Ilse Beckers

Ilse Beckers is the Director of CliniClowns Netherlands, an organization that has pioneered the use of play, humor, and human connection in healthcare for over 30 years. She believes these elements are not luxuries, but essential tools in making healthcare more compassionate, intuitive, and person-centered. Her focus is on bringing together a fragmented Arts in Health community — uniting researchers, associations, caregivers, healthcare institutions, and artists.

Her vision is that positive interventions like the art of clowning will no longer be seen as peripheral, but will be embedded at the very core of healthcare systems. At the same time, she encourages healthcare clowning organizations across Europe to come together as a collective voice, positioning themselves not at the margins but at the center of humanized care.

Before joining CliniClowns, Ilse built a career across both social and commercial organizations, always seeking to connect head and heart in leadership. At CliniClowns, she has found the place where her professional experience and personal conviction come together — leading an organization that turns vulnerability, play, humor and human connection into impact for thousands of people every year.

In her keynote, “Beyond the Red Nose: Thought Leadership for Arts and Positive Interventions in Humanized Care,” Ilse challenges the field to stop asking for permission to belong, and instead to step into its role as a trusted partner in shaping the future of care. Her vision: to move from play to policy, securing the arts of clowning as essential care worldwide.