Fool Meets The World
(5 days)
Formerly known as ‘Site Responsive Fooling,’ this is an advanced Fools training for people who have completed Holly’s 5-day Fooling workshop.
***NEW DATES JUST ADDED - AUGUST 24-28 2026***
What happens when we meet the world through the eyes, ears, nose, mouth and body of the Fool?
What masks are waiting to be discovered?
What stories are waiting to be told?
This course builds on what you have already learned in the 5-day Fools School and is designed to help you explore different ways of playfully collaborating with the physical world. It's crafted to be useful to both performers and those searching for self-discovery.
What’s going to happen in this 5-day workshop?
We’ll get to know each other through play and discussion, creating bonds of trust and safety to hold us as we dive deeper into the Fools work together.
We’ll revisit the basics of Fooling, inviting our bodies, voices, hearts and imaginations to gently unfurl.
We’ll explore through our senses, both indoors and outdoors, meeting the world in fresh new ways.
We’ll take what we find into our bodies, finding masks inspired by objects, architecture, plants and animals.
We’ll explore the building blocks of storytelling, and play with telling both fictional and autobiographical stories, inspired by the objects, architecture, and natural beings that we encounter.
We’ll explore non-verbal Fooling, allowing the body to connect with the physical space and express it's stories without words.
This is a workshop for 8-10 Fools.
Holly will have an assistant.
There will be a mix of solo, pairs and group activities, guided meditations, check ins, physical and vocal warm ups, personal reflections, plenty of “stage” time and structured feedback.
We'll use the whole building as inspiration for our play and some days we'll take creative expeditions to the Clifton Downs, a big green space just round the corner from the training space.
THIS WORKSHOP AIMS TO SUPPORT YOU TO:
Spend more time with the voices in your head.
Connect more deeply with the Fools community.
Discover ways of gaining personal insight through creative interactions with objects, architecture, plants, animals and people.
- Continue to explore how to bring your authentic feelings into your performance / interactions with fellow humans.
Continue to develop your knowledge and skills in solo improvised performance - bringing your surroundings more into your awareness will give you a whole new palette of inspiration to incorporate into your fooling!
Generate raw material to use as the basis for creating devised theatre or as inspiration for another artform.
ABOUT THIS COURSE
This course was first unleashed in 2022 under the title 'Site Responsive Fooling', as the world was opening up, post-pandemic. It was designed as an opportunity for Fools to gather again, meeting each other and the world with fresh eyes and open hearts. It was the last course Holly ran before she took a year out to live at a meditation retreat centre. You can see pics of that workshop here or read poems from poet in residence, Bee Golding here.
Over these last four years, Holly has deepened into her meditation practice, trained in IFS and Somatic IFS and spent a lot of time doing site-responsive Fooling, in various co-created labs. You can get a taste of what that looks like here.
Holly is delighted to discover how all this experience will weave into her ‘Fool Meets The World’ 5-day training.
THE NITTY GRITTY
Dates: 24-28 August 2026
Venue: Clifton, Bristol (more details on booking)
Times: 10-6 each day (final day finishes at 6.30)
Cost: £650 (standard) / £600 (low income) / £550 (supported)
Application form: Here or below
Application deadline: Tuesday 2nd June
How previous participants described this course:
“Fooling from the place you're in - that includes 'the state you're in' emotionally / psychologically and where you are geographically / location-wise. Maybe it's 'Fooling From Where You're At.'”
“A collective journey into the uniqueness of who we are. Seeing and being seen, met and held, all of it so exquisitely enough. In the enoughness, an unravelling and softening into pure presence and interconnection with all Life, within which we play.”
“Somewhere between performance, play and a safe therapeutic space.”
ABOUT FOOLING
Fooling is a form of solo improvisation where the performer embodies their inner voices live on stage. Fooling has formed the foundation for most of Holly’s performing / directing work since she began her training with master Fool, Franki Anderson, over 20 years ago.
Over the years, Holly has woven in many strands of her professional training and experience, including meditation, dramatherapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), dance-movement, playful voice work, compassionate communication skills training, creative writing, clown and sacred clown, to develop her own version of the form.
Holly is artistic director of a public performance company of fools called Beyond The Ridiculous.
ABOUT YOU
This course is open to anyone who has completed Holly’s 5-day Fooling course.
If you haven't already completed Holly's 5-day Fooling course - more info here.
ACCESS
Holly is a trained and registered dramatherapist and delights in holding space for people with mild to moderate mental health issues. She is highly experienced in working with neurodivergent and LGBTQI+ people. She will create a brave space where you can bring yourself and your needs.
This course is not appropriate for anyone who is currently experiencing psychosis.
Holly welcomes people with disabilities. There are three steps to go up to access the main training space. The venue has 3 toilets - one is accessible, at the same level as the training space, with a sink inside the cubicle. The venue has stairs leading between the training space and the kitchen, which will unfortunately make it not possible for wheelchair users to access the kitchen. We will find a way to make it possible for wheelchair users / people with limited mobility to attend this course.
Please let us know about any access requirements on the application form.
COVID CARE
>There are still people who are vulnerable to covid and Holly wants everyone to feel as safe as possible in the space.
>We can't guarantee a Covid-free environment, but we can do our best to minimise the risks for people with compromised immunity and/or those who are connected with immune-compromised people.
>If you have any covid-like symptoms, please take a lat-flow test and please don't come if you have tested positive.
>All exercises can work with social distancing, if that is what you need. Please make sure that physical proximity is consensual.
>You are welcome to wear a mask if that makes you feel safer. Holly will not be asking people to wear masks.
>We will be working with windows open for ventilation, so please bring extra warm layers.
>We will have an open discussion and make a group agreement on the first day to make sure everyone feels safe and comfortable enough.
CANCELLATION POLICY
We are a totally unfunded organisation, the only income we make is through these workshops. We try to keep our prices as affordable as possible and we really don't want to raise them for everyone to cover people who have to cancel at the last minute. We try to do everything in our power to find a replacement, but sometimes it's just not possible. Thanks in advance for your understanding on this.
> If you need to cancel your place before the course begins, full refunds can only be given up until one month before the course starts.
> Should you need to cancel your place after this date, 50% of your payment will be retained, unless your place can be suitably filled (we will try our best to find a replacement, but the closer it is to the workshop, the less likely we'll be able to find someone to take your place).
> For drop-outs within one week of the start of the course, your full fee will be retained.
>Your place is not transferable to another workshop.
> If Holly needs to cancel this course for any reason, you will be offered alternative dates. If you are unable to attend the rescheduled dates, then we will offer a refund.
“Fooling from the place you're in - that includes 'the state you're in' emotionally / psychologically and where you are geographically / location-wise. Maybe it's 'Fooling From Where You're At.'”
“A collective journey into the uniqueness of who we are. Seeing and being seen, met and held, all of it so exquisitely enough. In the enoughness, an unravelling and softening into pure presence and interconnection with all Life, within which we play.”
“Somewhere between performance, play and a safe therapeutic space.”
