Clown Doctor

The Clown Doctors programme has been established and we are now up and running in Christchurch since September 1, 2009.

We pay weekly visits to Christchurch Hospital Children's Wards and also visit Princess Margaret Hospital on a fortnightly basis. After a very successful start, we are now expanding to the North Island and plan to start in Auckland in March and Wellington later in the year.

For this reason Clown Doctors New Zealand are holding pre-auditions in Auckland at the Parnell Community Trust, in the Jubilee Building, 545 Parnell Rd., Parnell, on Tuesday, December 15th, starting at 10 a.m. sharp.

First, the candidates will have the opportunity to perform a (max.) 5-7 minute solo piece showing off their skills. After all participants have introduced themselves, the Clown Doctors CEO, Dr. Thomas Petschner and the Team Co-ordinator Rita Noetzel will inform the group about the details of working as a Clown Doctor and answer any questions. After the lunch break the pre-audition will take the form of a workshop with Lisa Wingfield. As a Clowning Trainer and Assistant to Artistic Director, she will give a little taste of hospital clowning by setting some improvisation exercises and checking the prospect clown doctor’s ability to work in pairs, under pressure or in difficult situations. The audition/workshop should be finished by 4 p.m. Clown Doctors New Zealand will inform the successful applicants about their performance level (if necessary to improve some of their skills) before Christmas.

The second step to the "dream-job" Clown Doctor is the final audition on Sunday, February 28th (from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.). This will be held by Clown Doctors' New Zealand creative team together with Giora Seeliger, the Artistic Director of the Red Noses Clown Doctors International & the International School of Humour in Vienna (Austria).

Those participants who make it through the first and second audition will then start an intensive special clowning training on March 1st. This training will run daily from March 1st to March 10th, (9.30 a.m.- 5 p.m.) including on site hospital training. The costs for this training are covered by Clown Doctors New Zealand & Red Noses Clown Doctors International. There is no reimbursement of any cost to the participants during the training period.

Further information available from Team Co-ordinator Rita Noetzel, rita@clowndoctors.org.nz

Applications with a full CV by Friday, December 11 to the same address.