RED NOSES: A New Era of Leadership
Monica Culen and Giora Seeliger, the founders of RED NOSES, have been responsible for building and establishing the organisation in 11 countries over the past 30 years. Now, they are handing over the reins of RED NOSES International (RNI) to a new leadership team. The new management team, consisting of Natalie Porias (CEO), Christophe Dumalin (Artistic Director) and Eric Pflanzer (CFO), comes from within the organisation and has been carefully prepared over the past few years. As of 1st April, the two founders will take on important roles within the newly created Board of Trustees, where they will support the new leadership with their knowledge and experience. The management of the association RED NOSES Austria remains unchanged.
Thirty years ago, the idea of healthcare clowning was very difficult to imagine. In the early stages of the organisation, doctors were not so easily convinced, and funding was more than scarce. However, the idea of clowns in hospitals soon became a successful concept that revolutionised health care systems from Central Europe to the Middle East. The success of this concept is supported by numerous research findings on clowning in healthcare, which RNI make available to the public in a large collection of studies on their website.
"My team is speaking in the European Parliament today about the importance of culture and humour on mental health, and the World Health Organisation (WHO) is considering using RED NOSES clowns in crisis and disaster areas as additional psychosocial support for affected children and families," Monica Culen, founder, is proud of the development.
"Doctors specifically use the positive effect of our work, which is based on a high level of artistic know-how and a lot of sensitivity, whether in the local hospital of the city or in the most remote crisis regions, where we are brought, for example, by Doctors without Borders, the IOM or UNICEF to give children, and also adults, a safe space to have breaks from worries and to express themselves," reports Giora Seeliger, founder of Red Noses.
The new leadership team comes from within the organisation and is well-prepared for the change. "Laughter is what makes us human. It's about more than medical care and survival. It's about resilience in crisis situations - and we make sure that everyone can access this asset.
As RED NOSES, we have the tools and opportunities to empower people. Together we have developed strategies to make the best use of them in our 11 partner countries and in our international crisis intervention projects," Natalie Porias, CEO of RNI, looks to the future.
Enquiries to:
Eva Primavesi
Eva.Primavesi[at]rednoses.org
0699-111 75 081
