About this ebook
This is the first book in English to provide a close-up view of the emotional and rewarding experiences of clown-doctors working with hospitalized children. It describes the development of a new program in a pediatric hospital and all the challenges that confront clown-doctors. The book recounts work that takes place over a few months in 1999-2000. Most of the children that are described had been diagnosed with leukemia and other serious forms of cancer. They were hospitalized often and ran the risk of death.
This book is a tale of love and humor and of dealing with great traumas and tragedy. It tells of the immense compassion and the amazing resilience of individuals in the most stressful and debilitating of circumstances. It is a small window looking onto what it is to be human with all our strengths and frailties and of how complete strangers can become bonded to one another through laughter and pain.
The story presented here is based upon real case studies annotated with occasional commentaries to put these experiences into perspective. Above all else this book is a celebration and an homage to all the children, their parents and care-givers who have shared their lives with clown-doctors in many countries around the world.
The Clown-Doctor Chronicles is written to 'speak' to people of all ages: men and women; professionals, trades people and homemakers in cities, towns and villages; for laughter and illness know no boundaries. It will be of particular interest to parents, artists in hospitals and anybody working with children (health care professionals, educators, psychologists).
This book is a tale of love and humor and of dealing with great traumas and tragedy. It tells of the immense compassion and the amazing resilience of individuals in the most stressful and debilitating of circumstances. It is a small window looking onto what it is to be human with all our strengths and frailties and of how complete strangers can become bonded to one another through laughter and pain.
The story presented here is based upon real case studies annotated with occasional commentaries to put these experiences into perspective. Above all else this book is a celebration and an homage to all the children, their parents and care-givers who have shared their lives with clown-doctors in many countries around the world.
The Clown-Doctor Chronicles is written to 'speak' to people of all ages: men and women; professionals, trades people and homemakers in cities, towns and villages; for laughter and illness know no boundaries. It will be of particular interest to parents, artists in hospitals and anybody working with children (health care professionals, educators, psychologists).
This is the first book in English to provide a close-up view of the emotional and rewarding experiences of clown-doctors working with hospitalized children. It describes the development of a new program in a pediatric hospital and all the challenges that confront clown-doctors. The book recounts ...
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About the author
Caroline Simonds is one of the world’s leading professional clown-doctors. Born in Washington D.C., she began studying Medicine and later switched to Theatre & Music at Bennington College in Vermont. She moved to Paris to study Mime with Etienne Decroux and music with Betsy Jolas. She was co-founder of “The Palace of Marvels”, a street theatre company that toured Europe for 10 years. Later she founded “Pandemonium and the Dragonfly”, a theatre of celebration and continued touring the world. From 1987 to 1991 she was one of the first clown-doctors to work with Big Apple Circus Clown Care Unit in New York City, the first professional clown-doctor company in the world. She is the Director of Le Rire Medecin (www.leriremedecin.asso.fr), a company she founded in 1991. It was the first clown-doctor company in Europe. Currently Le Rire Medecin, employs 48 clown-doctors who work as an integral part of the healthcare team in 11 hospitals in France. They see over 40,000 hospitalized children each year. Caroline has written about her work for many French language journals and for The Lancet and British Medical Journal. In addition she is now training Doctors and Nurses at several medical institutions in France as well as assisting and supervising professional companies to develop new clown-doctor programs in hospitals. She is in demand around the world as a speaker and workshop leader.
Bernie Warren, PhD, is a Professor of Dramatic Arts at The University of Windsor, Adjunct Professor of Community Rehabilitation Studies at The University of Calgary and Director, of FOOLS FOR HEALTH clown-doctor programs (www.foolsforhealth.ca). He was born in London, England and has studied various styles of Dance-Movement and Drama-Theatre in UK, Europe, Canada and the United States. In addition he has studied Eastern Healing and Martial Arts for over 30 years and has taught Qigong and Tai Chi as areas of academic study and for health and recreation since 1990. Bernie is an internationally acclaimed researcher, writer and teacher on the role of the arts in healthcare and education. He has worked in clinical, educational and community settings worldwide. He is the author of numerous books and articles based on his 30 years of work as a teacher, artist and healer in various Community, Educational, Institutional and Theatrical settings around the world. His research and practice brings together his Eastern training (in Chinese and Japanese martial and healing arts) with his Western training (in psychology and the performing arts) in his work as a drama and movement specialist working with children with disabilities, seniors and people living with life threatening conditions (e.g. Cancer).
Bernie Warren, PhD, is a Professor of Dramatic Arts at The University of Windsor, Adjunct Professor of Community Rehabilitation Studies at The University of Calgary and Director, of FOOLS FOR HEALTH clown-doctor programs (www.foolsforhealth.ca). He was born in London, England and has studied various styles of Dance-Movement and Drama-Theatre in UK, Europe, Canada and the United States. In addition he has studied Eastern Healing and Martial Arts for over 30 years and has taught Qigong and Tai Chi as areas of academic study and for health and recreation since 1990. Bernie is an internationally acclaimed researcher, writer and teacher on the role of the arts in healthcare and education. He has worked in clinical, educational and community settings worldwide. He is the author of numerous books and articles based on his 30 years of work as a teacher, artist and healer in various Community, Educational, Institutional and Theatrical settings around the world. His research and practice brings together his Eastern training (in Chinese and Japanese martial and healing arts) with his Western training (in psychology and the performing arts) in his work as a drama and movement specialist working with children with disabilities, seniors and people living with life threatening conditions (e.g. Cancer).
Caroline Simonds is one of the world’s leading professional clown-doctors. Born in Washington D.C., she began studying Medicine and later switched to Theatre & Music at Bennington College in Vermont. She moved to Paris to study Mime with Etienne Decroux and music with Betsy Jolas. She was co-foun...
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