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Photos above: Robert Piwko, Tiff Wear, PL. Colour sketch: Tracey Tofiled. Colour illustration E. M. Parry. ‘I am so amazed by what you offer in your workshops!’ recent Course Participant Courses…

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The Pleasure of Playing - 25th birthday special anniversary session
Saturday 12th October 2024 / 2pm-4pm / £35/ London

A special Play Session on our 25th birthday celebration day. For newcomers and seasoned WhyNotters: open to all aged 18+. Let's come together in a spirit of celebration for an afternoon of fun, liberation, and collective joy. Attendance gives you admission to the invitation-only Why Not Institute party afterwards from 5pm-9pm. If you want to join our community, why not come along to the play session.

Please email whynotinstitute@aol.com for an application form.

Enrolments now open !

To request an application form for the workshops please email: whynotinstitute@aol.com

Course information below

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Course information is below.

How To Be A Stupid

Led by Angela de Castro Monday 6th to Friday 17th January 2025 (days off Sat 11th and Sun 12th) / 9am- 6pm / £900
To request an application form, email: whynotinstitute@aol.com

'Clowning offers to the theatre practitioner an immense spectrum of new possibilities,

a freedom that we can't find in any other art form.'

Clowning is an art of courage and discipline; not a technique but a state that needs to be explored fully. This course offers 10 days of serious and enjoyable aimed at developing the clown's intelligence, and the confidence to use and apply this unlimited power of imagination in any creative or performance context.

Come prepared for challenges and change. It is a rare opportunity to work with a theatre practitioner who for over 30 years has been seriously dedicated to research into, and use of, clowning, in all aspects of performance. This is a safe space to work, with expert guidance through de Castro's methodology for each participant's individual journey of development as a performer. It creates a supportive world in which participants can joyfully make mistakes - with a great deal of laughter and play along the way.

Suitable for clowns (beginners and experienced), actors, directors, dancers, writers, artists in any field, as well as the playful and the curious from all walks of life.

'De Castro's gift is in bringing to the fore the sometimes very quiet voice at the centre of the artist's being and expressing that. In an atmosphere as serious as it is playful, laughter and discipline lead to a connecting with inner truth and the principles at the heart of acting and of communicating with an audience. Experience the invigorating presence of an experienced performer who lives to share the joy and simplicity of the clown form and how it can so usefully relate to the art of acting.'
STEPHEN WISKER (ACTOR / DIRECTOR / STORYTELLER / UKULELE-IST)

How To Be Even More of A Stupid

**Advanced exercises for experienced clowns** Led by Angela de Castro
Monday 20th to Friday 24th January 2025 / 9am- 6pm / £500
To register your interest and/or request an application form, email whynotinstitute@aol.com

The state of clown is like a muscle that needs to be exercised; the more practice and training a performer has, the stronger the results. Through the advanced exercises at this course, experienced clowns and actors who use clowning on their work, can stretch themselves to improve their 'clown-fitness' and make them better prepared to deal with even more challenging clown scenarios.

This unique workshop is specifically for experienced performers who take fun, play and stupidity very, very seriously. Attendees will be able to work alongside performers of the same level while exploring a range of advanced techniques and improvisation scenarios.

De Castro's structured approach focuses specifically on the areas that are most challenging for the professional performer. By focusing on imagination, playfulness and the pleasure to be present, every section of the workshop has real practical lessons that can be applied to the clown's existing performances and help structure the development of new ones. Filled with a mix of exercises, advanced techniques and improvisation scenarios, it's an opportunity to train and play with performers of the same level.

It is a challenging, enjoyable and rewarding week of work for those who put their all into being seriously silly.

'A teacher, a Master Clown, who is very delicate - who respects the performer in front of her and takes care to take you on the best path, so you do not expose yourself unnecessarily... A director who helps performers build and deliver their scenes with confidence.'
MICHELLE SILVEIRA (CLOWN / EDITOR 'WOMEN CLOWNS' MAGAZINE)

The Clown's Intelligence - The Inner Monologue

Led by Angela de Castro
Monday 27th - Tuesday 28th January 2025 / 9am- 5.30pm / £220
To request an application form, email: whynotinstitute@aol.com

When we allow the clown to think, it is amazing what they come up with!

