The Gesundheit! Institute is thrilled to announce the 2nd Clowns Tour in Georgia and Armenia with Maria Eliseeva from “Maria’s Children International”
Tbilisi, Georgia Arrive April 22 and Depart Armenia May 3, 2025
Don’t miss the chance to be part of the joyful clown team bringing Gesundheit! humanitarian clowning to Georgia and Armenia! Patch Adams will be joining us on a zoom call in Tbilisi, Georgia!
Join us in beautiful Tbilisi, Georgia and Armenia with the Gesundheit Institute. We will plan for daily clown visits to a variety of institutions. These include hospice centers, shelters, hospital, orphanages, private homes and also do workshop and murals with refugees.
Last year we offered and optional tour with Georgia to go to Armenia that Anya and Marleen coordinated together. This year we wanted to offer both tours to you.
Anya wrote last year…“Since, the war in Arsakh [Nagorno-Karabakh] ended with Azerbaijan taking the land and more than a hundred thousand of Armenians loosing their homes. I have dreamed of clowns coming to spread some joy and heal the community with art and
playfulness. And since we will be so close, I thought we could go from Tbilist to Yerevan.”
So as coordinators we wanted to give you both beautiful countries in one tour. We will spend 12 days CLOWNING every day. We are sure to make many new Georgian and Armenia friends through our shared journey of service clowning and travel. Our group will transform into a community… a clown family connected through our work, play and laughter.
Clowning will open doors unlike any other travel experience. Gesundheit! Global Outreach has clowned across the world with different groups. Our experience has taught us that clowning is an incredible tool for connecting with people and that anyone is able to do it. The only criteria for participation in the Georgia and Armenia Tour is that you come as a clown with a joyful spirit of compassion, flexibility and interest.
Every day on the tour is unique, though a typical day may look like this:
• Breakfast at the hotel
• Morning clown visit
• Lunch
• Afternoon clown visit
• Dinner and sometimes an evening program
TravelThe tour package includes: Transportation from Tbilisi, George to Yerevan, Armenia, accommodations, meals, transportation in city and transfer to the airports.
Participants are responsible for booking and paying for their own flights to Tbilisi International Airport and your return flight is from Armenia, Zvartnots International Airport.
Arrive: Tuesday, April 22, 2025 | Depart: Saturday, May 3, 2025
Cost: Early bird discount $2,400 (till April 1). After that date $2,500 USD
Maria Eliseeva — the founder and director of Maria’s Children. Maria says, “I love my life and my freedom to do what I like and what I believe in. I love to surround myself with children and clowns. I love to feel useful. This trip is going to be a unique chance to play and work with friends who I love and admire. Read a short story of the history of “Maria’s Children”
Anya, Anchu, Anchurrita — I am a human who loves to learn, play and collaborate, to communicate, create and connect. I was born into a strange big family full of art, clowns and a lot of children. I have clowned with Patch in Russia, Peru and Armenia and since the year 2014 I have been organising the Russia clown trip on the Russian side. I volunteer a lot with the organisations of my mama Maria, and I love the work that we do. I am a dreamer and I like to make art and other things with my hands. And lately I love playing ukulele.
Ginevra Sanguigno — clown and actress. Since 1981 she has been using theater as a vehicle for social change. Ginevra is an instructor, enthusiator, and the founder of Clown One Italia Npo , in 2000. She has been organizing humanitarian clown missions worldwide since 2003 .
Sharon “Shar-Shar” Stein — started volunteering in 1996, worked for a non-profit affiliated with the United Nations and has traveled to 71 countries…so far. Because I had worked as a flight attendant for too many years. I had the privilege of spending time with many children and bringing humanitarian aid to orphanages and natural disaster area’s. Lucky for me 24 years ago I met Patch. Put my first red nose on, started coordinate trips and enjoyed all of them.
Marleen Van Os – Pluk, Marlenka — Founder of Stichting Clownszken (NGO) clown and care specialist for people with severe special needs. As a clown I have been on almost 50 projects abroad through many years. How can we bring humor and humanity for people in need? How can we be serious about play? I believe our audience deserves the best, no matter who they are.
Registration for 2025 is now OPEN. Cost: Early bird discount $2,400 (till April 1). After that date $2,500 USD
Start here | Fill out the Electronic Registration & Payment Form >
Please do not fill out the form unless you are prepared to send the deposit ($600) or the full amount.
Flights: Please arrive at Tbilisi International Airport by the evening of April 22 – Book your flight back home any time on May 3 from Armenia, Zvartnots International Airport.
Under 18?: You MUST have your legal guardian fill out this form: Parental-Authorization-for-International-Travel
Passports: No visa is required, check this link for any exception related to your country. Passports can be expedited by your local post office. Please bring two color photocopies of your passport with you. Please check the expiration date of your document, passport must be valid for at least six months after your date of travel.
Vaccines: COVID-19: Vaccination is not required.
If you have questions that are not answered by the program’s description please contact:
Georgia & Armenia Clown Tour Coordinators
Anya: anya.segalovich@gmail.com
Sharon: sharonstein22@gmail.com
Ginevra: ginevrasan@gmail.com
Marleen: marleenvanos@hotmail.com
Thank you and we hope you join us!
Further playful readings on clowning:
Funny Times is a monthly cartoon and humor newspaper for a world gone weird.
Tickle your funny bone and support a great cause at the same time!
Patch Adams MD & Gesundheit Institute, P.O. Box 307, Urbana, IL 61803
© Copyright 2025 Gesundheit! Institute
