Clown As Global Citizen

Dell’Arte alumnus and former company member Tim Cunningham, DrPH, RN, returns to the Carlo Theater on Friday, November 15th to present a talk on the healing power of laughter in support of the new Healthcare Clowning program at Dell’Arte.

Doors 6pm; Presentation begins at 6:30. Concessions available.

Cunningham is an international keynote speaker and award-winning author. As former Co-Chief Well-Being Officer at Emory Healthcare, he led efforts to support over 35,000 staff. He serves as an adjunct professor at Emory’s School of Nursing and works to promote systemic well-being in healthcare. Tim spent 22 years with Clowns Without Borders, bringing joy to crisis zones. Inspired to study nursing after working with CWB in Haiti, he became an Emergency Department Nurse and he now holds a Doctorate of Public Health focused on compassion and well-being. He has co-authored books on nurse self-care and a children's book on resilience.

Cunningham’s presentation will include an in-depth look at the way clowns and clowning can have a measurable impact in places of suffering, from those experiencing political crises to natural disasters to gaps of care in medical institutions. Joining Tim will be Julie Douglas, Head of Arts Engagement and the lead artist on the local theater’s pilot program at Timber Ridge facilities in Eureka and McKinleyville.

Above: Tim Cunningham. Below: Dell'Arte clowns in pilot program at Timber Ridge, October 2024.