For silent and speaking clowns looking to develop their practise, this workshop focuses on maintaining the state of clown by training the mechanism of the clown's thoughts.
Through games and exercises, this workshop gives you techniques to maintain the clown's inner monologue, giving the clown space to think.

Audiences love to follow clowns' thoughts; to see clowns thinking and finding amazing solutions and answers to everyday life. But how often do our own thoughts come faster than the clown's? Our thoughts intrude and interrupt the clown's voice.
Workshop participants will be challenged not to let their own thoughts interrupt or come before the clown's thoughts. In a series of games and exercises participants will deconstruct the mechanism of thoughts, create space for their clown to think, and fill their mind with the clown's loud voice, leaving no space for other thoughts.

Often harder than anticipated, maintaining the clown's inner monologue allows us to develop a true clown's intelligence!

This workshop isolates the mechanism of the clown's thoughts:
A training in how to maintain the state of clown
It is harder than we think
Participants need to be clowns
Our own intelligence to problem solving is faster that the clown's own intelligence. Very difficult not to let our own thought to come first that the clown's thoughts.
How useful this kind of workshop can be for those who wants to explore silent clowning as well as for those who perform with text.
How beautiful is to allow your clown to think
Audiences like to follow clown thoughts, to see clowns thinking and find solutions
The text of silent clown shows is the line of thoughts. That allows you not to 'drop' from the clown state.

The Power Of Connection - an introduction to Therapeutic and Social Clowning

Led by Suzie Ferguson
Wednesday 29th to Friday 31st January 2025 | 9am to 6pm | £300
For clowns, actors, dancers and performers interested in making playful and meaningful connections in health and social care settings.

This 3 day workshop will be a wonderful journey into the therapeutic clown world, where freedom, play and compassion form the cornerstones of good practice.
We will explore how the 5 principles of therapeutic clowning - simplicity, generosity, lightness, honesty and joy - can be harnessed to create meaningful and reciprocal connections that can transform experiences of adversity into ones filled with laughter and joy.

We will work as a group, in duos and individually, using practical games and exercises that can be easily applied to healthcare settings as a frame for our learning.

WORKSHOP THEMES:

Five elements of clowning
Power of attention
Presence and sensitivity
Emotional honesty and embodiment
The Game

Suzie Fergunson has 13 years experience of clowning in paediatric hospitals, hospices and SEN schools as well as in Dementia Care settings. She was a co-creator and performer in Curious Shoes, a theatre performance for people living with dementia and their carers, and MESS, a clown musical for young people with complex needs. Suzie is the former Artistic Director of Hearts and Minds, Scotland's therapeutic clown charity, and she has taught her own workshop in Scotland, Denmark, Latvia, Bangalore and most recently Ukraine.
She is a Board member of Red Noses International.
Suzie is also a Why Not Institute alumni. A real WhyNotter!

The Pleasure of Playing

Led by Angela de Castro
Saturday 11th January 2025 / 2pm-5pm / £35

To request an application form, email whynotinstitute@aol.com

In the beginning there was Play
... and Play is everything !

Playfulness is at the heart of clowning.

For performers, actors, clowns, creative minds... it is important to keep the state of playfulness fresh and alive, to feed the soul and keep it light. It is fundamental for clowns and all artists to exercise the mind, the body and the spirit. The spirit is often overtaken by the physical and intellectual demands of the job. Very often, it is the techniques that get the focus. However, what is a clown / artists without a soul? Without a spirit? Let's not forget that our souls need as much training and feeding as our bodies and minds.

Using simple games and light exercises, 'The Pleasure of Playing' will liberate the imagination and brings participants a new burst of energy, focus and awareness. Based on collective non-competitive games, this structured and surprisingly thought-provoking workshop became a must for clowns, artists and creative minds of all disciplines.

Beauty of Mistakes

Led by Jack Stark Saturday 18th January 2025 | 10am to 5pm | £ 120
To request an application form, email whynotinstitute@aol.com

How do you respond when something goes wrong? How do you deal with performing in environments you are uncomfortable in? How can you cope with unexpected situations that arise mid performance? How do you ensure you engage the crowd when you are "not feeling it today"?

This workshop will look at how can you turn a mistake or unplanned event into something magical for the audience. It covers a series of tried and tested clown exercises that have transferable skills for all performance disciplines, while tapping into your inner clown and it will leave you with a collection of tools and exercises that you can practice on your own long after the workshop has finished.

