Meet The Team

is an award-winning clown teacher and performer. Helen worked as a professional Therapeutic Clown since 2004. Her career in this field included positions with SickKids, Dr. Clown Toronto, Long Term Care facilities across the GTA serving elders with dementia, and 12 years at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital as 'Dr Flap'.

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Her career outside healthcare included touring with Circus Orange and Cirque du Soleil as a clown. She presented and offered training at healthcare conferences both nationally and internationally from 2007 - 2021.

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In January 2022, Helen died due to cancer. She left Red Nose Remedy as part of her legacy. Helen was passionate about creating new opportunities for clown artists and nurturing existing Therapeutic Clowning practices to help clown artists attain best practice standards for themselves and their programs. She was thrilled to have created and led North America’s first Certificate Program for Therapeutic Clowning. She was ever grateful to George Brown College (Continuing Education), and to the Veterans Centre at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and to Safehaven for hosting the student placements at their respective sites.

is an award-winning performer, writer and educator based in Port Credit, Mississauga. The desire to bring a sense of wonder and joy to the everyday is central to his practice. As a performer, he employs techniques from theatrical clown, collective creation, dance, puppetry and community arts. As a writer, Andrew has explored a variety of mediums, including playscript, poetry, and most recently a video game. Andrew is a company member with site-specific dance-theatre company Frog In Hand. He was one of four co-Artistic Directors of hub14 art + performance works from 2013-19, where he and the team supported local and international artists with residencies, affordable studio space and ongoing programming. 

In 2019 Andrew graduated from North America’s first Therapeutic Clowning Certificate program led by award-winning clown Helen Donnelly at George Brown College.  In 2020, he joined Kathleen Le Roux‘s team of therapeutic clowns primarily serving elders in Long-Term Care and those living with dementia. During the pandemic, Andrew worked with MABELLEarts and Derek Kwan to bring a practice of social clowning to their community.

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Contact him: andrew@rednoseremedy.ca​​​

is a Toronto based actor, creator, clown, producer, and festival director. She completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts at Concordia University, specializing in Theatre Performance and has built a career in the arts ever since.  She has over 20 years of experience, working at more than 50 festivals, in numerous roles and departments, as well as working in many other areas of arts administration and production.

Mackenzie graduated from North America’s first Therapeutic Clown Certificate Program at George Brown College in 2019 and is passionate about both the practice, and increasing access to it. She is excited to build on both through her work with Red Nose Remedy.

Contact her: programs@rednoseremedy.ca​​​​​​​

is a theatre performer and passionate Therapeutic Clown advocate. He has worked as a professional Therapeutic Clown in Taiwan and in Canada, serving pediatrics and elders. Derek is an award-winning performer and he has appeared internationally in shows that run the gamut from opera to theatre to mask and puppetry. As an arts administrator, he has worked with a number of theatre companies to support grant writing, producing, marketing and development, as well as general administration. He completed a Metcalf Foundation Internship in producing and administration with Cahoots Theatre Company. Derek also has an interest in making clown training more accessible to include more people, and in maintaining professional best practices for Therapeutic Clown. ​​​​​

Jackie is a psychotherapist in private practice who works with adults, children and families; she also provides clinical supervision and team management with the George Hull Centre for Children and Families. She brings a broad range of experience to her practice and works from a psychodynamic and trauma-informed lens. Jackie strives for genuine, empathy-fueled relationships and brings playfulness, humour, and curiosity into her practice, the better to explore patterns, challenges, and opportunities without judgment. She is honoured to be facilitator of reflective practice with Red Nose Remedy.

is a psychotherapist in the public sector who works with children, youth and families. Rebecca has a broad range of clinical experience and sees empathy, curiosity and play as integral components of any therapeutic process. Rebecca first became acquainted with the world of therapeutic clown through her late husband, Jamie Burnett, who started the Therapeutic Clown program at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital. Jamie’s passion and dedication to the integrity of the work was infectious. Through his lengthy illness, Rebecca also experienced the many benefits of therapeutic clown as a family member, sharing in the experience with Jamie. She is thrilled and honoured to sit on the board of Red Nose Remedy to honour Jamie’s memory and legacy, as well as support and  champion such important work in our communities.

thrives on the idea that creativity can help improve health care experiences. With twenty plus years of experience in marketing, advertising, publishing and health care, each industry taught her how branding can bring positive connections. Her current role at Mackenzie Health and Foundation has seen her contribute to campaigns raising millions of dollars for a brand-new hospital as well as evolve brand strategies for uniting the network of care for the community.

is a retired CPA (CMA), whose most recent role was as the Corporate
Controller at UGE International Ltd., a solar energy company, from which she retired in August 2024. She has over 30 years experience at organizations of various sizes, primarily in the banking,
telecommunications and IT sectors. Although Jacqueline has no background in healthcare or the arts, she believes passionately in the value of the work that Red Nose Remedy is doing, and is honoured to bring her background and perspective to the team.

With a sharp focus on corporate governance, Melissa joins the Red Nose Remedy board after years of navigating the complexities of corporate law. Melissa's expertise ensures Red Nose Remedy adheres to the highest legal and governance standards, while her strategic thinking helps lay a solid groundwork for the organization's future. A strong believer in Red Nose Remedy's mission, Melissa brings her legal prowess and passion to the table, ready to contribute to the organization's ongoing success.

Jason Chen has lived in Toronto his entire life and is married with two children.  Jason's career has been focused in the banking sector for over 20 years and he is currently a Managing Director at TD Securities.   Jason holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the Schulich School of Business, is a Chartered Accountant and has his MBA from Ivey Business School in Toronto.  He is a passionate supporter of visible minorities and women in leadership.  Jason enjoys video games, basketball and power tools.  

Shannon Giannitsopoulou is a social justice practitioner with over 15 years of experience leading inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA), reconciliation, anti-racism, and 2SLGBTQIA inclusion initiatives. Shannon holds a PMP and a Masters in Social Justice Education. Shannon is currently completing a Doctorate of Education.

Julia is an award-winning researcher, facilitator and writer.  She has published across platforms, including everything from academic journals, newsletters, websites, as well as screen and stage plays.  She believes in the importance of understanding how cultural values shape the ways we act and interact, as well as the importance of story for connecting to social experience and understanding difference, which is necessary for making the world better.  She holds a PhD from University of Toronto, and has taught at University of Toronto, York University, University of Guelph as well as Sheridan College. She is incredibly excited to be on the board of Red Nose Remedy to support its amazing work.