We were delighted to hear that the work of Clowns Without Borders UK, funded at TFN’s 20th anniversary event in 2022, is featured in a new exhibition at Imperial War Museum London.

Clowns Without Borders creates safe, playful spaces for children living through conflict and displacement, using performances and creative workshops to bring laughter, connection and vital emotional support. At our anniversary event, Director Samantha Holdsworth raised funds for Project Wiggle, supporting the emotional wellbeing and resilience of Syrian children in Türkiye through laughter and play.

Childhood in War is a free, interactive exhibition exploring how children have experienced conflict from 1914 to the present day. Through personal stories, objects, immersive displays and hands-on activities, it reveals the effects of war on every aspect of childhood - from home, health and education to play - while celebrating children’s remarkable adaptability and resilience. The exhibition runs at IWM London until 28 February 2027.

TFN member Janet Stevens, who nominated and sponsored Clowns Without Borders at the event, visited the exhibition with Sam:

“The red clown hat and nose have been sharing happiness and laughter with refugees and asylum seekers for more than ten years—usually on Neil’s head, who I believe is a master clown!

“The most moving part for me was seeing the pictures the children had drawn and the words they used to portray their vision for the future. It was lovely to see the word ‘peace’ used so often—sometimes humorously misspelled.”

We are enormously proud to see the work of a TFN charity alumnus recognised in an exhibition that brings the experiences, resilience and hopes of children affected by war so powerfully to life. You can read more about the exhibition following this link.