The concepts covered will assist those who often find themselves in challenging performance situations - as all artists do - and empower them to turn unexpected and unplanned events into beautiful pieces of entertainment.
Clowning is a powerful tool. With the clown's mindset, you can approach situations that you may normally find uncomfortable with joy and enthusiasm. Students of clowning often find themselves saying "I had no idea I could do that" and it is this phenomena that this workshop taps into.

It's also going to be a lot of fun, and teaching through a series of games means you will leave with a collection of tools and exercises that you can practice on your own long after the workshop has finished.

Jack Stark is a full time cabaret, burlesque and theatre clown. For the last 19 years he has travelled extensively, performing at variety, burlesque and cabaret shows in the UK and Europe as well as working in theatrical projects and touring with circus both as clown and ringmaster.

Away from performing, Jack spent 4 years elected to the Variety and Circus Entertainers Committee at the union Equity, and he currently sits on the board of inclusive performing arts organisation We Are Epic. He became a core member of The Why Not Institute team in 2012. He will be a familiar face to many 'Why Notters' as he has frequently assisted on the How To Be A Stupid and How To Be Even More of a Stupid courses, as well as delivering his own workshops and working behind the scenes across the Why Not Institute's activities.

Full description of this workshop on:
For an application form, please email: whynotinstitute@aol.com

How To Be Even More Of A Stupid

**Advanced exercises for experienced clowns** Led by Angela de Castro
Monday 20th to Friday 24th January 2025 / 9am- 6pm / £500
To register your interest and/or request an application form, email whynotinstitute@aol.com

The state of clown is like a muscle that needs to be exercised; the more practice and training a performer has, the stronger the results. Through the advanced exercises at this course, experienced clowns and actors who use clowning on their work, can stretch themselves to improve their 'clown-fitness' and make them better prepared to deal with even more challenging clown scenarios.

This unique workshop is specifically for experienced performers who take fun, play and stupidity very, very seriously. Attendees will be able to work alongside performers of the same level while exploring a range of advanced techniques and improvisation scenarios.

De Castro's structured approach focuses specifically on the areas that are most challenging for the professional performer. By focusing on imagination, playfulness and the pleasure to be present, every section of the workshop has real practical lessons that can be applied to the clown's existing performances and help structure the development of new ones. Filled with a mix of exercises, advanced techniques and improvisation scenarios, it's an opportunity to train and play with performers of the same level.

It is a challenging, enjoyable and rewarding week of work for those who put their all into being seriously silly.

'A teacher, a Master Clown, who is very delicate - who respects the performer in front of her and takes care to take you on the best path, so you do not expose yourself unnecessarily... A director who helps performers build and deliver their scenes with confidence.'
MICHELLE SILVEIRA (CLOWN / EDITOR 'WOMEN CLOWNS' MAGAZINE)

The Pleasure of Playing

Saturday 11th January 2025 / 2pm-5pm / £35
To register your interest and/or request an application form, email whynotinstitute@aol.com

In the beginning there was Play
... and Play is everything!

Play is at the heart of clowning. For performers, actors and clowns it is important to keep the state of playfulness fresh and alive, to feed the soul and keep it light.

It is fundamental for clowns to exercise the mind, the body and the spirit. The spirit is often overtaken by the physical and intellectual demands of the job. Very often, it is the clown techniques that get the focus. However, what is a clown without a soul? Without a spirit? How important it is not to forget that our souls need as much training and feeding as our bodies and minds?

Using simple games and light exercises, 'The Pleasure of Playing' will liberate the imagination and brings participants a new burst of energy, focus and awareness. Based on collective non-competitive games, this structured and surprisingly thought-provoking workshop became a must for clowns of all disciplines.

Laughing Matters

Led by Angela de Castro - in person and online
To hear about future dates pleasesign up to our n ewsletter here.

WHO LAUGHS . . . LAST !

Based on the laughing yoga method, Laughing Matters is not a workshop. It is a laughing session.
When we laugh we release endorphins - your body's natural well-being hormone.
The session is safe, fun, easy to do, stress free and you will leave feeling great! Just come along.

Inspired by breathing techniques, developed in Yoga to assist in relaxation, the mental and physical benefits of laughter are immediate and easy to achieve, regardless of age, fitness levels or ability.

