# Hannah Gaff > Official website ## Posts - [The Garbage Monster at HCIM Conference 2026](https://hannahgaff.com/the-garbage-monster-at-hcim-conference-2026/): Theatre for Climate Justice and CWB USA | March 2026 Sending so much love to my friends and colleagues at the Healthcare Clowning International Meeting HCIM in Switzerland this week! I’m truly sad I can’t be there in person, especially remembering the magic of being there four years ago, but I am so proud that our documentary, The Garbage Monster, is being presented at the conference. Created by Ahmed Moussa this film captures the heart of our Theatre for Climate Justice and Clowns Without Borders project in Cairo. We used applied theatre and clowning to spark conversations about climate change […] - [Training of Teachers at NAHDA Arts School: Cairo](https://hannahgaff.com/training-of-teachers-at-nahda-arts-school-cairo/): Training of Teachers at NAHDA Arts School, Cairo | October 10 – 13, 2025 In October, I had the privilege of leading a three-day Training of Teachers (TOT) at NAHDA Arts School in Cairo. Working with a remarkable group of teachers and artists, I was reminded once again that teaching is never one-way – we grow through one another’s curiosity, generosity, and engagement. The workshop focused on embodied pedagogy inspired by Jacques Lecoq’s physical theatre principles. Over three days, we explored holding space, shaping the journey of a session, and developing the skills of the external eye. Participants practiced designing […] - [CWB USA and Theatre for Climate Justice Tour 2025: Egypt](https://hannahgaff.com/cwb-usa-and-theatre-for-climate-justice-tour-2025-egypt/): CWB USA and Theatre for Climate Justice | October 2025In partnership with PSTIC This October, I will return to Cairo with Clowns Without Borders USA to tour The Garbage Monster, our Theatre for Climate Justice performance. In collaboration with PSTIC, we will bring this show to displaced communities throughout the city, sharing laughter, play, and hope while opening conversations about climate change and resilience. Our team will tour The Garbage Monster to displaced communities around Cairo, including Sudanese, South Sudanese, Syrian, and Palestinian families. Today, Egypt hosts more than 480,000 registered refugees and asylum seekers from 62 countries, with the […] - [Clown Me In: Egypt](https://hannahgaff.com/clown-me-in-egypt/): Clown Me In – Cairo, EgyptJuly 2025 Last week, I had the joy of working with Clown Me In in Cairo, Egypt on a special project supporting Palestinian children and families. Together, we facilitated three days of clown, physical theatre, and puppetry workshops for the children. The week culminated in a joyful circus-style community event for families, filled with games, laughter, and a clown performance designed to spark connection, delight, and healing through play. While I can’t share many images due to privacy, I will hold the warmth, courage, and creativity of these children close. Deep gratitude to Clown Me […] - [Workshop with Pluto Kids: Cairo](https://hannahgaff.com/workshop-with-pluto-kids-cairo-egypt/): Pluto Kids – Cairo, EgyptMovement & Clown-Inspired Play Workshop | June 27, 2025 In June 2025, I had the joy of leading a movement and play workshop with Pluto Kids, a vibrant community center in Cairo dedicated to nurturing creativity, curiosity, and self-expression in children. In this one-day workshop, we explored big emotions through movement, created short ensemble performance pieces, and dove into clown-inspired play—inviting connection, imagination, and embodied expression. Through guided activities rooted in physical theatre and playful storytelling, participants connected to their breath, bodies, and each other with laughter and heart. This day reaffirmed my love of working […] - [Clowning Across Cultures: Indonesia](https://hannahgaff.com/hannah-gaff-is-currently-in-bali-indonesia/): Clowning Across Cultures – Bali, IndonesiaBondres Mask Carving & Clown Research | January 2025 After years of dreaming and planning, this project is officially underway! In January 2025, I traveled to Bali to begin the first phase of Clowning Across Cultures, a three-part global research project exploring non-Western clowning traditions.Through a faculty research grant from Vassar College, I began studying Bondres—the sacred clown characters of Balinese ceremony. I collaborated with master performer and mask-maker Nyoman Setiawan (@fusion_mask), learning the art of