Clowns Without Borders began in 1993 when Spanish clown Tortell Poltrona was invited by children at a school in Barcelona to travel to refugee camps in Croatia during the Balkan conflict. The children had received a message from refugee children that  said:

“You know what we miss most? We miss laughter, to have fun, to enjoy ourselves.”

Inspired by their words, the children in Barcelona raised the funds to make the journey possible.

During that first mission, Tortell performed for approximately 4,000 children living in refugee camps. The experience demonstrated the extraordinary power of laughter, circus, and the performing arts to bring joy, hope, and emotional relief to children living through crisis.

What began as a single journey quickly grew into a movement. Throughout the 1990s, independent Clowns Without Borders organizations were established in Spain, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, South Africa, Sweden, the United States, all with the core belief that laughter is a fundamental part of humanitarian support.

As the international network expanded, the chapters founded Clowns Without Borders International in 2011 to establish an association to strengthen collaboration, uphold shared humanitarian values, and support the growing global movement.

Today, Clowns Without Borders International brings together 13 member chapters, working together to bring laughter and human connection to children and communities affected by conflict, disaster, displacement, and crisis around the world.

Read more about how we work here.