Global clowns bring cheer to cancer-affected city children

Cancer-afflicted children at the Tata Memorial Hospital were in for a treat on Tuesday morning when a bunch of clowns showed up at the premises.

“Laughter, they say, is the best medicine and I am glad we were able to make these kids laugh despite their pain,” said Toto Johnson, better known as Clown Toto, who is on a visit to Mumbai to participate in the International Clown Fest, along with seven other clowns from the United States, Canada and Malaysia.
The festival has been initiated by Martin D’souza, a city-based professional clown who goes by the stage name of Flubber.

Over the next few days, the group of clowns will be giving performances for street kids and perform several paid shows at the St Andrews auditorium in Bandra.

“This country is very different from where I come from.
I am glad that we got a chance to perform for Indian
children,” said Julie Varholdt who lives in Arizona and has come to India for the very
first time.

The International Clown Fest will also promote clowning not just as an art form but also a career choice through shows, outreach programmes and workshops to be held over the next few days.
“It is an all-new initiative to nurture Indian talent for the international arena,” said D’souza who had brought the festival to India for the very first time last year.

Audiences in Mumbai will be witnessing high-energy acts, including gags, juggling, magic shows, skits and mimes.
“It will be a visual delight for the whole family with a guarantee of non-stop laughter. We are also trying to reach out
to those without families, especially underpriviliged kids,” he added.

The group will conduct workshops and demonstrations across schools and colleges in the city to teach various skills such as balloon sculpting, juggling and acrobatics.