Laughter is an essential tool in building confidence, removing cynicism and increasing enthusiasm. Not only that, it is also very good for your health and dramatically reduces stress by naturally releasing endorphins.
To hear about future dates please sign up to our newsletter here.

The Outside Eye

In person and online.
Custom sessions in clown, clowning, performance craft, acting, presenting and mentoring consultancy.
A de Castro is offering mentoring and creative consultancy to individuals or groups.
If you are working on an idea for a show, a performance or to develop your clown persona and want to take the chance for some one-to-one input, then the Outside Eye is available online.

The concept of Outside Eyes is to bring professional support to the artists' creative process. Such a process can be quite lonely. How many times do we need an outside eye to have a look at our work? Someone who is not the director of the piece. Or we want an opinion on the text or act we are creating, or on the concept of a show that we are directing. And particularly for clowns, sometimes it is very hard to find someone that understands the universe that the state of clown is. Sometimes we want a different eye on our ideas.

Whatever your speciality is, acting, physical theatre, devise work, writing, composer, directors, whether you have previous experience of clowning or not, The Outside Eyes, the Surgery can help you make work that is stronger and unique to you. Those interested in exploring advanced clowning techniques or concepts can do so under De Castro's supervision, while those looking for a different take on their work will profit from de Castro's over 40 years' experience as a performer, actor, clown, director and mentor.

A de Castro has sharp eyes and can see through the material and or difficulty presented with clarity. Her approach is to focus on what the artist wants to say and suggest alternatives and sometimes solutions. Techniques mixed with playfulness, lightness and joy the state of clowning brings a fresh approach to ideas, acts and performances.

Similarly, if you're looking to develop your Clown persona you can draw on de Castro's years of experience and work to help give substance to and find that nuance and spark.

Artists can book between 2 to 4 hours' sessions a day to show, discuss and/or just talk about their ideas. The Outside Eyes (The Surgery) can be 121 or in small groups and can be booked as a one-off session between 2 to 4hs or for a number of days.

'I had a chance to participate in 'The Outside Eyes' with De Castro this year, 2016. I spent with her really nice time. She helped me in the moment I really needed it as a clown and as an artist. De Castro showed me her method to find new characters, structure myself and helped me to „remember". She shared with me also her knowledge about how to build up a show. Together we spent amazing time on deep, intensive and unforgettable conversations about world of clowning.'
Violeta Garcia (Spain, Germany) - clown, performer, devisor

For more information, please email whynotinstitute@aol.com

The Why Not Cafe / Bingo / Quiz / Gameshow

To hear about future dates please sign up to our newsletter here.

The Why Not Cafe is a free get-together that takes place over Zoom, first we have some fun, and then we have some time to chat. It's open to WhyNotters, old and new, and anyone interested in joining in on the fun!
Each time we have a different offering, from The Why Not Bingo, The Why Not Quiz, A Zoom Clown Gameshow or sometimes premieres of our videos such our production HUGS and the opportunity to share what we've all been up to and videos we've made.

The Why Not Institute In Conversation With...

The Why Not Café is excited to present it's new series, In Conversations With... where Angela de Castro - Founder and Director of The Why Not Institute will be talking with artists, clowns and friends
Our inaugural chat in June 2021, de Castro talked with Holly Stoppit and Franki Anderson.
The event was Live streamed via The Why Not Institute Facebook page.

Thr full chat can be found on The Why Not Institute You Tube Page -

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The Pleasure of Playing - 25th birthday special anniversary session Saturday 12th October 2024 / 2pm-4pm / £35/ London A special Play Session on our 25th birthday celebration day. For newcomers and seasoned WhyNotters: open to all aged 18+. Let's come together in a spirit of celebration for an afternoon of fun, liberation, and collective joy.

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Holly's workshops are designed to be of benefit to everyone, from professional performers seeking performance skills training, to the brave and curious seeking self-development and everyone in between. Through skillful holding and carefully paced progressions of games and exercises, Holly creates the ideal conditions that allow creativity, play, insight, wonder and discovery to thrive.

Holly has been devising and delivering workshops for adults since 2007. She draws upon her huge history of training and experience in many areas, including: improvisation, clowning, fooling, dance, physical theatre, voice work, creative writing, dramaturgy, dramatherapy, mindfulness, playwork, group process and nonviolent communication to deliver bespoke, bountiful group experiences. To read more about Holly's experience or see her Bristol TEDx talk, click here.

