Reflection Group
In a world full of complex challenges, dialogue and connection have never been more important. At HCIM 2026, we created a Reflection Group to address these challenges. This group has grown into a source of insight, inspiration, and guidance for the healthcare clowning community and future HCIM hosts.
Purpose and Vision
While we do not ignore or diminish the tragic events unfolding across the globe, our intention is to create a space that is safe, welcoming, and inclusive for every participant. What unites us is the conviction that healthcare clowning and performing living arts bring hope, resilience, and dignity to people in times of crisis. We share values of compassion, openness, and joy.
The Reflection Group was formed to explore challenges thoughtfully and collaboratively. Its work has highlighted a broader truth: healthcare clowns are bridge builders. By creating spaces for energy and emotion to flow, they reconnect people, foster communication, and allow feelings to be expressed freely.
We know this commitment is not always easy, and we cannot shield the conference entirely from the world around us and its realities. Yet within HCIM 2026, we are determined to maintain an atmosphere of respect, safety, and shared purpose.
Through this lens, dialogue becomes a key tool. At HCIM 2026, we have embraced this principle at every stage of the congress, ensuring that our program reflects today’s world and meets the community’s expectations for the humanization of healthcare.
The purpose of dialogue is to help everyone feel safe, so we can recognise our shared vulnerability and help each other navigate this unmapped life
With our resources, with our hearts, gut and brains, we have the unique opportunity, to focus on the core needs of human beings. We can bring hope, humanity and lightness in a polarised, hurt society! What a privilege!
The Reflection Group met several times in different compositions and started with very specific topics such as admission criteria and a code of conduct, later also discussing values such as inclusion and other topics. Members included Nat Bolonkin, Giggle Doctor and Artistic Coordinator at Theodora Children's Charity UK, Christophe Dumalin, Chief Artistic Director at Red Noses International, and Pedro Fabião, Clown, Consultant and Member of the Theodora Artistic Council, as well as other representatives from various fields.
We are grateful to the members who have generously shared their expertise and wisdom. Their engagement and dialogue have been invaluable in shaping HCIM 2026 and will continue to inspire future gatherings.
The importance of the Reflection Group
The Reflection Group embodies two core values that have guided HCIM 2026: dialogue and transparency. By bringing together diverse perspectives, it has demonstrated the power of collective wisdom and the importance of listening deeply.
We hope that this initiative serves as a seed for future HCIM hosts—a reminder that thoughtful reflection, collaboration, and open communication are essential to creating impactful, meaningful conferences.
