HAITI: Workshops and show with the children

We have also been working with a group of 20 children here in Grand Goave.  In the morning, we do workshops with the adults, and in the afternoon we do the same with the kids with the participation of some of the adult activity leaders.

Another thing we've been working on and especially with the children is presenting yourself with a signature gesture, which we end up calling "fashion!"  (I think we got this from a song they were singing at some point where they were styling it using that word.)  This turns out to be a big hit.  They really get into it.  The kids love doing "fashion!"  It's a great tool for presenting yourself to the world with pride and confidence.

We work this into the activities -- entering onto stage and presenting yourself: "Fashion!"  Do a trick, such as juggling, and then: "Fashion!"  And even if you make a mistake and drop a ball: "Fashion!"
As a clown, you're still proud of what you did, as if it was not a mistake at all.  Oh, I meant to do that.  That's what makes it funny.

 

Styling it for the show.....   "Fashion!"

In the weekend, we are scheduled to perform four shows at three tent camps identified as challenging and in need of intervention, as well as in a market place in the center of town.  We also add a show for the community at the child-safe center where we have been doing our workshops.   The kids are all in the show with us!

It's a lot of work to with very little time create a show that incorporates all 20 children, and of course it would have been simpler for us to just do a show by ourselves.  But it is so much greater to do it together with the children, with the support of some of the adults -- performing together for the community.  It's a great boost for the kids to get to perform for their peers and for their parents.  Indeed, the feedback we hear through TDH is that everyone involved felt such pride to perform for the community together with us; it made them feel validated.

We enter in a parade, making a rhythmic beat together.  The four of us clowns start out with some silly antics.  At a certain point, my character starts crying and all the girls run up to console me with a Haitian dance they teach me.  Then the kids take over the show.  They do silly dances with hats -- straw hats that we got everybody at the market as a unifying costume element -- and balance brooms and juggle with balls, each one presenting themselves individually, and at the end build a pyramid for an acrobatic finale. 

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The workshops at the child-safe center take place under some trees next to the beach.  When we have some down time we all go swimming together!  It's a great chance to connect with the kids in a casual, easy, fun way and get to know each other a little better.