My name is Maya Ben David. I live in Jerusalem, Israel and am an actress and medical clown. I am a graduate of Anat Barzilai’s School of Drama and Acting on Camera (2003), “Theatrical Clowning” at the Givatayim Theater (2005), and “Medical Clowning” at the Kibbutzim College of Education (2006).
The greatest source of inspiration for myself as an actress and artist has always been the human body. From 2000 until today, I have explored the field of body movement through contact improvisation and dance. I significantly deepened my knowledge through participating in Ilanit Tadmor’s “Dance and Improvement” school, the kibbutzim seminar “Dance and Teaching”, and the “The Five Rhythms” dance led by Reeve Diamond.
I have participated in various shows, festivals in Israel and abroad, street clown shows, and appeared as a lead actor in a short film called “Critiopia”.
Monet Butterfly, the clown character, was born in 2008 when I began my journey on a unique project for medical clowns in Israel and around the world called “Dream Doctors – Clowns in the Medical Service”. As part of the project, I worked at Meir – Kfar Saba Hospital and Elin Rehabilitation Hospital, Jerusalem. Today I work at Hadassah Mount Scopus Hospital and Shiba Tel Hashomer Hospital. I also participated in two studies on medical clowning in Hadassah Mount Scopus, and am beginning a third
From 2009 – 2015, I acted in a children’s play called “Ruthie Health” from Ms. Leah Bash’s creative studio, in collaboration with the Jerusalem Municipality. The show is intended to promote nutrition and body health awareness in kindergartens in Jerusalem.
In 2009, I started as a medical clown for children and youth at the Ness Ziona Mental Health Hospital and stayed there for 6 years. As part of my work at the Ness Ziona Mental Health Hospital, I was recruited for a special year of work for the “Holocaust Survivor’s Residence,” located in Beer Yaakov. At the same time, I worked for 2 years at “Beit Genstil” in Mevaseret Zion, a home for high-risk girls. While working with these special children and girls, I felt I had a special privilege to both laugh with them and make them laugh in their life-long, difficult and challenging paths.
The world of children and youth has always kept me busy. I have spent years working to advance and improve young lives in every way I can. I have participated in many volunteer settings, including a “mentor” of boarding school children in Ness Ziona, and volunteered at “Elam” in “Night Mobility Tour” to help youth living on the streets integrate into a normative life path, as far as is possible, in the Ramla Lod area.
I also taught preschool and kindergarten children “drama and acting”, “animal drama”, “interactive communication and comics”, and led youth groups in personal responsibility – using the tools of medical clowning.
My vision is that every boy and girl in the world will find their inner connection that gives them the spark and motivation to fulfill their destiny, for which they were born into ths world.
I believe that when each person fulfills his or her destiny, and knows his place in the world, the world will be a much better place to live.