But that’s exactly what happened for many of the 540 people who attended one of 13 CWB shows in Romania, November 2022.

When our Romanian partner, Terres Des Hommes, described their challenge to meet refugee children’s needs for play, CWB-USA and CWB-UK came together to produce a tour that blurred the line between performer and audience.

The result? Sometimes the entire audience was on stage!

A Line Ukrainian Refugee Children Actually Want to Join

Adult Ukrainian refugees wait in a lot of lines (read: dull, impersonal) to receive goods and services they need — and their children are often right next to them. Every hour spent in a long line is an hour not spent at play.

Our Romanian partner, Terres Des Hommes, works hard to create fun and personal experiences for refugee children in Romania that “guarantee inclusion and participation.”

Of course, we’re tickled they asked our clowns to come.

The Romania tour consisted of a series of shows with small audience numbers. Some shows had over 40 audience members, others had as few as 11. Our artists, Robin Lara, Arturo Gaskins, Vicky Moraru, and Alexandra Gavris, seized the opportunity to create personal connections.

For example, Vicky shares that there was a moment of dancing with the moms. “It was like each of us had become Beyoncé.” Instead of sitting quietly, each mom was strutting her stuff and shaking and laughing and taking a moment to be a queen.

The following photos were taken by photographer John Rudoff in Bucharest and Brasov Romania, where CWB artists connected with Ukrainian refugees.

At one show, a girl of about 10 hugged me and climbed me as if I were a tree. I could feel how much she missed her papa.

– Arturo Gaskins

Two girls helped me disassemble the cyr wheel with so much love. They had such a desire to help in their every action.

– Arturo Gaskins

The kids loved that we involved them in the actual show. Their expectation was that it would be them sitting there the whole time like a movie. It was a fun surprise that we interacted with them.

– Robin Lara

A boy told me that his favorite moment of the show was from the beginning to the end.

– Alexandra Gavris

Some girls said to me:

“Can you stay with us a little longer? We want to play hide and seek.”

– Alexandra Gavris

Ukrainian refugee audiences in Romania experienced 13 engaging shows and one workshop produced and performed by CWB artists Robin Lara (United States), Arturo Gaskins (United States), Vicky Moraru (United Kingdom), and Alexandra Gavris (United Kingdom).

Our partner was Terres Des Hommes and Clowns Without Borders UK. John Rudoff was our photographer.

Want to see more fun photos from the tour? Check out the montage below!

But that’s actually not the goal.

The goal of a CWB clown show is to offer moments of laughter.

This Smile Roundup post showcases moments of laughter experienced by communities of Ukrainian refugees in Poland, where CWB toured this past October.

Dig in to get a big dose of warm fuzzies while gaining insight into the value of a moment of laughter.

We’ll start with the story of Anya, a 9-year-old girl who came to a CWB show in Poland.

When Bombs Fell, Ukrainian Kids Became Refugees

The day before Russia invaded Ukraine, Anya* was going to school, playing with her friends, and living without fear.

When the bombing started, everything changed in Anya’s world. She had to leave home with her family to seek safety. But her father couldn’t go with them because of the federal policy that all men aged 18-60 had to remain in Ukraine.

* Anya’s real name is not used here.

In Poland, Anya misses the normalcy of her life in Ukraine.

She has made new friends, but her mom knows the stress of war and displacement has been as difficult for her as it’s been for the rest of the family.

It’s hard for the family to relax. It feels like a heavy cloud is hanging over them.

At the Ukrainian Refugee Center, Mouths Dropped and Eyes Grew Wide

Anya lit up when the clowns came to her resettlement center. She was engaged throughout the show — so much so that the clowns knew right away that they’d invite her on stage.

The clown’s instincts were spot-on. Anya was an energetic and joyful performer. She leapt into the air, spun in circles, and played with the clowns.

Anya got to be the star of the show. She said, “I am so happy. I can’t remember the last time I was this happy.”

Anya’s moment of joy is now a memory she can look back on as a time when she celebrated life amid the challenges of displacement. This will help her build resilience so that she can keep going — until she’s able to return home.

What’s the value of a moment of laughter in your life? 

Does laughter elevate your mood and lead to more positive experiences?

Do you seek moments of laughter during your day?

Science tells us that laughter has a ripple effect on our physical and mental health. We even wrote a blog post about the power of laughter.

Photographer John Rudoff took the following photos in a school for Ukrainian children living in Poland.

I can’t believe you all came here for us. I feel I am important and that my kids are important because there was an effort made to make a connection.

– Ukrainian refugee, mother of two

These children have the right to freedom and the right to laugh. They don’t have any fault for the political situation in their country.

– Alex Pizano

Everyone in a family needs healing. Everyone needs a moment of rest — not thinking about why they’re displaced.

– Olivia Sblendorio

Everyone in a family needs healing. Everyone needs a moment of rest — not thinking about why they’re displaced.

– Olivia Sblendorio

Ukrainian refugee audiences in Warsaw, Lublin, and surrounding towns experienced 16 magical shows (that’s 1305 people in attendance!) produced and performed by CWB artists Olivia Sblendorio (United States), Alex Pizano (Mexico), and Moi de Tiana (Spain).

Our partner was Payasos Sin Fronteras Spain. Asia Reczek managed logistics, Olga Szczudlarka provided translation services, and John Rudoff was our photographer.

Here’s a quick video that will add some sunshine to your day!