World CircusAfter 5 years of circus performances and touring the United States, Joe
Mama the clown came to a cross roads. Many friends had begun to either
give up their circus life or turn professional and turn their passion and
art into their job. Joe Mama did not like either of these options. With
an extensive background in humanitarian projects and activism based in
California, he decided to blend his social service ideology with his
circus performances. With prompting from people like Bobby Castillo and
Patch Adams, Joe Mama began looking for places to make a humanitarian circus. Unsatisfied with continuing performances for general audiences in the
United States, Joe Mama began to seek out people who really needed to
smile.
Projects in 2006
Mongolia Expedisound (World Traveler Adventures)
This project organized by a French Association is working with the
National Childrens Orphanage in Ulan Bator, capital of Mongolia. We drove
from the south of France, across Europe and Siberia, to Mongolia in 3
large trucks to deliver donated clothing, shoes, and computer equipment to
the NCO. Now we will be organizing workshops involving photography, art,
sports, and circus for over 400 children at the summer camp located in the
hills outside of the capital.
Past Projects
Brazil 2001
Joe Mama made performances in the metropolises of Bela Horazante,
Trancoso, and Sao Paolo in orphanages, childrens centers, and a hospice
for the elderly.
Denmark 2001
The begining of the Cyclown European Bicycle Circus project. We toured
around Denmark making circus shows at Red Cross refugee centers. These
are places where refugees wait as the government processes their request
for asylum. Our audiences consisted of Kurdish people from Iran and Iraq,
Bosnians, Albanians, and Croatians. Unfortunately since the time of this
tour, Denmark has changed their regulations on refugees and most of the
Red Cross Centers that we had performed in were shut down.
Croatia 2003
Some of the Cyclown Circus made a performance at a Red Cross center on the
coast of Croatia.
Bosnia 2003
We made our childrens shows in Sarajevo at orphanages, kindergardens, and
the local hospital. Our crew consisted of two Americans and two Serbians.
We worked with an Italian NGO and performed in their childrens community
center, as well as orphanages they volunteered at.
Serbia 2004 - 2005
Part of the Bridge of Life project based in Belgrade, Joe Mama worked with
a team of four other clown doctors in hospitals located in the major
metropolises around Serbia.
Kosovo 2003 - 2007
Basing our project from Kosovska Mitrovica we have been making shows in
the Serbian, Gypsy and Albanian parts of Kosovo for the past 5 years.
Israel 2003
Palestine 2003
Ethiopia 2005
Thanks to Cirque du Soleil, Ethiopia has a thriving circus community. In
the 15 years that circus has been in Ethiopia, over 20 circuses have
sprung up. They are making shows in all of the major cities, as well as
performing for refugees on the shared border between Ethiopia and Sudan.
While there, Joe Mama trained circus performers from Circus Ethiopia in
the capital city of Addis Ababa.
Bulgaria 2003
In the capital city of Sophia, Bulgaria has a huge problem with street
children.? Many of these children are Roma, or gypsies.? They come from
families living in shanty towns around the city.? For many different
reasons, these children have found themselves on the street.? Their lives
consist of begging and using intoxicating inhalants, usually in the form
of glue.? Joe Mama worked with two other Bulgarian circus performers.
Past Circuses and Projects
The End of the World Circus? 1999, 2000, 2002
Fireflies 1996 - 2006
Hleb I Sir Cirkus (the Bread and Cheese Circus) 2003 - 2006
Cyclown Circus 2001 & 2003
Bridge of Life 2004 - 2006
Clowns Without Borders 2001 - 2006
World Traveler Association 2006
Stories
When we were in Denmark in 2001 we made a performance in a Red Cross
refugee center of Kurdish people from Iran and Iraq.? We made a show for
about thirty children and adults.? We juggled; clowned, and fell down in a
silly fashion.? We did some jousting on modifed bikes.? These bikes were
actually two bikes welded on top of eachother.? At the end of the show, we
took a big bow and started to mingle with our audience.? We dressed some
of them up and took some funny group pictures.? After the show one of the
women working at the center came up to me and began to tell me a story.?
This particular center we were at was one of the most troubled in all of
Denmark.? The majority of the people there had been tortured in their home
countries.? They were persecuted because of their ethnicity, because they
were Kurdish.? They were so traumitized that it was difficult for many of
them to sleep at night.? They would have horrible nightmares where they
would relive their past experiences of being tortured.
Here is a little teaser 5 minute clip of the Bread and Cheese Circus in Kosovo summer of 2006. A 60 minute documentary is being put together about this project and the foreigner's perspective of Serbia.Circus in Kosovo
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