Holly Stoppit

Previous Clients

Holly's CV is, quite frankly, ridiculous. She started teaching at the age of six, in her family's circus, and has been working solidly ever since. If this page were to include all of Holly's experience, you'd be sat here for weeks. So here are the edited highlights to give you an idea of the range of Holly's experience. 

The following list doesn't include any of Holly's plentiful self-generated work which appears on other pages on this website, including:

  • 17 years of creating, promoting and facilitating adult Workshops.
  • Being Artistic Director of solo improvisation company, Beyond The Ridiculous
  • Co-founding The Online Clown Academy with Robyn Hambrook during the pandemic, to provide spaces for clowns to play and connect across the globe through Zoom workshops and conferences. 
  • One-to-one Creative Consultancies and Supervision.

Specially Commissioned Work

Sharpham Trust

Embodied Voice workshop and Facilitator Training for retreat leaders and coordinators.

University of Bristol

Clowning as a key to creative thinking workshop for the Department of Innovation

Taking Flight Theatre Company

Introduction to Clowning 2-day workshop

Norwich Clown Doctors

Play Day exploring connection through clowning

Apus Productions

2-day clowning immersion for street theatre artists

The Guild of Gwens (working title)

Company development session for new circus-theatre production company

Likely Story Theatre Company

A series of online creative / reflective sessions to support company development

Taking Flight Happiness Symposium

Online workshop for Welsh Theatre Artists: Increasing resilience through play

NHS Somerset

Online workshop for Somerset arts therapists: Increasing resilience through play 

Exeter University

A journey into the archetype of the clown, a practical workshop for a phD research group

NHS Bristol 

Exploring Connection Through Play: workshop for paediatricians in training

Dramatherapy Wales Conference

Key Note Speaker - Dropping into the archetype of the clown: how clowning can help us as creative arts therapists both inside and outside the therapy room.

Play Well Symposium, The Wellcome Institute

Speaker and panel member - How Clowning Can Create Space.

Mental Health in the Performing Arts, Equity South West Conference

Panel member - Mental Health in the rehearsal room / Open Space facilitator

TEDx Bristol

Talk: How Can Clowning Lead Us Into Connection?

Stepping Out Theatre Company

A series of sessions: Exploring The Self Through Playful Inquiry

City of Bristol College, Creative Arts Therapy Course

A practical exploration of Clown-o-therapy

Dramatherapy Southwest Conference

A practical exploration of Clown-o-therapy

Dancevoice facilitator training 

A practical exploration of Clown-o-therapy

The Psychedelic Society

Performance Lecture: Accessing The Psychedelic World Through Clowning

Engage, Theatre Royal, Bath

Introduction to Clowning Weekend for their adult learners

Bristol Museum - Clown in Residence

Created and delivered a programme of workshops and performances for Clowns: the Eggshibition. Read all about it here.

Bath Spa University 

Created a Live Comedy Performance module and delivered it for 2nd year drama degree students for two years running. Responding to demand, I created an additional Advanced Comedy Performance module for 3rd years.  Read all about it here.

Bath Fringe Festival  

Co-designed and delivered New Work Works, a street artists development scheme for Bedlam Fair, Bath’s street theatre festival. Read all about it here.

The Clown and Power Symposium

Speaker / panel member: The Clowns' Vulnerability Is Their Greatest Power

Pontardawe Arts Centre Chrysalis Scheme  

Facilitated artists' development during this residency for Welsh theatre makers. 

Ramshacklicious, Atelier 231  

Facilitated ensemble devising workshops for people with schizophrenia, to feed into the creative process of Ramshacklicious' Grime.  

Ramshacklicious, Winchester Uni, Winchester Hat Fair 

Facilitated a 5-day street theatre ensemble improvisation summer school for Winchester University Street Arts degree students.

Educircation  

Created and facilitated 2 x 5-day workshops for European social circus teachers. The first was in Clown-o-therapy, the second was exploring how to use Nonviolent Communication in teaching circus. 

