Reading about the work the group Foco is doing, it is clear that social clowning continues to expand it’s scope of activities. Over the past fifteen-twenty years, bringing humor and lightness to places where it is most needed (social clowning) has seen two main paths of activity,  the world of clown doctoring, or medical clowning, and that of  Clowns Without Borders, and similar groups of like minded performers bringing laughter into situations of emergency and crisis.

My attention was drawn to this small group in Campo Grande district in Rio de Janeiro who are taking another approach:

the photo is from this article in the Globo newspaper’s Parceiro de RJ (Partners with Rio De Janeiro) blog.

If I understand correctly, the model that the group is offering is one of an exchange of services.  I am not sure  how well it is working, but  the photo, and their model of activity, suggests great things.  They  offer free workshops in singing, theater, dance, makeup, photography and fine arts. In exchange, they ” act in social group in the prevention of drug use and visits to hospitalized children with cancer.”
Inspiring !

Here is a rough translation of the article,

Discovered in a focus group of our daily recordings in Campo Grande, when stuck in traffic, we saw some young men dressed in selling clown nose signal. We had no idea that behind all the paraphernalia there was a social cause, coupled with the production of culture.

In addition to the workshops set design, fashion and interpretation shown in the matter, the group manages Focus workshops in singing, theater, dance, makeup, photography and fine arts. All for free. Students should only, in return, to act in social group in the prevention of drug use and visits to hospitalized children with cancer.

The Focus Group is on Avenida Manoel Caldeira de Alvarenga, No. 28, Campo Grande.