CAS ARCO | A tailor-made CAS for art coordinators

A global project on training and development

“Empowering Artistic Coordinators: Advanced Studies Program for Elevating the Impact of Accademia Theodora and Accademia Dimitri in a new Initial Training”

Introduction

The Dream Doctor is a vital role in hospitals and children’s facilities. They interact directly with the children, their environment, and the medical staff. By using artistic techniques like magic, music, storytelling, and clowning, they create genuine connections with the children and allow them to participate in a way that suits their abilities.

The Dream Doctor represents the foundation and maintains high standards in their presentation. They actively communicate observations and collaborate with team leaders and managers. They also contribute to developing new programs in partnership with the foundation and other internal groups.

Their goal is to provide tailored services that meet specific needs and promote efficiency. The Dream Doctor embodies the foundation’s core values, while other titles refer to specialized programs.

Clowning is one of the core abilities. Clowning , as an art form, allows performers to explore different types of humor and develop relationships with themselves, partners, disciplines, and the audience. It offers unlimited possibilities for play and creates moments of laughter, emotion, and humanity that we often miss in our daily lives. Through clowning, we can connect with others and experience the joy of shared moments.

The clown is a unique creation, both human and artistic, representing a naive character that thrives without any restrictions or inhibitions. Its only boundary is the ability to adapt to the audience at hand. Embodied by a dedicated actor, the clown’s primary purpose is to bring laughter, exploring various forms of humor in a vast and emotionally intense journey.

At the beginning of this journey, numerous doors present themselves, with one door standing out among the rest, causing a sense of confusion. The aim is to understand which door it is, locate the others, grasp how to open them, and fully embrace the stage and clowning space behind them. It’s about expanding one’s humorous repertoire and enriching their comedic skills.

The ultimate goal is to capture that perfect and delightful moment of being in the clown state, which is both conscious and elusive, and then follow its flow. The actor must nurture and cultivate relationships with themselves, their partner(s), the disciplines they are exploring, and the audience. This requires wholehearted investment in their actions and the roles they portray.

To achieve this, they must develop a keen awareness of their body movements, emotions, sense of touch, and visual perception.

Learning Content

Exploring Clowning as an Art Form:

Dive into the art form of clowning and its significance.
Explore different types of humor and develop a repertoire of comedic skills.
Cultivate relationships with oneself, partners, disciplines, and the audience.
Nurture wholehearted investment in actions and portrayed roles.

Body Awareness and Emotional Expression:

Develop a keen awareness of body movements, emotions, sense of touch, and visual perception.
Understand the impact of body language and physical expressiveness in clowning.

Endless Possibilities of Play:

Unleash the limitless possibilities for play within the realm of clowning.
Open doors to new comedic experiences and enrich comedic skills.
Embrace the conscious and elusive state of being a clown.

Embody the values and standards of Theodora Foundation as a Dream Doctor.

Communicate observations effectively and collaborate with team leaders and managers.
Contribute to the development of new programs in partnership with the foundation and other internal groups.

Learning Objectives

Embodied Exploration: Engage in immersive and experiential learning, delving into the practical application of exercises that lie at the heart of the new initial training, unlocking their essence and understanding their transformative potential.
Improvisation Skills: Explore and develop improvisation skills and games, both new and familiar, to enhance spontaneity, adaptability, and creativity inthe context of being a Dream Doctor.
Clowning Techniques: Explore and master the techniques of clowning, including improvisation and its rules, to develop a playful and technically skilled approach to the art form. Adapt these techniques to suit the care environment and audiences in vulnerable situations.
Physical Expression: Learn to distinguish and separate different expressive parts of the body, studying their emotional implications. Play with tensions, allowing them to flow through different body parts and develop them individually. Create expressive silhouettes and movements that bring the character to life. Develop the ability to maintain physical rhythm to support the overall performance.
Emotional Expression: Cultivate sensitivity and emotional generosity, learning to identify and portray different emotional states authentically. Be fully present and engaged, following initial impulses and their emotional paths. Explore and expand your emotional range as a clown performer.
Understanding the Dream Doctor Role: Develop a comprehensive understanding of what it means to become a Dream Doctor, including the responsibilities, skills, and qualities required to effectively engage with children and create meaningful connections.
Learning Path: Gain awareness of the learning journey and steps involved in becoming a Dream Doctor, including self-reflection, skill development, and continuous growth in personal and professional capacities.
Feldenkrais Exercises: Utilize Feldenkrais exercises to explore and experience different movement patterns, fostering a new understanding of body movement and enhancing physical expressiveness and presence as a Dream Doctor.
Artistic and Pedagogical Language: Collaboratively create a shared artistic and pedagogical language that facilitates effective communication and understanding among Dream Doctors, promoting a cohesive and supportive team environment.
Research Skills: Acquire the necessary skills to design, conduct, and write research work, including the ability to gather and analyze data, and contribute to the field of Dream Doctoring.
Thesis Writing: Develop competence in writing a thesis, adhering to academic standards and guidelines, effectively communicating research findings, and presenting a coherent and well-structured argument.

Final thesis

Context: Describe the research project.

Objectives: List the specific objectives assigned during the research period.

Activities: Describe in detail the activities carried out during the research period. Also, explain how these activities relate to the set objectives.

Acquired skills: Discuss the skills acquired during the 1° and 2° module. These skills may include specific technical skills learned from clowning or improvisation.

Concrete application of own research: Describe how the research results are intended to be applied within the context of Theodora (of your country), how the research will be implemented to enhance the organization’s activities and achieve its objectives., along with a detailed timeline.

Conclusions: Provide a general conclusion about the research, highlighting the achieved results in relation to the established objectives. Mention any future perspectives related to this experience.

Appendix: Include any relevant additional documents or materials, such as completed projects, reports, or presentations, that support the report.

The length of the thesis approximate is stated to be between 10,000 and 15,000 words.