mask carving, observing Bondres performances during ceremonies, and interviewing Nyoman about the cultural role of clowns in Balinese society.Bondres […] - [Theatre for Climate Justice: Zimbabwe](https://hannahgaff.com/theater-for-climate-justice-in-zimbabwe/): El Niño – ZimbabweTheatre for Climate Justice | August 2024 Get ready for an exciting adventure with El Niño! This lively and imaginative theatre show, brought to you by the Theatre for Climate Justice Project and the Zimbabwe Theatre Academy, blends physical theatre, clowning, and playful storytelling to bring to life the challenges and incredible resilience of communities facing the impacts of El Niño. El Niño was created by the Theatre for Climate Justice project, addressing pressing environmental issues such as climate change, garbage pollution, habitat destruction, and water contamination. The story follows a group of friends who believe a […] - [Fulbright Specialist: Zimbabwe](https://hannahgaff.com/fulbright-specialist-zimbabwe-2024/): Fulbright Specialist – Harare, ZimbabweClown & Physical Theatre Residency | August 2024In partnership with the Zimbabwe Theatre Academy In August 2024, I was honored to receive a Fulbright Specialist Grant to travel to Harare, Zimbabwe, where I taught clown, physical comedy, devising techniques, and acrobatics at the Zimbabwe Theatre Academy. Over the course of three weeks, I worked closely with current students and alumni to deepen their physical theatre practice and performance-making skills. As part of this residency, I also launched the second phase of the Theatre for Climate Justice Project, co-directed with Ahmed Moussa, continuing our collaborative research and […] - [Theatre for Climate Justice: Egypt](https://hannahgaff.com/theater-for-climate-justice-in-egypt/): The Garbage Monster – Cairo, EgyptApplied Theatre for Climate Justice | January–June 2024In partnership with Clowns Without Borders USA In early 2024, we launched a brand-new physical theatre production in Egypt: The Garbage Monster, created in collaboration with Clowns Without Borders USA as the first phase of the Theatre for Climate Justice Project. This interactive show uses applied theatre, physical comedy, and puppetry to spark dialogue and action around climate change and garbage pollution. The production toured throughout Greater Cairo, reaching displaced communities from Syria, Eritrea, South Sudan, Ethiopia, and beyond. Through performances and puppet-making workshops, young audiences were invited […] - [UpLift Physical Theatre: Artist in Residence at Vassar College](https://hannahgaff.com/uplift-physical-theatre-vassar-college-new-york/): UpLift Physical Theatre – Vassar College, New YorkArtist-in-Residence | February 2024 In February 2024, UpLift Physical Theatre was welcomed as artist-in-residence at Vassar College, offering a dynamic week of workshops, open rehearsals, guest teaching, and performance centered on physical storytelling and ensemble collaboration. We led a multi-day workshop with Vassar students focused on our unique approach to physical theatre—blending dramatic acrobatics, movement improvisation, and devised storytelling. Throughout the residency, UpLift artists also guest taught in Theatre and Dance classes, sharing tools for embodiment, connection, and creative expression through movement. The week included open rehearsals of our newest work-in-progress, The Friendship, […] - [Pakistan Theatre Festival: Karachi](https://hannahgaff.com/pakistan-theatre-festival-karachi/): Pakistan Theatre Festival – Karachi, PakistanArts Envoy Program with UpLift Physical Theatre | September 2023 In September 2023, I traveled to Karachi, Pakistan as part of the U.S. Department of State’s Arts Envoy Program with UpLift Physical Theatre. We were honored to perform our internationally touring production, Through the Waves, at the Pakistan Theatre Festival, hosted by the Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi. Through the Waves is a nonverbal, highly physical theatre production that explores grief, loss, and memory through the metaphor of oceanic forces. The piece uses acrobatics, poetic imagery, and visual storytelling to evoke a journey of holding […] - [Visiting Assistant Professor of Drama: Vassar College](https://hannahgaff.com/visiting-assistant-professor-of-drama-vassar-college/): Visiting Assistant Professor of Drama – Vassar College2023–2025 | Poughkeepsie, NY As Visiting Assistant Professor of Drama at Vassar College, I taught a