Our Ambassadors Stories
Michael Christensen aka Dr. Stubs
Pioneer of the global Clown Doctor movement
„The most important thing a clown does in a hospital is to change the energy in the room.”
You may remember the movie “Patch Adams”? In the 1960s, this American studied human medicine and believed, that a person’s health is strongly linked to their well-being and emotions: He started bedside visits his patients as a clown.
Michael Christensen, a street performer and clown with the Big Apple Circus in New York / USA, feels the same way ….. and transformed into a clown doctor.
The turning point was in 1985, when his elder brother Kenneth was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer. During Michaels farewell visit in Seattle, WA. Kenneth gave me him an old leather doctor’s bag he had purchased from a thrift shop, thinking that his brother the clown, might have some use for it. Only a few weeks later, Kenneth died in October 1985, and that doctor’s bag sat in Michael’s closet.
In May of 1986, Virginia Keim, Chief Officer of Development at Morgen Stanley New York Presbyterian Children’s Hospital, phoned Michael. She asked him to perform at the annual ‘Heart Day’ for all the children who had undergone heart surgery. Michael was already a clown at The Big Apple Circus which he co-founded in 1977.
Dr. Stubs, his clown doctor character was born and Kenneth’ doctor’s bag his memorable accessories – bringing fun, a good laugh and distraction influencing positively children in difficult situations.
A life-changing experience, which inspired the creation of the Big Apple Clown Care Unit in New York City. This was the start of organized clown visits to children in hospitals around the world.
The wonderful stories of Dr. Stubs were also told in Europe and the first professional clown doctor organisations were founded in the early 1990’s.
Monica Culen
Cofounder and Chairwoman 2011-2020
As early as the mid 1990’es RED NOSES invited LE RIRE MEDECIN, France and the KlinikClowns Bayern e.V., Germany, to participate in one of the first Cultural Cooperation Projects funded by the European Commission. Watching the ever-growing movement of Hospital Clowning, Monica Culen already started to pursue her vision in 2001 about a Federation with Fondation Theodora, Switzerland, and CliniClowns, Netherlands.
Finally in 2010, eight of the most advanced European Organisations at that time – ROTE NASEN, Le Rire Médecin France, CliniClowns Netherlands, Hearts&Minds Scotland, Fondation Theodora Switzerland, Soccorso Clown Italy, Payasospital Spain and KlinikClowns Bayern, Germany – gathered to develop a clear mission and structure for the European Federation of Hospital Clown Organisations. In March 2011, efhco. aisbl was registered in Brussels, Belgium and Monica Culen elected its Chairwoman.
In the 10 years of service as Chair for the Federation, Monica’s main priorities were to unite the European Healthcare Clown movement, to support young organizations and to form platforms for know-how exchange and common training in order to develop professional quality criteria for the whole clowning scene.
When Monica stepped down in October 2020, efhco. had been built up as a strong federation and a very motivated and skilled next generation took over to carry the movement towards future dynamic levels of development in Healthcare Clowning.
For three decades, Monica has been one of the driving forces in the healthcare clown world, having such a convincing charisma and being both dynamically attentive and inventive for the mental wellbeing of vulnerable people. She always envisioned and went for a cooperation of clown doctors on a European and international level and for the strategic development of clown doctors’ education & quality training plus the professionalism of healthcare clowning as a valuable part of each country’s healthcare system.
Caroline Simonds
Cofounder 2011 and Chairwoman 2020-2025
« Each life is worth living. » Stanislas Tomkiewcz
Caroline Simonds was born in 1949 in Washington D.C., U.S.A. She moved to France when she was 19 to study music, mime and acrobatics. In 1971, she co-founded « The Palace of Wonders » (a Paris-based Street circus) and traveled the globe for the next 20 years. Back in New York City in 1980 she pursued a career as a singer, musician and clown-actress. In 1988 she joined the “Big Apple Circus Clown Care Unit”, founded by Michael Christiansen and fell madly in love with healthcare clowning!
In 1991 she won a grant from the French government to create “Le Rire Medecin”, the first group of its kind in Europe. As of today, “Le Rire Medecin” is present in 20 hospitals all over France and employs 152 specially trained, artist-clowns. Twice a week and all year round the children still know Caroline as “Dr. Giraffe”.
Caroline gives lectures, workshops and has published over a dozen articles about the work of clown doctors. With Dr. Bernie Warren, she wrote « The Clown Doctor Chronicles « (Albin Michel 2001; Thierry Magnier 2024). This book inspired a feature film directed by Reda Kateb (2024): “Sur un Fil”. She has received three of France’s most prestigious awards : Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres -2001 ; Officier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres- 2012 and Officier de l’Ordre National du Mérite – 2020.
Laura Fernandez
Laura Fernandez is a clown, mime, and actor, in the theater, on film and on the street. A pioneer in Healthcare Clowning, she began her journey in 1987 with the Big Apple Clown Care Unit in New York before moving to Germany, where she founded the country’s first healthcare clown program, Die Clown Doktoren e.V..
