Theodora Foundation

Founders André and Jan Poulie, two artists with close personal and professional ties to the clown Dimitri and his World of the Clown, have maintained their relationship with the Accademia Dimitri. Out of this collaboration came the idea of creating a non-certified continuing education program provided by the Accademia. In 2017, a working group was established to explore the goals and methodologies of clowning within the health care setting: a hospital stay is a difficult experience for a child; sources of fun and pleasure are rare and precious, and can support the healing process. The foundation understands the importance of having trained professionals who are sensitive to all the difficulties of acting in such delicate settings.  The discussions led to the creation of a masterclass for fourteen "Doctor Dreams" held in 2019 in Verscio. The positive feedback from the participants has inspired the academy to follow up with additional masterclasses in the years to come.

 

The main objective of this Advanced Studies program is to enable each candidate to find their own character and to create a connection between artistic work and the hospital and institutional environment for children with disabilities. In this way, the certificate enhances the specific skills of artists working in hospitals and specialized institutions.