Spring workshops and events 2020
Nov 13 2019
Spring is here! I've seen snowdrops, primroses, crocuses and even a daffodil with my own eyes! It's true!
As the buds on the trees begin to open, what better way to start your year than with a hefty dose of play, laughter, connection and learning?
Here are the headlines (including new coronavirus-related schedule amendments):
<<BONG>> ***SOLD OUT*** A brand new series of 10 Fools Play sessions for people who have done our 5-day Fools Course
<<BONG>> CANCELLED - April Introduction To Clowning Weekend in Bristol.
<<BONG>> CANCELLED Easter 5-day Deepening Clown course.
<<BONG>> CANCELLED Nonviolent Clowning Weekend for people who have completed a foundation in NVC
<<BONG>> Applications are currently open for Introduction To Clowning Weekends in June in Bristol.
<<BONG>> Holly's company of fools, Beyond The Ridiculous ride again, at The Wardrobe Theatre in May
INTRODUCTION TO CLOWNING IN BRISTOL
"Transformational, fun, playful. To be honest, I have found it very difficult to put it in words, it feels fuzzy (good fuzzy), like a blend of clowning vs therapeutic exploration."
"Intense, joyful, about connecting with your true self and throwing off the "should"s in this world."
"A gentle journey into clowning done in a measured, embodied and positively held way. For people of all levels and experience."
Remaining dates for spring
- Saturday 13th & Sunday 14th June*
- Closing date: Monday 20th April
- More info on the FB event page here.
- Saturday 27th & Sunday 28th June
- Closing date: Friday 15th May
- More info on the FB event page here.
*This course replaces the Introduction to Clowning weekend we had scheduled for Birmingham. We had troubles finding a suitable space for the dates we needed. We'll try again in the autumn / winter.
All Introduction to Clown courses:
★ Saturday 10am-6pm, Sunday 10am-6.30pm
★ 12 people max
★ Venue: BRISTOL: St Werburghs Primary School.
★ Cost: £150 / £120 / £90 (standard / low income / no income)
More info and application forms here.
Introduction to Clowning is the gateway into the teaching methods and world of Holly Stoppit.
Beyond The Ridiculous performance dates at The Wardrobe Theatre
The fools are back in town, with a three night improvised celebration of the human condition!
May 28th-30th
7.30pm
£12 / £10 concessions
“Both incredibly funny and incredibly moving.”
The Huffington Post
For more info and tickets here
Fools Play sessions - New for 2020!
Holly Stoppit and the fools of Beyond The Ridiculous are delighted to offer a 10-week Fools Play space for anyone who has completed our 5-day Fools School.
For 2 ½ hours every Tuesday evening, fools will gather to be, play, dance, sing and explore our many masks. Read about this series of nourishing play sessions here
- Course dates: 3rd March - 5th May 2020
- Time: 7-9.30
- Radnor Rooms, central Bristol
- Cost: £180 / £150 / £120 (Standard / low / no income) plus 2 x £80 bursary places
- This course is booking on a first come / first served basis
- SOLD OUT
- more info and application here
5-DAY FOOLS SCHOOL
“Whenever people ask me how it was, the same thing happens: 'Boof' I say, while flinging my hands away from my head and body.”
"A central line into your creative and emotional brain. A structure for improvisation that allows the player to share their inner thoughts and feelings with the audience in a safe and playful way while maintaining the truth, authenticity, depth of feeling. This form is incredibly freeing and allows the audience to experience what is unique to the performer. So simple and so powerful and so funny."
"Ever felt confused by the chaos in your own head? This workshop will have you walking away with a very good idea of the various voices who inhabit your brain. Through embodying such voices, I am now much more able to identify who is speaking and reply to the naughty ones individually before they take you over unhealthily. This is an incredible tool for creative and mental health development. It should be on the school curriculum frankly. But so should most of what Holly does!"
This 5-day course equips participants with the tools to walk onto an empty stage with no script, no plan and no ideas and discover and play with whatever is ready to be seen.
Please note: you need to have completed Holly’s Introduction To Clown Weekend to attend this course.
- ★ Monday 17 - Friday 21 February 2020
- ★ Applications now closed
- ★ Times: Monday-Thursday 10am-6pm, Friday 10am-6.30pm
- ★ Numbers: 8 people max
- ★ Venue: Central Bristol
- ★ Cost: £350 / £325 / £300: standard / low income / no income
- ★ More info about the course here
- ★ Facebook event here
- ★ Application forms can be found on the facebook page or on the website
Nonviolent Clowning Weekend
Holly Stoppit is delighted to be collaborating with Seed of Peace to offer this one-off intermediate training for anyone who has completed the Seed of Peace NVC Level One Training or equivalent. No clowning experience is necessary.
Practice self-empathy, empathy for others and self-expression through cerebral investigation and body-based learning as we dance between NVC and clowning.
***THIS COURSE HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED TO OCTOBER 2020***
More info and booking here.
5-DAY DEEPENING CLOWN
***THIS COURSE HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO CORONAVIRUS. WE WILL TRY TO RESCHEDULED FOR LATER IN THE YEAR***
This 5-day course builds on Holly’s Introduction to Clowning Weekend, offering participants opportunities to drop deeper into the state of clown, exploring ever riskier realms of interactive clown improvisation.
“Fun, silly, cathartic, deep, real, therapeutic, adventure, liberating”
"The week long immersion allows each person to dive deeply into the spirit of play. It is here, in learning to play again, where we discover our true, open-hearted selves. This is the clown."
"A week of adventure, connection and lots and lots of play. The birthing of clowns feels like a good way to sum it up. I feel like I came in with a tiny seed of an idea about what clowning is and left with a baby clown and a toolkit filled with bits and bobs and self care to come back to when needed."