Today, she continues her work with Die KlinikClowns Bayern e.V. where she still clowns for children and seniors alike.
Laura is an experienced teacher and coach of clowning and mime and humor, for beginners, professionals and those in the medical, psychological and social professions.
She a passionate teacher and coach of clowning and mime, working with performers as well as professionals in medicine, psychology, and social work.
As a founding member and former Board Member of efhco, she has been deeply committed to advancing Healthcare Clowning with quality, authenticity, and heart.
For Laura, this work is more than a profession—it is her lifelong passion and her wish that it endures well into the next century and beyond. Honored to serve as an Ambassador for efhco, she continues to nurture creativity, honesty, and compassion in everything she does.
Yury Olshansky
Yury Olshansky is an actor, director, writer, and healthcare clown. A member of SAG-AFTRA (USA), he was awarded the Silver Award for Best Actor in a Drama at the Best Actors & Directors Awards, New York (2024). Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, he holds both U.S. and Italian citizenship.
Olshansky has been actively involved in acting, directing, and producing for film and television, collaborating with renowned artists such as Paul Mazursky, Robin Williams, Gérard Depardieu, and director Cédric Klapisch (In Transit Grand Prix, Grenoble, France), as well as Spyros Vrettos in Whiter than Snow. In addition to his work in the performing arts, he is also a published author of prose and poetry.
In 1995, along with his brother Vladimir Olshansky and Caterina Turi, he co-founded Soccorso Clown, an Italian non-profit performing arts organization dedicated to supporting sick children and the elderly through clowning. In 2011, he co-founded EFHCO and served on its Board of Directors (2011–2022).
As an advocate for the professional recognition of Healthcare Clowning as a performing arts profession, Olshansky contributed to several Erasmus+ training projects, including Healthcare Clown Pathways and Virtual Healthcare Clowning, aimed at establishing and standardizing the qualification across the EU.
Giora Seeliger
Vice Chair & Founder, RED NOSES International
Giora Seeliger is an actor, director, and a pioneer of healthcare clowning. Trained at prestigious institutions such as Fratellini’s National Circus School, Jacques Lecoq, Etienne Decroux, and Yves Lebreton, he has devoted his career to exploring the transformative power of humour and empathy.
In 1982, he founded Théâtre des Falaises, touring across Europe with performances that blended physical theatre and poetic expression. In 1994, Giora co-founded RED NOSES Clowndoctors Austria, laying the foundation for what would become an international movement. Under his leadership, RED NOSES grew into a network active in 11 countries, bringing joy and laughter to people in need.
A long-time lecturer and visiting professor at Vienna’s University of Music and Performing Arts, Giora also founded the RED NOSES International School of Humour (ISH) in Vienna, where he curated and led more than 300 workshops with world-renowned instructors.
In recognition of his outstanding contribution to the field of healthcare clowning, Giora was awarded the Golden Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria in 2024.
Magdalena Schamberger
Magdalena Schamberger is an independent theatre director, creative collaborator and teacher based in Edinburgh, Scotland. She has trained with Philippe Gaulier, Monika Pagneux, Pierre Byland & John Wright and combines 35 years of experience in physical & visually driven theatre and clowning with 25 years of creatively engaging with people living with dementia. Magdalena is Co-founder and former Artistic Director of Hearts & Minds, Scotland, and creator of the unique Elderflowers programme.
As a director, her work includes devising clown performances A Clean Sweep and By the Seat of Your Pants for acclaimed theatre company Plutôt la Vie and developing her own bespoke collaborative productions for people living with dementia, namely Curious Shoes and In the Light of Day. Magdalena is currently working on her 3rd dementia responsive project, entitled Framed.
Most recently, Magdalena has directed the world premiere of Dementia The Musical, written by Ron Coleman, who has Vascular Dementia, which has toured widely across Scotland in autumn 2024.
Magdalena regularly delivers Compassionate Clowning, Clowning & Melodrama and Artful Minds workshops across the globe and has supported the setting up and development of health care clowning programmes in geriatric settings, tailored to include people living with dementia, in several countries.
Magdalena is founding member and former Creative Director of bold (Bringing Out Leaders in Dementia) and an Honorary Professor with the School of Health Sciences at Queen Margaret University.
Olivier Taverney
Olivier Taverney devoted twenty-seven years to the Swiss Theodora Foundation in service of hospitalized children’s wellbeing,
including four years as a volunteer and twenty-three as Secretary General.
A member of the Executive Management (2021–2024), he held responsibilities in finance, human resources, and program oversight. In collaboration with the Board and the executive team, he contributed to defining the Foundation’s orientations and to their implementation.
He initiated and supported the establishment of the Theodora Academy to ensure the lasting transmission of the Foundation’s know-how and culture.
Now retired, he serves on the boards of Theodora in Italy and Spain.