Minutes from the Laughter Olympics - Manchester
June 2012–07–22 by Betty Abugheida
The Ha Ha project culminated in a week long laughter olympics held
in
Manchester, England.
A senior participant from France, who had attended the mobilities
in
Germany, England and France attended and represented France during the
two day olympics event.
The days prior to the olympics
consisted of workshops held in a
variety of
community spaces
including schools.
The build up to the actual laughter run off included speakers on the
importance of
laughter, films on laughter by noted experts, reports
from various
trained laughter specialists from various regions of
England, etc.
Approximately 40 people attended this event, mainly from
England but with representatives from Paris and
Frankfurt.
During the actual laughter contest, contestents
were asked to draw
directive cards
indicating the type of laughter they
were to portray.
A German psychologist acted as judge and the French representative
served as the
laughter police person who indicated when to start and
stop
laughing.
Approximately one hundred people from the broader community plus the
regular particapants were
present and actively participated.
A rather large contingent of mentally and physically impaired persons
were present
and participated with great enthusiasm.
Those who were
able went on
stage and those in wheel chairs cheered them on. They
certainly
benefited by augmenting their self confidence and social
competence. Several of these participants won prizes and
the
psychologist gave the
cheerleaders in wheelchairs ribbons and medals.
The effect of this was heart warming.
The French delegate spent time with two English delegates over lunch
and
breakfast in their homes and profiting from a guest room in a
senior facility
where one of them lives which was a beneficial
experience because
the French delegate is trying to establish a
bilingual senior
residence in Paris and this gave her a chance to
directly witness
how a facility of this type operates in Manchester.