In the often overwhelming world of pediatric hospitals, Alegría Intensiva is an incredible source of joy, light, and healing for children struggling with illness and medical care. Operating for the last 15 years, this Argentina-based nonprofit reached a major milestone in 2023, bringing smiles and laughter to one million children, adolescents, their families, and medical and non-medical staff through professional hospital clown programs.
Operating in some of the country’s most well-known pediatric institutions — including Garrahan, Elizalde, and Gutiérrez hospitals — Alegría Intensiva’s team of 22 professionally trained artists brought cheer into hospital rooms during more than 7,000 hours of programming. The organization works with professional actors specializing in clown art. These professional clowns are also musicians and performers, creating dynamic, child-friendly shows that combine play and performance. More than entertainment, each visit brings a renewed sense of comfort and connection to pediatric wards and waiting rooms.
“Art is a powerful transformative agent. It opens the door to play — and play is therapeutic for children.”
– Team Member, Alegría Intensiva
New Firsts and Big Celebrations
In 2023, Alegría Intensiva didn’t just expand geographically — it also broke new ground with programming in surgical areas for the first time, walking with children all the way from the hospital room to the operating room. This innovative partnership with Hospital Elizalde marked a significant step in using clowning to ease anxiety of surgery and recovery.
The past two years also included:
- A 15-year anniversary celebration with former patients like Ludmila, whom the team met over a decade ago.
- Collaboration with artists from “Messi 10 Cirque” and continued assistance from global DJ Hernán Cattaneo.
- Building bridges internationally with partner organizations in Spain and Israel.
- Meaningful collaborations with the Argentine Society of Pediatrics, Carolina Herrera’s 212 Run, and Argentina’s leading business event, Experiencia IDEA.
Alegría Intensiva also runs a Training Center, founded in 2016, that offers in-person and online courses for aspiring hospital clowns. Under the artistic direction of Irene Sexer and Silvina Sznajder, the school teaches students about clowning techniques and performance skills tailored to hospital settings, helping each discover their unique voice and role within this specialized art form. It offers learning options at a variety of training levels, teaching over five new groups of aspiring hospital-based entertainers in 2023 alone.
Expanding the Magic through Partnership with CAF America
With support from CAF America totaling over $63,000 across six grants, Alegría Intensiva successfully implemented professional hospital clown programs at two major pediatric centers in Buenos Aires province in 2023: Hospital Houssay de Vicente López and Hospital Nacional Posadas. Interactive performances reached waiting rooms, ICUs, and specialty care units, lightening the emotional burden for thousands of children and families.
Across both hospitals, over 5,000 children directly benefited from consistent, hands-on interaction with the hospital clown teams. Through clown performances and human connection, the programs achieved several meaningful outcomes:
- Fostered positive, child-centered hospital environments.
- Lowered anxiety and improved morale for patients and families.
- Supported empathetic care through staff-patient-clown collaboration.
- Encouraged a more human approach to pediatric care.
Alegría Intensiva’s work underscores the professionalism and emotional intelligence required for hospital clowning. Helping children and families through some of life’s hardest moments demands not just creativity, but compassion and care. These results continue to fuel their mission to expand access to the healing power of the arts in healthcare settings.
Looking Ahead: More Hospitals, More Smiles, and and Building a Hub for Research
If there’s one message Alegría Intensiva hopes to share, it’s this: there are many hospitals still waiting for compassionate play, and their mission is far from over.
Alegría Intensiva has its sights set on the future with plans to bring their hospital clown programs to even more medical centers across Argentina. In addition, they aim to establish The Center for Intensive Joy Studies — a groundbreaking multidisciplinary space dedicated to research, evaluation, and knowledge-sharing around the impact of professional hospital clowns and other artistic interventions in healthcare settings.
This center will bring together a diverse community of experts, including doctors, nurses, psychologists, anthropologists, sociologists, social workers, and artists, to explore and elevate the role of art in recovery. As scientific interest in this field continues to grow globally, Alegría Intensiva sees it as both a responsibility and an opportunity to foster dialogue, collaboration, and research.
Every visit, every shared laugh, and every moment of connection has the power to shift a child’s experience of illness, turning fear into comfort, isolation into play, and stress into strength.
Keep Exploring
Discover more Celebration of International Philanthropy stories and see how we’re honoring extraordinary impact.
Learn more about the 2025 International Grantmaking Symposium (IGS).
Browse inspiring stories of how our donors are making a difference in communities around the world.
Learn more about how Alegría Intensiva is driving change in their community.
