Anti-crisis clowning
- The ‘Fayni Nosy’ clown therapy team carries out its work in conditions of constant danger: during air raid alerts, after shelling, in shelters, safe havens and communities affected by the war.
- Clown therapy performances are live improvisations – mini-performances that emerge in the ‘here and now’ and respond to the emotional state of the children and their parents.
- This anti-stress clowning seamlessly combines psychology, art and physical and emotional sensitivity. Together, these elements help to reduce anxiety, fear and tension, whilst also promoting emotional release and the restoration of one’s reserves.
- When a child has experienced severe stress, it is play and laughter that come to the rescue, as they provide a safe way to express feelings that are difficult to put into words.
What are the team’s working conditions?
The distinctive feature of the ‘Fayni Nosy’ anti-crisis clown troupe lies in its flexibility and mobility.
We also organise outreach sessions in communities across Kharkiv and the surrounding region, including de-occupied and frontline areas (Kupianskyi, Vovchanskyi, Iziumskyi and Kharkiv districts)
Sometimes clowns find themselves in places where children have been in isolation for a very long time, have lost family members or their homes, or have experienced violence as a result of war.
It is precisely in such areas that it is vitally important to create welcoming spaces where a sense of humanity, support, sincerity and a normal childhood can be felt once again.
Interaction with adults
- In anti-crisis clowning, a key role is played by interaction with adults – parents, carers and teachers.
- Clowns work not only with children, but also with the environment around them.
- They support adults in reducing their anxiety and stress, and this in itself provides indirect support for children, as it is parents and other adults who create a fundamental sense of security for them; after all, it is well known that young children pick up on adults’ moods and mirror them.