Project Overview

About Clowns without Borders
Clowns without Borders (CWB) offer laughter to relieve the suffering of all persons, especially children, who live in areas of crisis including refugee camps, conflict zones and territories in situations of emergency. We bring levity, contemporary clown/circus oriented performances and workshops into communities so that they can celebrate together and forget for a moment the tensions that darken their daily lives.

CWB seeks to improve the psychological conditions in crisis situations by bringing humor and laughter through volunteer artist performances as well as through workshops with children and with educators. CWB also seeks to raise our society's awareness of affected populations and to promote a spirit of solidarity.


Mission
To provide an enrichment program for anak anak-jalanan (street children) and children living with poverty, through the art of Circus. The circus training will incorporate lessons of perseverance, self-esteem, communication, and respect for all people.

The Idea
I will use circus arts to reach anak anak-jalanan (street children) and children living with poverty in Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta. I plan on setting up locations where children can come to train and learn in a friendly, non-competitive way about health, fitness, safety, working together, perseverance, self-esteem, and striving towards a common goal. We plan to work at three different locations around the city, including an orphanage, a shelter, and a village.

Long Term Plan
Contingent on the first expedition, I will return to Jakarta the following springs for two years. The idea is for this project to become self-sustainable and continue to grow on its own. Flexibility will be the key in this projects long-term success.

Facility
I will work together with a local NGO (Tolong Anak2) and chose three locations to set up classes. It is important that the locations are chosen carefully. We want to find a facility where the staff is interested and inviting to our project, where we can continue programming for at least ten weeks, and where there is a space large enough to facilitate the circus.

Project Leader
Each facility will have a project leader. The project leader will be someone who volunteers to oversee the project and to assist with any needs that may come up. It will be the project leader’s responsibility to continue programming after the 10-week session that I teach. The project leader does not have to be particularly gifted in circus, he or she just has to act as a facilitator of the project. After the kids learn the basics, they will begin to learn and create new skills on their own. The project leader will also be responsible for receiving the educational videos that I send and for making them accessible to the children.

Classes
Classes will be offered free of charge to any one at the facility who wishes to participate. Classes will begin after school and will be held once or twice per week at each location for one to two hours at a time. The classes will be limited to between 15-25 kids at a time. However if there is a location where there are more kids to reach, then multiple classes will be offered. Class separation will be decided upon arrival and will most likely be based on age. During these classes, students will learn a range of circus arts activities, including juggling, clowning, acrobatics and balance. Through the process of learning these circus skills, the kids will also learn valuable social lessons, which will stick with them through their lives.