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The best medicine
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Severine Blanchet has dabbled in several professions and is presently spreading cheer in hospitals as Doctor Clown. She tells AYESHA MATTHAN there is great joy in bringing a smile to a child’s face
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PHOTO: gopinathan K.
By the nose Severine: ‘Once your red nose is off, then the emotion is also taken off’
Severine Blanchet doesn’t believe that the Doctor Clown movement originated from the popular American movie “Patch Adams” which starred Robin Williams. “It’s a very old tradition and can be traced to Russia. The U.S. dev
eloped the concept in the 1960s,” she says with the quintessential red nose hanging from her neck like a pendant.
Severine, who is from Lyon in France has been in India for the last two years and has been conducting workshops at the Alliance Francaise. “I am a little disappointed with the poor attendance and also the follow-up with hospitals that they do.” Last year, only three people actually made the effort to continue their association with hospitals.
Severine is a professional photographer and has travelled widely to Asia and Africa. She has also been singing, dancing and dabbling in theatre. “In photography, you are behind your camera and in clowning you are behind your red nose.”
It was when she returned to France and became a fire-woman, that she met a colleague who did clowning in hospitals and introduced her to the concept. “When I go to hospitals and meet children, I get tremendous satisfaction.” She says that the greatest joy and achievement is sharing happiness and bringing a smile to a child’s face. Then, you really believe that “Laughter is the best medicine”.
She also feels that clowning in hospitals is vastly different from clowning in a circus or on stage. “The stage is easy. The audience is far away, you have a happy audience and you perform your rehearsed show.” Clowning in hospitals, on the other hand calls for improvisation. “The children who have not had any voice or say in decisions with doctors and their parents because of their illness and helplessness, have a little freedom with clowns.” Clowns, then in a way, become the children’s punching bag. That’s very important, she feels, as it gives them a window of dreams.
It is necessary that a clown be comfortable with any art form; be it music, mimicry, drama, storytelling or dancing, she feels. The idea is to capture their attention and give each child quality, not quantity. “Then, you can open a window of imagination for them.”
She insists on the importance of hygiene and sanitation in her workshop. She also stresses the importance of not getting emotionally involved while establishing relationships with the children. “Once your red nose is off, then the emotion is also taken off.”
Clowning for her is also an important expression of anti-normality. “Everything is so boring and mundane, so when a clown dresses up and someone rejoices in it, it is the celebration of imagination and creativity.”
Severine feels that a clown should be poetic. “The objective to wearing something different each time is to create a character or personality around the clown.” She has been working with hospitals like Columbia Asia, Ramaiah College, St. John’s and Philomena’s and hopes to leave behind a strong and active tradition and movement of Doctor Clowns when she leaves Bangalore in two years.
She also hopes to gather funds as the only financial support she’s been getting is from her calendars, workshops and children shows. Severine can be contacted on 9980094001.
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Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
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Mangalore
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Thiruvananthapuram
Vijayawada
Visakhapatnam
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