Why do the work?

Why do the work?

October 24, 2007, 9:05 pm
Filed under: Clown philosophy, Clowns without Borders, Teaching

Often when I am working with Clowns without Borders my job is to help people to forget their daily problems. This easily leads to the simple effect that I also forget the magnitude of the problems the people I work with are faced with.

It is so easy to get tired.
All the new sounds, sights and smells of a new place.
All the cultural and language barriars that one has to keep constant track of.
The bubbly stomach and the heat.
It is easy to get tired and to forget why one is doing the work.

And then it hits you. Again.

During the final circle today the stories came out;
How the people from the destroyed camps from the north sacrifice a day of rebuilding their houses to be part of the group.
How the artists from the only Palestinian christian camp have never had a chance to meet muslim palestinians before and their fear of entering this muslim camp and their fear of being shunned by the others in the group, and their sadness and happiness that they finally have been able to make friends with those they have been taught to fear.
How the young girl from the south tells us that if her familly knew that she was the only women on the bus we have rented she would never be allowed to come.
So much bravery in the midst of so much pain, suffering and oppression.
And the unifying dream of making other people laugh.

The Circuna Circus group is slowly taking form and it is easy to see them as a group of inspiring artists. And once again it is easy to forget the suffering each individual must survive every day.

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