From my understanding- from what I have experienced, and researched thus far, it is difficult for Hospitals and Senior Residences to find entertainment, performances, or activities for patients and patrons. And this is a big deal.
Without these programs, there is no reprieve from healing or transitional processes. There is no distraction from the constant focus on why the patients or patrons are there.
So, there is a constant search for this kind of work. Something to ease healing processes, and improve a person’s quality of life. How do we go about it?
In my mind, I break it down to one statement: See a need, fill a need. They need entertainment, possibly in the form of a performance, and we need- well,- to perform.
We don’t want to walk into this blindly, though. We can’t. We have been doing our homework so that we can cater these performances to each individual audience member. In order to do this, we have looked to such brilliant performance and research bases as clown-doctoring.
The great thing that I have learned about clown doctoring thus far is that they provide distraction and entertainment through being vulnerable with their patients. Patients therefore focus on the clown’s inability to perform a certain task, as opposed to his or her own struggles. Patients may even go so far as to help the clowns with what they are failing at, to put them at ease. Pretty amazing, huh? By proxy, they can also ease their own struggles.
…Okay, so this isn’t terribly new to everyone. But I think that act of presenting a vulnerability to a patient is huge, and can ease the healing or transitional process a lot. If we can similarly present vulnerability through our work with the text, I think that we can create a similar sensation- By no means am I saying that we are the same as Clown Doctors. By no means could we ever replace the amazing things that they do. But we can certainly try something new, and provide a vulnerable experience, incorporating a new form of cultural stimulation for patients and senior residence members.
So, if you are looking for a reason to vote today, do it because you will be creating job opportunities for emerging youth artists, while solving the issue of finding entertainment in hospitals and senior residences.
You know you wanna: http://pep.si/hDkj1N
...And, of course, if you want to check out some amazing Clown-Doctor programs across Canada, check out some of these groups:
Fools For Health
http://web2.uwindsor.ca/fools_for_health/
Dr. Clown
http://drclown.ca/index_en.php