Contact Clown

People are social beings with a need for contact. This contact is not always self-evident for people with dementia. 

Stichting miMakkus wants to improve contact and communication for people with a cognitive impairment (dementia) or an intellectual disability. The miMakkus method was introduced in Dutch healthcare in 2002. The purpose of the miMakkus method is to make contact with people for whom language is not (longer) self-evident.

Ed Andriessen works as a "Contact-Clown", interacting with people who suffer from dementia. With his bright green shirt, red nose and red beret, he awakens something of early memories in people with dementia without using words. 

His training took a year and his teachers were experienced clowns, theater makers, mimes and people with a Zen background. The training is mainly practical: the emphasis is on doing. That is more important than rational 'knowing'.