Jean-Paul Bell

Interactive Performances

Described as 'the face that could launch a thousand laughs', Jean Paul Bell brings laughter and entertainment to audiences while delivering powerful and informative presentations.

One of Australia's great 'Humour-manitarians' Jean Paul Bell believes that humour helps put life into perspective. It helps us understand the orthodox, tolerate the unpleasant, overcome the unexpected and survive the unbearable.

Since creating and co-founding the Humour Foundation and their Clown Doctor Program in 1996, Jean-Paul has been showing the world that laughter is the best medicine. In 2010 he wrote Laughter is the Best Medicine which chronicles the experiences of a number of Clown Doctors as they do their rounds in children's hospitals around Australia.

Jean-Paul Bell is a great choice to open a conference or seminar or to take on the risky challenge of after dinner speaker.

As one of five children, Jean-Paul moved more than 118 times, confronting change and upheaval on a regular basis. This early life experience caused Jean-Paul to develop resilience and flexibility and to thrive on change and its possibilities. His insight in how the human species adapts to change and flourish is very valuable listening.

In the award-winning ABC documentary Honeymoon in Kabul, Jean-Paul takes his physical comedy to war-torn countries like Afghanistan and East Timor. He proves that the more stressed or threatened people are the greater the potential for laughter: "Humour can have an effect similar to an 'out of body experience', where you look down from the position you are in and embrace the absurd and the ridiculous. Comedy in these situations is more like an extreme sport!"

Jean-Paul Bell's great passions are health and education. For twelve months he was involved in a unique project, The Smile Study, a federally funded randomised trial with the Dementia Collaborative Research Centre at UNSW, visiting 18 aged care homes delivering fun and laughter to elderly people suffering with dementia. "I am a great believer in the collaboration of the Arts and Sciences in developing ways of communicating with elderly people suffering from dementia. As we age, more and more funding will be needed to cope with the swelling numbers of Baby Boomers entering this difficult part of their lives," says Jean Paul.

Jean-Paul has also spent 35 years working in theatre and education, performing for over half a million children. He teaches mime, movement and clowning to both teachers and children. He believes the performing arts are a great influence in child development making them more confident, articulate and creative as they progress on to their working lives.

Having trained as a mime in the early 70's he graduated into comedy and has had a long career in stage, film and television.

Jean Paul Bell speaks about:

• Leading from the heart and not the bottom line - for the health care sector
• Improving the lives of patients, residents and staff in the day-to-day care of people in institutions
• The importance of the people and not the environment that makes a good community
• Promoting his theory of Emotional Share Holding
• Encouraging staff and management become partners in promoting the values of their workplace environment in order to create a harmonious life style for all
• The importance of 'Nurturing the Nurturers'
• The necessity of change and resilience for the corporate sector