Fooling + Somatic IFS

Holly Stoppit is delighted to present a new 5-day workshop for 2026, exploring the parts / masks that live in the body, through Fooling and Somatic Internal Family Systems.

Dates: 16-20 February 2026

Times: 10-6 all days

Venue: Clifton, Bristol

For: People who have completed Holly’s 5-day Fools School

Application deadline: 5th January 2026

What is Fooling?

You already know this, because you’ve completed Holly’s 5-day Fools School, but to remind you / for other curious people reading this, Fooling is a solo improvisation practice where the player steps onto stage with no script, plan or map. The Fool connects with the audience and weaves a bespoke piece of performance out of their own body sensations, emotions, thoughts, memories and fantasies. The Fool might dance, sing, chat, embody their inner voices or just lie on the floor and breathe. Sometimes there is laughter, sometimes there are tears, most often there are both. At the same time.

What is Somatic Internal Family Systems?

Somatic Internal Family Systems is a branch of Internal Family Systems (IFS), developed by Susan McConnell who worked closely with IFS founder, Richard Swartz for many years. Somatic IFS builds on the foundations of IFS: i.e. we are all made up of many inner parts and getting to know / building a relationship with these parts can create huge shifts in our inner and outer worlds. 

Somatic IFS pays particular interest to how this all plays out in the body, understanding the body to be both a location for insight and the place where healing happens.

How do these two practices fit together?

Somatic IFS uses the tools of somatic awareness, conscious breathing, radical resonance, mindful movement and attuned touch, to help access and heal parts in the body.

Holly’s Fooling training brings together somatic / insight meditation, mindful movement, playful voice work, embodiment, humour, performance, creative reflection, the power of community, compassionate witnessing and ritual. 

Holly completed her Somatic IFS (SIFS) Step One with Susan McConnell  in April 2025 and will have completed her SIFS Step 2 training in January 2026. Holly has already been exploring how SIFS meets Fooling in her own body and with collaborators, in various performance labs (Glitter Heart, The Fools in the Forest Retreat and The Clown / Fool / IFS lab). She is now keen to open up this exploration to a group of intrepid Fools.

Some questions to inspire our explorations 

>How might getting to know our parts through our bodies impact our Fooling?

>Could understanding how to access parts through the body bring a greater range of masks for us to play on the Fools stage? 

>Could taking time to understand more about our individual parts off stage, help us discover more fleshed-out characters to play with on stage? 

>Could the Fools stage become a space of ritual and healing for the parts that need to be witnessed? What might that look like?

During the 5 days, Holly will offer:

• Guided meditations

• Movement explorations

• Little nuggets of IFS and SIFS theory to support your explorations 

• Simultaneous solo explorations of the parts that live in the body (everybody working in their own spaces at the same time)

• Pairs / small group exercises - supporting each other to dive deeper into parts and discovering their wisdom

• Creative reflection - using artwork, writing, structured discussion

• Some solo stage time - but maybe not every day - there may be one or two days where we dive deep into an exploratory process that doesn’t involve any solo stage performance.

Who is this training for?

This training is for a small group of 8-10 people who have completed Holly’s 5-day Fools School. There is an application process to make sure we’ve got a good mix of age / gender / experience in the room. 

This training is designed as an experiential personal exploration of creative and embodied ways of working with parts. It will be of benefit for performers and creatives, as well as therapists, counsellors, facilitators and people who work with people.

For performers and creatives, there will be a rich pallet of techniques to access and unlock creativity. For therapists, counsellors, facilitators and people who hold space for other people, the focus of this week will be on your own and the group process, rather than explicitly learning skills to use with other people. You may, of course, take inspiration from this week into your professional practice, but just to be clear - this is not an official IFS or SIFS training and you will not gain any training credits or be able to call yourself ‘IFS- or SIFS- trained’ on completion of this training. 

Course details

Dates: 16-20 February 2026

Times: 10-6 all days

Venue: Clifton, Bristol

For: People who have completed Holly’s 5-day Fools School

Cost: £675 (standard) / £625 (lower earning)  / £575 (on benefits / in full-time education)

Application deadline: 5th January 2026

Application process: There is an application process to make sure you're a good fit for the course. After the application deadline, Holly will select a balanced group based on age, gender, experience and reasons for joining the course. In our experience these courses benefit hugely from having a good mix people in the room.  

Application form: here or below

I am also looking for an assistant for this course. This is a paid role. You need to have worked with me before and you need to be trauma-trained. If this is you - email me on info@hollystoppit.com

About Holly Stoppit

Holly Stoppit is a dramatherapist (MA), facilitator, educator, IFS therapist (Levels 1 +  2 + currently studying Somatic IFS), supervisor and creative consultant who has been designing group workshops for adults since 2007. 

Holly explores the meeting point of Fooling (solo improvisation where you embody the voices in your head) and IFS, through workshops, performances and writing. More about Holly 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. Holly creates a brave space where you can bring yourself and your needs.

The venue has 3 toilets - one is accessible at ground level, with a sink inside the cubicle. The venue has stairs leading between the rehearsal space and the kitchen, which will unfortunately make it not possible for wheelchair users to move between the spaces, but there will be an assistant and we will find a way to adapt.

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

> 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.

> For drop-outs within 72 hours (3 days) of the start of the course, your full fee will be retained.

> 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.

Photo credit: Vonalina Cake Photography / taken as part of the Glitter Heart lab in August 2025