Our Board of Trustees: Meet Suzanna Ferguson

Suzanna Ferguson brings a dynamic blend of theatrical passion and real-world care to her role as Trustee at RED NOSES International. She has always believed in the power of clowning as more than entertainment—it’s emotional, human, and deeply transformative.

In this interview, Suzanna opens up about what first drew her to RED NOSES, how she champions creative quality at the highest level, and why embracing silliness can be the smartest leadership move of all.

• Can you recall your very first experience with RED NOSES? What struck you most, and how has that first impression shaped your long-term engagement?

My first significant experience with RED NOSES must have been at the HCIM conference in Vienna in 2018 - I was quite overwhelmed with the size and resources of the organisation compared to my small but mighty team in Scotland. It was totally new to me to see a healthcare clown NGO on this scale, and I was so delighted to be invited onto the Board - its hugely inspiring and a big learning opportunity for me to see the reach and scope that healthcare clowning can have, and to see how an organisation of this size seeks to maintain the high artistic quality at such a large scale and over such a huge geographic and cultural area.

• In your view, what makes RED NOSES unique and how do you see your board role amplifying that uniqueness?

I believe it is quite unique how much RED NOSES puts clowning as an art form that is therapeutic at the front and centre of its mission and messaging. It is heartening to see a healthcare organisation celebrate and amplify clowning in such an unapologetic, articulate and integral way. I take my role as a clown on the board seriously and will always champion the care, respect and support for artists as well as the organisation's commitment to ensuring high quality clowning across all their programmes.

•  If you had to describe your personal leadership style as a clown character, what would they be like? What wisdom would they bring to the RED NOSES table?

Well, as a leader, Dr Maybee's relentless and totally fruitless pursuit of knowledge, professionalism, respect, and power knows no bounds. Fruitless, because in reality she is only concerned with being fully alive, and in seeing the aliveness of the people and environment around her - that's not how they teach you to be professional at school! The wisdom she brings is this - that she experiences the world wholeheartedly, with utter engagement and lightness, existing beyond the institutions and systems that tell us we should be anything other - more or less - than exactly ourselves, and that if we do that, we can make a difference.

This interview opens a window into Suzanna Ferguson’s perspective. To read more about her role and contributions, visit her profile on our Board of Trustees page.