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Project/initiative|Denmark|National

Danish Hospital Clowns

Project title

Danske Hospitalsklovne

Description of initiative

Danish Hospital Clowns work to strengthen hospitalized children's joy of life and courage so that they can better face the course of the disease. The team involved in the project does not consist of volunteers, but on professionals who benefit from tailor-made hospital clown training, which is internationally recognized and takes 1 - 1/2 years to complete.
The clowns are taught a wide range of artistic tools combined with training in relationship building, neuropsychology, and collaboration with the staff. In the education and in the continuing education program, new methods are constantly explored in order to support and better understand the meeting between the clown and the child. Currently, the team has 61 hospital clown members, and 12 clown apprentices in training.
Currently, the Danish Hospital Clowns visit more than 30.000 children who are admitted to Denmark every year. In addition, since 2016 they have also worked at several of the country's child and adolescent psychiatric departments, and in 2018 they have entered into collaborations with residential facilities with children with severe autism.

Further information on the initiative

Themes: Culture and...

Community well-being
Mental health
Quality of social relations
Quality of services for specific groups

Keywords

community, well-being, art therapy, health, hospital, clowns

Target group

Children | Youth

Cultural field

Theatre, opera

Timeframe

2003 - present

Sources of funding

Commercial sponsorships and donations

Results, benefits, impact and lessons learnt

As of 2021, the Danish Hospital Clowns have:
- a team of 61 professionally trained clowns
- a 1.5-year training programme, involving an internationally acknowledged curriculum and certificate
- 12 apprentices in training
- art therapy offered to more than 30.000 of the children admitted into Danish hospitals

Organizer(s)

Danske Hospitalsklovne
Denmark
NGO / Non-profit | Culture