WHO WE ARE
We are seriously funny.
About us.
Founded in 2014, we’re part of an international network of humanitarian clowns ready to serve in the immediate aftermath of a conflict or crisis.
We are experts in creating safe, joyful spaces where children feel welcome, find rest, and begin to play again.
Our story.
We exist because children’s ideas were taken seriously. When no adult would have thought that sending clowns into a war zone was a good idea, a collaboration between Spanish and Bosnian children in 1993 resulted in performers visiting refugee camps in Croatia.
Thirty years later, Clowns Without Borders International continues to share laughter and play with hundreds of thousands of children every year in over 20 countries. We are members of this network, each with its own identity, but united in a commitment to make children laugh.
“We know what children like because we are children and we know how to make children laugh.”
Child member of our UK Advisory Board
Our team.
Clowns Without Borders UK is run by a small dedicated administrative team. Our artists volunteer their time and expertise.
Our humanitarian clowns
Our artists are highly skilled professionals. They work across comedy, clowning, circus, physical theatre, drama, dance, music and facilitation. The common thread that ties us all together is a powerful belief that laughter, joy and play can make the world a more hopeful and peaceful place.
Our team of artists also work with communities in hospitals, prisons, refugee camps, homeless shelters and conflict-affected areas. High levels of sensitivity and awareness are necessary to work effectively in these settings. And that is why our teams are experts in creating safe, joyful spaces where children feel welcome.
We have a global team of 47 artists and counting.
Our staff
We are a small team with a big impact. We are meticulous about how we use every donation and make sure every penny works as hard as possible.
Samantha Holdsworth
Samantha is the Founder and CEO of Clowns Without Borders UK. She is passionate about how the arts can support social justice, with an MA (Distinction) in Advanced Theatre Practice. Samantha’s experience as a trained clown, facilitator and producer spans two decades and includes an Edinburgh Fringe First and an Amnesty International Freedom of Expression Award. She is a Clore Leadership and a Churchill Fellow and recipient of a Creative Entrepreneur Bursary from The British Council and a Point of Light Award from 10 Downing Street.
Our children’s board
Working with children between the ages of six and eleven from Mayflower Primary, our Children’s Board guides us on how the charity should be run. We meet regularly and work through play so that children’s ideas can be included in our strategy and programmes.
“We make sure what Clowns Without Borders UK does is good and not wasting time“
Child member of our UK Advisory Board
Our trustees
We are governed by a Board of Trustees.
Wendy Lanchin
Wendy has over two decades of experience in communications and was Head of Marketing at Channel 4 and The Design Council.
Rutendo Rumano
Rutendo is a seasoned finance professional (ACCA) with experience in accounting, finance management, and strategic planning. She is a keen advocate for children’s rights in Zimbabwe.
Emma Wilcox
With thirty years’ experience Emma’s specialism is in purposeful placemaking, delivering culture-led regeneration with equity and relevance. She has senior executive experience, leading complex projects and programmes. Emma is an experienced board member with Chair and non-executive Director and committee experience across public and not-for profit sectors.
Sharon McClenaghan
Sharon is an international development expert, with 20+ years’ experience in gender, human rights, and private sector partnerships. She leads global research and evaluation projects.
Our ambassadors
Our ambassadors share a commitment to the power of laughter and play and its place at the heart of crisis response.
Dr Unni Krishnan
Unni works on humanitarian and health issues, on front-lines where people encounter hostile forces, including disasters, conflict, and terror. He’s worked in senior management, leadership, and governance positions for Action Aid International, Oxfam and the Sphere Project on humanitarian minimum standards, and the People’s Health Movement. He is currently the Global Humanitarian Director at Plan International.
Our values.
We all have a vital role to play in helping children recover after experiencing uncertainty, displacement and loss. We do it with:
Joy
Joy is our highest value. We take play seriously because we believe that laughter changes lives and we work hard to see happiness on the face of every child.
Creativity
We are highly skilled in the art of the imagination to solve problems, build connections and deliver serious fun.
Courage
We face challenging circumstances for the sake of crisis-affected children and boldly take to the stage to shine the spotlight on a child’s right to play.
Collaboration
The children we work with are not spectators. We cannot do what we do without their permission and participation – from our child-led, UK-based advisory board to those children we see affected by crisis. And, we do all this with global, national and local partners.