range of physical theatre and movement-based courses including Alexander Technique, Clown, Physical Comedy, Dramatic Acrobatics, and Advanced Acting. My teaching emphasized embodied performance, play, curiosity, and physical storytelling. In addition to classroom teaching, I worked closely with students as a movement and acting coach for productions, offering support in acting, voice, Alexander Technique, directing, intimacy choreography, and stage combat. I also mentored students in independent projects and supported their growth as devisers, performers, and collaborators. While at […] - [Your Hell Yes Life Podcast](https://hannahgaff.com/your-hell-yes-life-podcast/): Hell Yes Life PodcastOnline – 2023 I was invited to speak on the Your Hell Yes Life Podcast with host Zya Be, where we talked about clowning as a tool for connection, the importance of vulnerability and play, and my journey as a physical theatre artist and humanitarian clown. We also explored how laughter can be a radical act of resilience in the face of crisis. 🎧 Watch the full episode here: Hell Yes Life – Hannah Gaff Interview - [Alexander Technique](https://hannahgaff.com/alexander-technique-teacher-2023/): Alexander Technique Teacher Training – Minneapolis, MNCompleted in 2023 After five years of dedicated study, I completed my Alexander Technique Teacher Training at SOMA Studios in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This in-depth training profoundly deepened my understanding of the body–mind connection and continues to shape the way I move, teach, and live. Now certified, I offer private and group lessons in the Alexander Technique, working with a wide range of individuals—from artists and athletes to educators and professionals—who seek more freedom, coordination, and ease in movement and presence. My approach is rooted in clarity, curiosity, and play, informed by my background as […] - [Fulbright Specialist: Pakistan](https://hannahgaff.com/fulbright-specialist-pakistan-2023/): Fulbright Specialist – PakistanKarachi, Pakistan – 2023 Awarded a Fulbright Specialist Grant to teach a five-week residency in physical theatre, movement, and clowning with students in the Acting Program at the Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi. Through a series of intensive workshops, I guided students in ensemble-based devising and physical storytelling, culminating in a final public performance attended by local audiences, U.S. Embassy representatives, and community leaders. This project was a powerful expression of my ongoing mission to use theatre as a tool for connection, empowerment, and cross-cultural exchange. In addition to my work at the Arts Council, I facilitated […] - [Clowns Without Borders: Zimbabwe](https://hannahgaff.com/clowns-without-borders-tour-in-zimbabwe/): Clowns Without Borders – ZimbabweSeptember 2022 Traveled with Clowns Without Borders USA to Zimbabwe to bring laughter, play, and connection to communities impacted by displacement. Our team performed and led workshops for environmental refugees in and around Harare, as well as at Tongogara Refugee Camp—home to over 22,600 refugees and asylum-seekers. Performing for audiences as large as 1,800 people, we made use of expansive outdoor spaces, gathering crowds in open fields where laughter rippled across the circle. These performances offered moments of shared joy, resilience, and human connection—reminders that even in the face of hardship, play and presence can build […] - [Cairo International Festival for Experimental Theatre](https://hannahgaff.com/cairo-international-festival-of-experimental-theatre-2022/): Cairo International Festival for Experimental TheatreCairo, Egypt — September 2022 UpLift Physical Theatre was honored to be one of only 14 international companies invited to perform at the Cairo International Festival for Experimental Theatre (CIFET)—a prestigious event celebrating bold, boundary-pushing performance from around the world. We presented Through the Waves, our wordless physical theatre piece that weaves together movement, acrobatics, and visual storytelling to explore themes of resilience, grief, and transformation. The piece was awarded the festival’s Prize for Original Application of Physical Language, a recognition of our unique movement vocabulary and collaborative devising process. Performing in Cairo among such […] - [Clowns Without Borders: Egypt](https://hannahgaff.com/clowns-without-borders-usa-egypt/): Clowns Without Borders: