SUMMIT CO-HOST

Wellington Nogueira

Social Entrepreneur, Clown, Actor

Wellington Nogueira created an organization devoted to bringing happiness into the lives of children in hospitals through the dramatic art of clowning. Through his program he strives to give this form of artistic expression a predominantly social character in an effort to humanize Brazilian hospitals.

A professional clown by trait, Ashoka Fellow Wellington Nogueira conceived Doutores in 1991 after he was inspired by a similar project with which he had worked in New York, the Big Apple Circus Clown Care Unit. In addition to traditional performances in hospitals, Doutores spreads its work, knowledge, practices, and philosophies through workshops on relationship building with medical staff, publications highlighting the organization’s work, and educational public performances. These initiatives comprise Doutores’ comprehensive citizen base strategy by tapping into various aspects of the community that would otherwise be out of touch with the organization’s work. In line with the work of Doutores, the Brazilian Government inaugurated the Department of Humanization of Hospital Services in 1999. On his point of view, the pandemic has turned the world into a global hospital, so, he is currently developing Playfulness projects as a means for adults to cultivate mental health during tough times.