Meet the plenary panelists at HCIM 2021: Reinhard Horstkotte
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At the age of 18, Reinhard Horstkotte already performed street music and theatre. Even then he was traveling a lot, but when he moved back to Germany and started studying acrobatics, dance, circus skills and percussion, he performed, lectured and held workshop over the whole world. It was short before the fall of the Berlin Wall. But that event led to new options for Reinhard. As an artistic director of Red Noses Germany, he brought a lot of new principles of clowning in daily therapeutic sessions.
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Breaking through conventions
‘I have been performing since my study and travelled throughout Europe, India, Thailand, South Africa, Palestine and USA. After the Berlin Wall came down in 1989 I initiated interdisciplinary and multicultural events, dialogs and workshops where people from different fields of study came together to work on the important challenges of the time. For me it was all about looking for new perspectives, finding freedom, joy and aliveness by building bridges between different opinions, ways of living and breaking through rigid conventions that were unhealthy. It was then, and still is now, about leaving familiar frameworks and daring to venture into the “unknown” -- not only a mental or intellectual level, but also on a human and emotional level.
I strongly believe that the clown embodies all of this.'
Living a dream
'In 1999 I started health care clowning and have been artistic director of Red Noses Germany since 2003. Bringing the archetypical principles of clowning into everyday therapeutic settings, such as hospitals and care facilities, fulfils a dream I have always had of letting performing art serve society in a very direct and pragmatic way. Building bridges by enabling art to interface with healthcare systems where people of all walks of life come together to face challenges, still remains a mission full of meaning for me. In 2015, for example, as thousands of people were escaping from the war in Syria, we started organizing projects for refugees as RED NOSES Germany. Since then this endeavour has continued to exist and grow.'
'It is fulfilling to be a part of spreading this awareness.'
'My special skill has been in raising awareness for the breadth and importance of this artistic work, not only within the Healthcare Clown Movement but also to communities outside of the movement. The future is uncertain. Artists – and especially clowns – are masters in dealing with uncertainty. It is fulfilling for me to be a part of spreading this awareness and fostering this capability.'
Reinhard will be one of the plenary panelists at HCIM2021. You can find more info about the other plenary panelists here.
‘I have been performing since my study and travelled throughout Europe, India, Thailand, South Africa, Palestine and USA. After the Berlin Wall came down in 1989 I initiated interdisciplinary and multicultural events, dialogs and workshops where people from different fields of study came together to work on the important challenges of the time. For me it was all about looking for new perspectives, finding freedom, joy and aliveness by building bridges between different opinions, ways of living and breaking through rigid conventions that were unhealthy. It was then, and still is now, about leaving familiar frameworks and daring to venture into the “unknown” -- not only a mental or intellectual level, but also on a human and emotional level.
I strongly believe that the clown embodies all of this.'
Living a dream
'In 1999 I started health care clowning and have been artistic director of Red Noses Germany since 2003. Bringing the archetypical principles of clowning into everyday therapeutic settings, such as hospitals and care facilities, fulfils a dream I have always had of letting performing art serve society in a very direct and pragmatic way. Building bridges by enabling art to interface with healthcare systems where people of all walks of life come together to face challenges, still remains a mission full of meaning for me. In 2015, for example, as thousands of people were escaping from the war in Syria, we started organizing projects for refugees as RED NOSES Germany. Since then this endeavour has continued to exist and grow.'
'It is fulfilling to be a part of spreading this awareness.'
'My special skill has been in raising awareness for the breadth and importance of this artistic work, not only within the Healthcare Clown Movement but also to communities outside of the movement. The future is uncertain. Artists – and especially clowns – are masters in dealing with uncertainty. It is fulfilling for me to be a part of spreading this awareness and fostering this capability.'
Reinhard will be one of the plenary panelists at HCIM2021. You can find more info about the other plenary panelists here.