EgyptCairo, Egypt — May 2022 In May 2022, I traveled to Cairo for my fourth tour with Clowns Without Borders USA, this time in partnership with NAHDA Arts School for Social Change. Together, we co-created an original performance that toured to displaced communities across Greater Cairo. Over the course of the tour, our ensemble performed 16 shows for 1,990 people, bringing laughter and lightness to children and families navigating incredibly difficult circumstances. According to the UNHCR, Egypt hosts more than 270,000 registered refugees and asylum-seekers from over 65 countries, including Syria, Sudan, South Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Yemen, […] - [ISADAC Clown Workshop: Morocco](https://hannahgaff.com/isadac-clown-workshop-morocco/): Clown Workshop – Rabat, MoroccoMarch 2022 In collaboration with Joan Howard, I co-led a weeklong clowning workshop at the Institut Supérieur d’Art Dramatique et d’Animation Culturelle (ISADAC) in Rabat, Morocco. Working with students across all levels of the acting program, we explored physical comedy, ensemble play, and the art of red nose clown. The workshop, Discovering Your Clown, focused on authentic connection, vulnerability, and humor through the body. Students developed clown characters and performed short pieces in an informal final sharing for peers and faculty. It was a joyful week of laughter, discovery, and courageous creative risk-taking. - [Fulbright Scholar: Egypt](https://hannahgaff.com/fulbright-scholar-egypt/): Fulbright Scholar to Egypt – 2021–2022Professor of Physical Theatre and Movement | Academy of Arts, CairoProject Title: Devised Theatre as a Tool for Community Transformation In 2021–2022, I was honored to receive a Fulbright Scholar Award to Egypt, where I served as a Professor of Physical Theatre and Movement at the Egyptian Academy of Arts in Cairo. My Fulbright project, Devised Theatre as a Tool for Community Transformation, focused on using ensemble-based creation and physical storytelling to foster collaboration, healing, and social connection through performance. Throughout the year, I taught physical theatre and movement to students at the Academy, devised […] - [ClownCorps Pandemic Games](https://hannahgaff.com/clowncorps-pandemic-games/): ClownCorps – The 2020 Pandemic GamesGlobal & Online – 2020 Hosted by ClownCorps and organized by Joan Howard, the 2020 Pandemic Games invited clowns and social circus artists from around the world to reimagine connection, joy, and collective silliness in the midst of a global lockdown. As co-founder of ClownCorps, I participated as both performer and collaborator in this wildly playful international event. When the 2020 Olympic Games were canceled due to COVID-19, we launched our own absurd, delightful alternative. The Clown Distancing Committee (CDC) commissioned a new kind of global gathering — one that celebrated creativity, uplifted communities, and […] - [ClownCorps Exquisite Clown](https://hannahgaff.com/clowncorps-exquisite-clown/): ClownCorps – Exquisite ClownVirtual & Global – 2020 While sheltering in place during the COVID-19 pandemic, clowns from around the world came together to spark joy and connection in a time of isolation. I coordinated this international project, working with a wide array of artists to co-create Exquisite Clown—a remote performance experiment rooted in play, spontaneity, and the deeply human need for laughter. In this digital ensemble collaboration, clowns responded to each other’s creative prompts in a surreal game of creative exchange, inspired by the “exquisite corpse” method. Each artist contributed a short piece in reaction to the one before […] - [Clown Conservatory](https://hannahgaff.com/clown-conservatory/): Clown Conservatory – Core FacultyCircus Center, San Francisco | 2016–2020 I served as Core Faculty at the Clown Conservatory, the only professional clown training program for adults in the United States. I taught physical comedy, slapstick, partner acrobatics, devising, clown, and directed ensemble performances. Over four years, I had the privilege of mentoring a diverse cohort of emerging clown artists, fostering their artistic growth through rigorous training, collaborative creation, and performance. In 2019, we launched ClownCorps’ first international social clown tour to Bali in collaboration with Circus Center SF. This social clowning experience, led by Joan Howard and me, gave […] - [Clowns Without Borders: Colombia](https://hannahgaff.com/clowns-without-borders-tour-colombia-2019/): Clown