Humanitarian circus: Turn that frown upside down
- Mackenzie Sanche
- 17 avr. 2021
- 5 min de lecture
Dernière mise à jour : 10 janv. 2024
Mackenzie Sanche - Saturday, April 17, 2021
While the pandemic has paused their careers, Quebec’s circus artists use their talent to spread smiles and break social isolation.
Near Quebec City, two circus artists set themselves up in front of a long-term care home. In the windows, residents are piling up, all smiles and admiration. Méliejade Tremblay-Bouchard and Julia Perron paired up for this performance that aims to entertain and break social isolation in one of the places the pandemic hit worst. In Montreal, fire breather and street artist Pascal Duguay Gosselin puts his hand over his heart and smiles to the sky as a homeless man walks away, a book in hand. He is affiliated with Exeko, an outreach organization that uses philosophy, books and arts to connect with people who are on the streets. In Trois-Rivières, Guillaume Vermette pulls the strings. He is the founder of the circus company La Caravane Philanthrope, which is behind many social initiatives like these since 2019. “We’re an army of happiness,” says the self-proclaimed humanitarian clown proudly. A professional hula-hooper, a German Wheel gymnast, a fire breather and a humanitarian clown. Four of many, many circus artists who work to bring smiles to the faces of the people who need them most—pandemic or not.
Spreading smiles around the world
La Caravane Philanthrope’s projects normally include humanitarian, therapeutic and social circus, which lead them around the world, spreading smiles as quickly as a hula-hoop spins.
Méliejade Tremblay-Bouchard says that circus arts are a great vehicle to connect with communities across the world. She has been on humanitarian trips in Mexico, Turkey and Peru. “It’s an experience that has marked me and will mark me for life,” she confides. “When you give, you often receive much more.”
Méliejade recounts her experience in Turkey, where she and a few artists performed in a school. Without electricity, people opened their phones’ flashlights, and the children clapped their hands rhythmically to compensate for the lack of music. For Méliejade, the children’s love and appreciation are worth much more than the perfect stage.
“The children have been through all sorts of traumatizing things and can’t smile or play anymore,” says Guillaume Vermette. He explains that a humanitarian circus artist or clown uses their competences to fulfill a fundamental right or need, like the right to childhood. “We remind the children how to be children and try to help them heal from their trauma.”
Their goal with La Caravane Philanthrope was to bring circus arts where they can be beneficial. And during the pandemic, that meant right here, in Quebec.
Recycling their mission locally
Guillaume states clearly that he decided to be a clown in order to specifically become a humanitarianclown. He says he grew up feeling angry and sad about the injustice and violence around him. “I don’t necessarily mean in refugee camps across the world,” he points out. “I mean right here in my own backyard in Quebec, around every corner.” The pandemic forced them to cancel their humanitarian trips and social activities. Julia says that’s when they asked themselves: “Right now, where is the worst part of this crisis?” Guillaume asserts that the two most important marginalized communities in our province are long-term care centres and the homeless. Both have been greatly affected by the pandemic and, according to him, both deserve the Caravane Philanthrope’s attention. Long-term care centres represent nearly half of Quebec’s COVID-19-related deaths. La Presse counted nearly 5300 deaths in these residences, out of the province’s approximately 10 800 deaths. “Last summer, we visited many long-term care centres,” says Pascal Duguay Gosselin. “We were split into two teams, and I think we performed 150 shows during the season for about 50 residences.” Méliejade and Julia partnered for many such shows, and also did a few parades on the streets of Limoilou. Julia says their onlookers were very supportive. “It was simple: we just passed through and did a few tricks,” she smiles. “In the middle of the heaviness of the pandemic, it felt good to see everyone.”
As for the homeless, Pascal explains that Exeko contacted La Caravane Philanthrope for help, which busied some of the circus artists who were on standby. “We aren’t doing any circus,” he specifies, “but we’re bringing joy and that’s what we love to do above all.”
Last Monday, Pascal was at the Place Émilie-Gamelin in Montreal with his colleague Batone Neto from Exeko, distributing books to homeless people and simply hearing from them to see how they’re doing.
Using circus for social change
“When I compare myself, I see other artists for whom practising circus arts is like breathing,” admits the humanitarian clown. “For me, it’s helping others.” He claims to be happy making people happy and having a positive impact on their lives. Pascal operates closely with Exeko, but also with Cirque Hors Piste. This organization works with youth in situations of precariousness and homelessness. To him, the simple effect the artists can have on a young person’s self-esteem and their socialization is marvellous. “Circus arts aren’t just pretty people on a stage who do amazing tricks,” says the fire breather. “Social arts are a medium for change in people’s way of life and self-esteem.” Guillaume views social circus as using the teaching of circus arts as a pretext to create social roles and contribute to the wellbeing of vulnerable or marginalized populations. This is also called cultural mediation, which is described by the city of Montreal to be when members of society, especially the poor, meet the cultural world and are offered access to creative outlets.
Empowering women one hoop at a time
Méliejade specializes in hula-hooping and Cyr Wheel. She would like to use her art to empower women and raise awareness on eating disorders. “A lot of girls who have a past with eating disorders feel very empowered by hula-hooping,” she says. “I can see it, because when I opened up on the subject, many of them wrote to me.”
She wants to inspire women with her love of circus arts and the way she shares what she lives. The pandemic has made her move her public online, and she has discovered that social media are an excellent way to reach her audience.
For Julia, knowing how she has touched people renders her speechless. “You know you’ve succeeded at your job when someone comes over to you after a show and says their daughter now wants to be a circus artist,” she laughs. When she visited Burmese refugee camps in Thailand, Julia also noticed that girls have a hard time taking their place in society. But when they see her and other women doing their circus tricks, they gain more confidence. Méliejade wishes to help women feel more in control of their own lives and to become the best version of themselves. She adds, “I really need to be strong to do this, but I see this as something much bigger than myself.”
Pushing through for the love of art
All four artists agree that the most important qualities to become a circus artist are discipline, perseverance, resilience and authenticity. “To be a circus artist, you must pass a message,” says Méliejade. “You can’t pass a message if you aren’t being totally true to yourself.”
Although it is an unstable field without guarantees, as Julia describes it, circus arts are rewarding. “I am being paid to do what I love,” she says happily. “I don’t feel like I’m working when I’m at work.” Artists must train consistently and learn to deal with the higher risk of injuries. It is a field for passionate people, according to Pascal, because it requires endless dedication and relentlessness.
After all, Méliejade assures that “all suffering and stress stops when we serve something greater than ourselves.”
La version française de cet article est paru sur le site de Projection · Culturel le 17 avril 2021.
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