Payasos Sin Fronteras - Spreading Joy In A World Of Pain Published: Sunday | October 5, 2014

Think of clowns, the comical jesters with painted faces, adorned with puffed and pleated multicoloured costumes, oversized shoes, the laughing stock of the circus - but for Payasos Sin Fronteras (Clowns Without Borders) clowning is a serious business.

Since 1993, the Spain-based non-governmental organisation has been offering humour as a means of psychological support to communities that have suffered trauma. Charlie Chaplin once said, "To truly laugh, you must be able to take your pain, and play with it!" The clowns of Payasos Sin Fronteras, like any other performing artistes, are giving a new dimension to bringing cheer and laughter to the lives of children who are susceptible and vulnerable to challenges thrown upon them by adults.

Unconventional intervention methodologies have been popular and effective and have been used for centuries across the world, and among them, laughter is always seen as the best medicine.

Love and happiness transcend boundaries - Payasos' Cristina Julia and Jordi Saban spread oodles of it when they visited Jamaica. "Neither of them can speak English," said Tortello, "but that was no barrier, they were able to engage the audiences and strike a chord.

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20141005/arts/arts1.html