Laughter could well be the best medicine, and a group of clowns are doing their bit to prove this as they cheer up sick children in hospitals around the country.
Not-for-profit organisation Clown Doctors New Zealand currently have clowns in Christchurch Hospital and Starship Children's Hospital in Auckland, and now the call has gone out for performers in Wellington to join the fun.
The clown doctors visited and entertained children in hospital to provide an emotional boost to the young patients, their families and hospital staff, chief executive Thomas Petschner said.
Auditions for clown doctors to work at Wellington Hospital would be held on April 1 at Museum Art Hotel.
The organisation was looking for people with musical ability, dance, performing arts, improvisational theatre, puppetry, maturity and life experience.
The selected clown doctors would go on to complete medical clown training provided by trainers accredited by the International Institute for Medical Clowning before they officially begun working at Wellington Hospital in June 2012.
The Clown Doctors New Zealand organisation was established in 2009 by Mr Petschner - a German health scientist living in Christchurch.