Making Space For Play

Dec 11 2019

I'm sitting in Paddington station, beaming the happy glow of a play-geek who's spent a full day of contemplating the nature of play with a gang of fired-up play enthusiasts. 

I was invited up to London by the Wellcome Collection, to speak at their 'Perspectives On Play' symposium...

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Guest Blog 'What I learned from Fools Retreat'

Nov 27 2019

Introducing Guest Blogger Neil Morbey who attended our recent Fools Retreat in Dorset. Neil is a meditation teacher and 1-to1 coach. Over to you Neil...

“I am a beautiful fool, just like everyone else.” 

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Why use positive feedback?

Oct 22 2019

Last week, a recent Intro To Clown student sent me a questionnaire. She's doing a research project about the use of positive feedback in creative learning environments. I happened to have a very long train journey - all the way from Glasgow to Bristol, would you believe? I thought – what better way to pass the time than to joyfully grapple with the subject of positive feedback. I'd like to share some of what I wrote with you, dear reader. I hope it's useful.

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Summer School - The Ingredients

May 26 2019

Watch a video of Holly and Dominique talking about the ingredients of the 4 weeks of Summer School.

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Summer School - The Vision

May 26 2019

Watch a video of Holly and Dominique talking about their vision for Summer School 2019!

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Holly and Dominique chat about Summer School

Apr 24 2019

Holly Stoppit and Dominique Fester sit in the dappled sunlight in Dominique's garden, chatting about their upcoming summer schools, what they're excited about and what you might get out of it if you sign up.

H: Hey Dominique Fester, we're running some summer schools, this summer!

D: We are, Holly Stoppit!

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Assembling Your Inner Cast Video

Sep 07 2018

Meet some of the characters that appeared during Assembling Your Inner Cast in August 2018.

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fools explore the human condition

Aug 21 2018

This is the only picture I have of the last two weeks at Fools School. Strawberries and Borage, from the final banquet of the second of two week-long fooling courses I've just run back to back in Bristol. One of the fools pointed out that strawberries are the only fruit to carry their seeds on the outside. Another fool told us that borage traditionally represents courage. I think this beautifully describes what's been happening at fools school for the... Read more >

Differences Between Clowning and Fooling

Apr 11 2018

There's still time to apply for our August 2019 Summer Schools! Here's a bit more info to help you choose the right Summer School for you. 

What’s going to happen to me if I sign up for Summer School?

If you sign up for Summer School, you'll get 5 days in a well-held space, with a bunch of very interesting people, playing, reflecting and developing skills in ... Read more >

What actually happens in a fooling workshop?

Aug 03 2017

People often ask me this question and it’s a bit hard to answer in a sentence, so I gave myself the task of writing about it, in no more than 5 points. Here's some of the things that happen at my 5 day Fools School.

1.) Building Trust Together Through Play And Sharing

I’ve recently discovered Brene Brown’s useful trust-building acronym, BRAVING (Boundaries, Reliability, Accountability, Vault, Integrity, Non-judgment, Generosity). This simple list of trust-b... Read more >

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