Bio / presentation

The European Federation of Healthcare Clown Organizations (EFHCO) is a non-profit federation founded in 2011 to protect and promote professional healthcare clowning across Europe. It was established by eight organizations from Austria, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Scotland, Switzerland, and Spain and has since expanded to 21 member organizations from 17 countries. EFHCO believes in humanizing healthcare through positive interactions, using humor and laughter to support patients of all ages in hospitals and care institutions. It advocates for vulnerable groups, promotes quality standards for healthcare clowning, and facilitates artistic and managerial knowledge exchange. Inspired by Michael Christensen’s Clown Care Unit in the 1990s, the first hospital clown organizations emerged in Europe. By 2000, discussions on quality criteria and ethics began, leading to efhco’s official founding in Brussels in 2011. Today, efhco remains committed to ensuring high-quality professional clown performances in healthcare settings.