Encuentro – Cali, ColombiaJune 2019 I traveled to Cali, Colombia with Clowns Without Borders USA to participate in Clown Encuentro—an international clown conference dedicated to laughter, resilience, and global collaboration. During the conference, I led a multi-day workshop on creating clown performance for the street, focusing on physical comedy, ensemble storytelling, and interactive play. The workshop culminated in a performance for children experiencing housing insecurity—bringing connection, imagination, and joy to the streets of Cali. In partnership with the incredible artists of Cali Clown, we also created a collaborative show and spent four days touring marginalized communities in and around […] - [ClownCorps Tour: Bali](https://hannahgaff.com/clowncorps-tour-bali/): ClownCorps – Bali TourBali, Indonesia – April 2019 In April 2019, I co-led and organized a ClownCorps tour across rural Bali, Indonesia, in partnership with the Bali Children’s Project. We offered free, interactive performances and workshops in acrobatics, clowning, and circus to children and families in underserved communities—bringing joy, connection, and creative exploration to those living far from the island’s tourist hubs. Our tour reached communities in Pemuteran, Singaraja, Karangasem, Ubud, and Munduk. This project was designed as both a service initiative and a hands-on learning experience for a group of emerging social clowns—students who had just completed a year […] - [Circo de Calle and National Circus School of Puerto Rico](https://hannahgaff.com/circo-de-la-calle-de-la-escuela-de-bellas-artes-de-bayamon-and-national-circus-school-of-puerto-rico/): Puerto Rico Youth Circus WorkshopsBayamón, Puerto Rico – 2019 In 2019, I traveled to Puerto Rico to lead a series of workshops in collaboration with Circo de la Calle at the Escuela de Bellas Artes de Bayamón and the National Circus School of Puerto Rico. I worked with young circus artists, offering training in partner acrobatics, physical comedy, clowning, and ensemble-building. These sessions supported the development of trust, creative expression, and collaborative play within the community of youth performers. The workshops celebrated the power of circus arts to cultivate resilience, confidence, and joy—strengthening community through movement, laughter, and connection. - [Clowns Without Borders: Lebanon](https://hannahgaff.com/clowns-without-borders-usa-lebanon-2017-2018/): Clowns Without Borders & Clown Me In – Beirut, LebanonOctober 2017 & October 2018 In partnership with Clowns Without Borders USA and Clown Me In, I traveled to Lebanon in both 2017 and 2018 to support young artists and bring joy to communities impacted by displacement and conflict. Alongside artists from Clown Me In, I co-led clowning workshops for Palestinian, Syrian, and Lebanese youth artists, focusing on ensemble play, physical comedy, and social engagement through performance. Following the training, we devised a new show and toured refugee camps and underserved communities across Lebanon, performing in informal settlements, schools, and public […] - [Enmity of the People: UpLift Physical Theatre](https://hannahgaff.com/artist-in-residence-university-of-dayton/): UpLift Physical Theatre Residency – University of Dayton, Ohio, USAJanuary–February 2017 UpLift Physical Theatre was invited as artists-in-residence at the University of Dayton, where I served as a teacher, performer, and director/deviser. During the residency, we facilitated the creation of an original acrobatic theatre production titled Enmity of the People—an adaptation inspired by Henrik Ibsen’s and Arthur Miller’s Enemy of the People. The piece explored themes of truth-telling, environmental justice, corruption, and community responsibility. Developed in collaboration with undergraduate students, the show combined physical storytelling, acrobatics, and ensemble work to confront urgent social questions through embodied performance. In addition to […] - [Medical Clown Project](https://hannahgaff.com/medical-clown-project-2017-2023/): Medical Clown Project – San Francisco, CA USA2017 – 2023 From 2017 to 2023, I served as a therapeutic hospital clown with the Medical Clown Project, an organization that integrates medical clowning into patient care in hospitals and healthcare facilities throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. As part of a team of professional clowns trained in therapeutic performance, I