London Speciality School of Psychiatry Conference

Delivered a seminar on The Importance Of Play In Psychiatry

Network of International Circus Exchange (NICE) Conference

Delivered a seminar -  Exploring Connection Through Play

University of the Highlands

Delivered a seminar on Exploring Group Process Through Play

Nofit State Circus  

Provided performance skills / devising workshops leading up to the creation of a Community Christmas Cabaret.

Eden Court Theatre

Designed and delivered a site-specific games theatre workshop.


Process Facilitator

Holly has held space for theatre artists to playfully explore themes as varied as feminism, depression, grief, eating disorders, political dissent, child psychology, alter egos, sexuality, isolation, co-dependance, corruption and deceit. 

Saskia Solomons Fools Gold (R&D facilitator, fooling teacher)

Beth Calverley Arts Council England DYCP (creative consultant, facilitator for 2-day embodied verbal and vocal impro workshop for poets)

Michelle Savage Arts Council England DYCP (creative consultant, facilitator for 2-day embodied verbal and vocal impro workshop for circus performers)

Hazel Anderson Creative Explorations of Mental Health (process facilitator, online)

Bobak Champion Don't Panik, I'm Muslamic (Clown and audience interaction workshop and one-to-one character development)

Deaf and Fabulous Martha (Clown and audience interaction workshop online as part of their R&D)

Bladder and String Pale Blue Dot (Clown devising workshop as part of their R&D)

Hijinx Theatre Company 'Grumpy Unicorns' (Fire Starter / Interactive Clown Skills for Street Theatre Workshop)

Anna Carr Kindred (R&D)

Robbie Foulston The Play Shaman (R&D)

Hocus Pocus Theatre Company The Fun Clinic (Fire Starter / Site Specific Devising Through Clown Workshop)

Emily Souter Jonson Polyester (R&D Facilitator / Director)

Acrojou Vessel (Fire Starter)

China Blue Fish and Deborah Antoinette Queen Cunt (Dramaturg)

Liz Clarke Cannonballista (Facilitator / Director / Dramaturg for the solo touring version)

Helen Duff Vanity Bites Back (Facilitator / Director), Come With Me (R&D), When The Going Gets Duff (R&D), How Deep Is Your Duff (R&D)

Adam Blake Birth and Death and Here and Now (Fooling teacher, mentor)

Lucy Harrington Wake Up and Deirdrealize (R&D Facilitator)

Edward Rapley The Self Trilogy (Director) - 10 Ways To Die on Stage, The Middle Bit, Who Knows Where 

Modest Geniuses Dying To Please You (R&D)

Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru Y Storm, Pridd and Fat Club (Clown consultant)

Tim Norwood and Charlotte Blackburn Apocalypse of the Mind (Facilitated exploration of mental health in the rehearsal room / mentor)

Jenny Drew Untitled Graphic Novel (process facilitator)

Broken Dream Co The Act (Workshop in physical devising / company mentoring)

Likely Story The Giant Who Had No Heart In His Body, RED (Fire Starter)

Mossy Crow Mossy Crow (Interactive storytelling workshop)

Freckled Mischief Oz (Process Facilitator)

Bianca Bertalot Cinco Coisas (Director)

Tessa Bide The Melody Makers (R&D Facilitator)

The Fabularium The Town Band of Bremen (Clown Consultant)

Eden Court Nobody's Home (Director)

Cirque Idyllic Monster Magic (Director)

Zucco and Co Ne Tombez Pas, Pirates, Le Quest du Noel (Director)

Cinecab-a-go-go Pearl and Dean.... and Irene (Director)

The Invisible Circus Beyond The Cabaret (Director), Carnyville 2 and 4 (Director)


Company / business development

Holly has held space for companies and businesses to explore their dynamics, communication and ethos, through play and reflection.

Likely Story Theatre Company

The Guild of Gwens (working title)

The Invisible Circus 

Pirates of The Carabina 

Performers Without Borders 

Circus To Borders

Circus To Palestine

Triodos

Exeter Business School

Holly Stoppit menu