and administrators, too!
The CWB team of professional clowns will be on island from November 27 until December 7 with a daily schedule of performances that will interact with anyone and everyone, especially those hardest hit by Hurricane Irma. They have plans to visit 15 schools, as well as the residents of White and Yellow Cross Foundation in St. John’s Estate and the Red Cross Residences for the Elderly in the Belvedere Housing District. You will also probably meet them on streets of the districts most devastated by the storm. They will surely bring laughter, joy and plenty of personal attention to those who are in need of some smiles.
Organizer Albina says, “These shows are for everyone! The kids will get it at schools, so we are trying to organise three community performances for the adults and people of all generations, since humour is for everyone, and everyone needs to gather together and share positive vibes of clowns with each other.”
All shows are free of charge. Snacks and drinks will be provided.
Schedule of public shows
Thursday, November 30, 6:00-7:00pm – St. Peters Community Centre.
Friday, December 1, 4:30 to 5:30pm – Sr Marie Laurence Primary School in Middle Region.
(Complimentary food for the residents of the area will be donated by Sadhu Vaswani Center along with the Gurukul kids and Bridge Builders.)
Saturday, December 2, 4:30-5:30pm – Seaside Nature Park in Cay Bay.
Complimentary food for the residents of the area will be donated by the Indian community.
The initiative invites organizations and individuals with any donations that will go to the residents in need. Behind the Beyond thanks in advance all supporters from the St. Maarten community, including TelEm, Dynaf, Pineapple Pete, Sadhu Vaswani Center, Julia and Philip Pearson and all who’ve helped the organization with any small tasks behind the scenes.