brought laughter, presence, and human connection to adult and pediatric patients, their families, and medical staff. Working bedside and in common areas, we used improvisation, music, and physical comedy to create moments of relief, dignity, and joy in the midst of […] - [Through the Waves: UpLift Physical Theatre](https://hannahgaff.com/through-the-waves-uplift-physical-theatre/): Through the Waves – UpLift Physical TheatrePerformer, Co-Creator, Deviser – Hannah Gaff, Core Ensemble Member of UpLift Physical Theatre2016-2024 As a core ensemble member of UpLift Physical Theatre, I co-created, devised, and performed in Through the Waves, an award-winning, ensemble-devised physical theatre production. Weaving a poetic vocabulary of acrobatic movement and storytelling, this intimate play tells the tale of one woman, lost between the uncharted waters of her grief and the shores of her joyful memories following the disappearance of her soulmate. Created, directed, and performed by four women in residence at the San Francisco Circus Center in 2016, this […] - [Terra Incognita: UpLift Physical Theatre](https://hannahgaff.com/terra-incognita-with-uplift-physical-theatre/): Terra Incognita – UpLift Physical Theatre2015 | Minnesota Fringe Festival, Oakland, CA, & Blue Lake, CA In 2015, I co-devised and performed in Terra Incognita with UpLift Physical Theatre—an intensely physical and deeply personal journey into the landscapes of the heart. We built this piece from the ground up, blending partner acrobatics, poetic imagery, and raw emotion to explore themes of love, loss, and joy. Together, we scaled mountains of longing, swam through grief, and unearthed unexpected joy. It was a show that asked us—and our audiences—to navigate the unknown spaces within ourselves. We toured Terra Incognita to the Minnesota […] - [Taken Away: UpLift Physical Theatre](https://hannahgaff.com/taken-away/): Taken Away – 2014A production by UpLift Physical TheatreCo-Creator, Co-Founder & Core Ensemble Member In 2014, I co-created Taken Away with UpLift Physical Theatre, a company I co-founded and continue to collaborate with as a core ensemble member. The production was directed and produced by Joe Krienke, and created in collaboration with ensemble artists Jerome Yorke, Nicholette Routhier, Alyssa Hughlett, Moses Norton, and myself. Lighting design by Anthony Arnista and Michael Foster. Following the success of Between the Lines, our ensemble continued its exploration of dramatic acrobatics—a hybrid performance language combining physical theatre, storytelling, and acrobatic partnering. In June 2014, […] - [Max & Antoinette](https://hannahgaff.com/max-antoinette/): Max & AntoinetteSan Francisco, CA & Touring – 2013–2014 Max & Antoinette is a clown duet created by Joan Howard and me in 2013. These two delightfully absurd characters—loud, loving, tender, and ridiculous—inhabit a world built on physical comedy, irreverent play, and heartful connection. Max is an earnest dreamer and meticulous planner; Antoinette is clumsy, full of delight, and eager to be loved. Together, they navigate life’s messiness with a blend of childlike wonder and unapologetic theatrics. During our touring years, we performed a piece about tourist yoga culture in Bali at the Bali Spirit Festival and Green School Bali, […] ## Pages - [Contact](https://hannahgaff.com/contact/) - [Timeline](https://hannahgaff.com/timeline/): 27 June 2025 Workshop with Pluto Kids: Cairo 8 January 2025 Clowning Across Cultures: Indonesia 9 August 2024 Theatre for Climate Justice: Zimbabwe 1 August 2024 Fulbright Specialist: Zimbabwe - [About](https://hannahgaff.com/about/): Hannah Elisabeth Gaff Hannah is an international theatre creator, therapeutic clown, director, actor and teacher. She is a core member of UpLift Physical Theatre and founder of Theatre for Climate Justice, a project that harnesses the force of applied theatre to educate and empower young individuals and families about climate change and garbage pollution. Hannah is a 2022 Fulbright Scholar in Egypt and a Fulbright Specialist in Pakistan (2023) and Zimbabwe (2024). She serves as an Assistant Professor of Theater (Acting Emphasis) at the University of La Verne. Hannah holds a MFA in ensemble-based physical theatre from Dell’Arte International and […] - [Hannah Gaff](https://hannahgaff.com/): Hannah Gaff ## Optional - [Agent (MCP protocol)](websites-agents.hostinger.com/hannahgaff.com/mcp) [comment]: # (Generated by Hostinger Tools Plugin)