In early May, Hearts & Noses held its Spring Summit, one of two annual training workshops specifically for the Troupe’s clowns. The focus was on team-building and training, and provided an opportunity to communicate important information to members.
As an added bonus, coming just weeks after the Healthcare Clowning International Meeting 2018 (HCIM) in Vienna, five of our members who attended the three-day event shared what they learned with the rest of the Troupe.
Another highlight of the Summit, and in keeping with tradition, the Troupe brought in a true clowning legend — Randy Judkins – whose bag of tricks includes instructor at the Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey’s Clown College, character consultant for Tri-Star Pictures, and Circus of the Stars trainer in Hollywood. Judkins, who first met Hearts & Noses Artistic Director Kenny Raskin at a clown training camp in 1981, has presented his original, interactive programs on humor, change, stress, self-concept and teamwork to professional groups, schools and companies across the U.S., Canada and Europe. He describes himself as a “one-person, multi-character mime, juggler and hyperactive, interactive performer.”
After the Summit, Executive Director Cheryl Lekousi said, “Healthcare clown training is not for the faint of heart. Skills like clown character, improvisation, partnering, keeping focus on the child, playing in a hospital environment, and working with a patient on precautions are honed to an intuitive level. In addition to two annual summits, our committed clowns meet at optional gatherings to share skills, debrief from difficult or sad visits, and share hospital experiences. We were so excited and privileged to have Randy make our team-building day so special, instructional and memorable.”
Reflecting on his Hearts & Noses Summit experience, Randy commended our members as a “wonderful, hard-working team with an adventurous spirit and eagerness to learn.” He noted how members were committed to meeting Cheryl and Kenny’s very high expectations.
Through activities like Blindfold Tag and Group Juggle, Troupe members fine-tuned skills related to gaining young patients’ trust and recognizing what actions cheer them up. Randy said, “We focused on how to pay attention to what’s happening in the hospital room – in the moment – and to pay attention to how the kids respond. You need to be 100% alert, looking for comedy and interactivity opportunities, and how to lead the child from stressful to playful. Hearts & Noses members gave it their best and it was so satisfying for me.”