Our mission and values

Our mission statement

RED NOSES is an artistic organisation dedicated to bringing humour and laughter to people in need of joy. Through the art of professional healthcare clowning, it is our mission to provide psychosocial support and to share laughter and hope with individuals facing challenging circumstances.

We have always been firm believers in the positive impact of art and humour on mental health.

Although the organisation has experienced significant growth and change since its foundation in 1994, our core mission and values have consistently remained the same: to share the power of humour and laughter through the art of clowning, reaching people in need of joy worldwide.

Our core values

Joyfullness

At RED NOSES, we promote the joy in life and create a positive outlook. In doing so, we focus in the beauty of human emotions - on what connects us instead of what divides us. We can laugh at ourselves and seek out the magical moments that nurture our optimism and positive awareness.

Creativity

We engage in creating new concepts using the art of clowning in our endeavours to develop novel ideas that are advantageous and meaningful to society. Furthermore, by welcoming the unexpected, we allow ourselves sufficient time to discover the perfect answer. We reflect passionately and think out of the box to reach innovative and transformative winning solutions. Creativity is the driving force behind our mission and values.

Excellence

Excellence is upheld in every programme and interaction. As a result, our stakeholders can expect the highest standards from our organisation. Through continuous learning and professional ambition, we strive to go the extra mile to serve our mission and values. We work in environments where our passion to excel is recognised and appreciated.

Accountability

Accountability is an essential part of how we operate. Accordingly, promises are honoured and responsibility is taken for decisions and outcomes. Transparency is maintained so that trust can be strengthened.

Respect

Respect is shown by acknowledging the needs and feelings of others. We gain it through our commendable actions and because we are a law-abiding organisation. At the same time, diversity is welcomed and inclusive environments are fostered. By listening and engaging openly, mutual understanding is supported.

Courage

We value courage and believe in exploring and taking bold steps to reach our goals. We inspire by example and trust our vision. Even in challenging situations, we do not let fear or failure overcome our desire to learn and succeed. At the same time, we do not take courage for granted. We proactively cultivate it by taking ownership of challenges and problems. This empowers us to grow and develop. Moreover, we are not afraid to think big and function as a role model.

Truthfulness

Truthfulness is reflected in open communication and authentic behaviour. Therefore, honesty and integrity are upheld in all our actions. Trust and credibility are strengthened through transparent engagement.

Our theory of change

Our Framework of Change identifies the problems we see in the world and describes our goals of how we want the world to look instead.
In this context, these two poles – the WORLD AS IT IS and the WORLD AS IT CAN BE – together create the ‘why’ that drives all of our programmes.

Framework of change

Strategy Overview 2021-2025

The importance of mental health services and the need to integrate psychosocial interventions into the daily routine of medical and social institutions has been getting a lot of recognition by medical professionals for the past couple of years. As a result, it became evident that humour is a powerful and an indispensable tool for strengthening resilience in the face of stress or trauma. Consequently, this in return created an even greater demand on the services of RED NOSES; not only for the various groups within the healthcare environment, but also among other vulnerable groups in other sectors.

In response to this growing need, providing a wide range of artistic programmes and formats, RED NOSES is the biggest Healthcare Clowning organisation worldwide reaching out to hospitalised children, senior citizens, medical staff, aid workers, refugees, as well as children and youth with disabilities. Furthermore, with more than 430 professional healthcare clowns in the field, RED NOSES contributes on daily basis to the concept of health promotion. Overall, its programmes strengthen resilience and support wellbeing across diverse communities.