Clowns in the Drakensberg

The clowns have started with a bang! There are no words to describe the joy in my heart hearing the children’s laughter and seeing the dream become a reality in front of my eyes! Although I am deeply committed to the idea of Clowns Without Borders, it was a wonderful moment to see it and feel it working in practice. Our first school was Kwamvimbela High School, a very rural school 30kms from Himeville. The school was very simple: a group of buildings in a fenced grassy and treeless area but with the most spectacular natural backdrop of the Drakensburg mountains, and a donkey! We parked the kombi in the middle of the grassy area and began to arrange the seating in front of it! I was humbled by the simplicity of the set up and amazed by the power of laughter to bring people together! The children being older enabled us to play some of the clowning a bit more. At times, they were roaring with laughter and at the end of the show it was clear that they didn’t want it to end! It was incredibly rewarding! 

Tuesday

Today’s shows were a bittersweet experience. It was heart warming to visit the first school, Ponsimby Primary, where the children were delightful and the setting was beautiful. Small touches at the school, like flowerbeds and trees, made a big difference and the children were noticeably more confident. After the show, many of the children went back to their classrooms singing the ‘Iskorokoro’ song (with the right tune but the wrong words)! I am beginning to enjoy myself and play more, and I am loving everyone else’s performances!

Our second show of the day was at Sinegugu Primary school. It was a heart breaking experience and a huge reality check because of the poverty and the state of the children, who were dirty and neglected. The school was noticeably run down and neglected. One of the group pointed out the poignancy of the South African flag which was loyally flying in the school grounds, when they were clearly neglected by the government. It put everything into perspective and reminded me of the reasons why I am here. During the performances, I personally felt torn because although these children needed laughter and joy, I felt heavy in my heart. The whole group was affected. However, although the children were very withdrawn at first they laughed and enjoyed the show. It was a special experience, which I will always remember.

Wednesday

Our shows today were fantastic! Our energy and playfulness were high and the team spirit was alive! I think this is greatly as a result of getting to know each other and having fun together outside the shows. Both shows ran really smoothly and laughter was found in every mistake and failure. Our second show was at Kwathunzi Primary school. ‘Thunzi’ means ‘shade’ but despite the blazing sun, there was no shade. Nevertheless the small audience was absolutely delightful and full of giggles. The children seem to especially love watching Sussie getting drenched in water by Sipho! 

The evening rehearsals are really effective and the show is constantly evolving according to what is and isn’t working. I find this so refreshing and is something I love about Clowns Without Borders as a whole. It seems to be always changing and growing and I feel so blessed, honoured and grateful to be doing this work. In fact, it doesn’t feel like work – when you love what you do, you never ‘work’ a day in your life! I can feel my confidence is growing and the trust within the group is deepening. We have decided to add two new routines into the show and I am really happy with my role in them.

Thursday

Our first show was at Hoxville Primary (spelling?), the closest school to Himeville. There, members of the community sat outside the fence watching. It was a beautiful reflection of the way laughter can bring people together. The school was well taken care of, with a great deal of shade and the children were definitely more confident.

At Somangwe Primary, I learnt many lessons about why CWBSA has certain ways of doing things, especially regarding child management! There were four hundred pupils, all of whom were out of their classrooms when we arrived. There was chaos! I ended up being in charge of entertaining them while the others set up the chairs. It was a huge learning curve and I learnt quickly what worked, what was funny and how to get their attention with my limited Zulu! It was interesting because they copied everything I did – even when I didn’t mean them too. This made me reflect on the teaching style in these rural schools and whether the children are encouraged to think for themselves or simply repeat and regurgitate. However, the level of English at this school was particularly high and after the show the headmaster addressed us in English. During the shows, I had a lot of fun and enjoyed some personal freedom which was exhilerating! Our new routines were great and I am enjoying learning a lot from everyone else’s performances, especially from the four original core clowns.

Friday

I genuinely feel sad to end the show today! I feel so inspired and deeply fulfilled. There is a fantastic group energy now and although in the beginning I felt an element of competitiveness that always makes me withdraw from the ‘competition’, I understand that feeling more and it is gradually disappearing. It was a bitterly cold morning at Kwapitela Primary School, which was very exposed to the elements but in a spectacular location. Although it was a very small school, they laughed so loudly!  I have many questions in my head after the last two weeks about laughter and what is funny. I am learning on the job! Personally, I have to ask myself , ‘Am I attached to being funny?’ ‘Why do I feel the need to be funny, to have people laugh at me, to be told that I am funny?’ etc. I trust I will find some answers in time! Our final performance was at an orphanage called ‘Clouds of Hope’. The children seemed happy and cared for. However, when I picked up a small crying child I was moved by how tightly he clung to me. This happened several times and I was touched by every child’s instinctive need for motherly love. An older woman thanked us after the show and her words were heartfelt and her gratitude was clear. I feel humbled by this whole experience.