See below for a full list of Holly's workshops. If you have a company or are an individual artist looking to commission your own bespoke training, have a look at what's on offer below, check out Holly's services pages and get in touch with Holly to begin co-designing your ideal workshop. Holly's workshops range from 2-hour play sessions to 10 day residencies.

3rd September 2024

Hello Friends,

I've just landed back in Glastonbury after a summer of adventures. In July I got to explore the archetype of 'Wise Woman' in Cardiff with a bunch of artists from different disciplines, delivered my final Mindful Play weekend in Bristol and attended a four day IFS-fool-clown research lab in Nottingham.

In August I co-created a 2-day Clown Congress dreaming process with Robyn Hambrook in Bristol, flew over to Germany to share my Clown-o-therapy toolkit with a bunch of clowns at the Ravensburger Clown School Summer Academy, whizzed back to Devon to attend a week-long Buddhism and Psychotherapy retreat with Nigel Wellings at The Barn, hunkered down in Bristol at Beccy Golding's at home writing retreat and yoyo'd back to Devon to co-facilitate a week of Deep Play at Embercombe with Briony Greenhill.

Phew! No wonder I'm so tired!

If you'd like to read more about my summer adventures click here.

If you'd like to know what's in store for the autumn, read on...

1.) The online one-to-ones are back!

Due to popular demand, I'm offering a fourth season of online one-to-one Creative Clarity, Supervision and Creative Consultancy sessions online on Zoom!

From September - December 2024, you can book a series of 6 or 3 one-hour sessions to explore yourself, your work, your creativity, or your path.

One-off sessions are also available for anyone wanting to dip their toe in.
For more info about one-to-ones click here.
2.) New online Creative Facilitation course

New for Autumn 2024, a 6-week online dive into creative and empowering group facilitation. Starting on October 22nd.

Who's it for? Facilitators, artists, therapists, teachers, managers, leaders and anyone who wants to develop skills and cultivate awareness to hold inclusive and accessible space, which is safe enough to take risks.
More info about the Creative Facilitation course here.
3.) 5-DAY FOOLS SCHOOL IN BRISTOL

The Fool, approaching life with openness and curiosity, walks into the empty space and says, "Wow, look what I found!"

Fooling is a form of solo improvisation where you get to meet and play with the cast of characters who normally live inside your head.

Dates: 11th-15th November 2024

Times: 10am-6pm each day

Venue: The Bristol Improv Theatre
More info and application form here.
4.) Dramatherapy and IFS workshops in the autumn

I am delighted to announce that I will be sharing some of my research at two dramatherapy conferences this autumn! Dramatherapy Southwest in Exeter on 14th September and The British Association of Dramatherapists (BADth) online in the week of the 14th October.
More info about Dramatherapy + IFS workshops here.
5.) Bring Holly To Your Local Community

I'm looking to tour my workshops around the UK and beyond. If you're interested in helping to organise a workshop, check out this blog.

If you're wondering what happened to my Introduction To Clowning Weekend, check out this blog.

Watch this space for updates or sign up to my mailing list at the bottom of this page for monthly updates straight into your inbox.

Love and laughter,

Holly x

Creative Facilitation Training

Site Responsive Fooling
(5 days)

"100% recommended...I find Holly Stoppit's workshops inspiring and energising, challenging, well held in a safe environment. Better than a holiday!"

Previous workshop participant

"Just expect the unexpected - and be prepared to play."

Previous workshop participant

"The only trouble with doing a workshop with Holly Stoppit is that all other workshops then pale in comparison."

Previous workshop participant

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Holly Stoppit is a facilitator, performance skills teacher, theatre director and dramatherapist, specialising in live, interactive, improvised and devised performance.

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Bringing fun, laughter and distraction to children, young people and their families in hospitals and hospices in the East.

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Hearts and Minds. Improving lives, one smile at a time

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Hearts & Minds is a Scottish charity that use skills in hospital clowning to help children in hospital and people living with dementia overcome feelings of powerlessness, anxiety and isolation.

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The Clown Doctors offer an impartial way of entertaining, supporting and empowering children who may be struggling with fear, boredom, loss of control and other insecurities related to their stay in hospital.

Click the buttons below to follow us on Facebook and Twitter to get the latest updates or you can click the globe below to visit our website and find out more about us. You can also check out our video - 'What is a Clown Doctor' right from this page!

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The Clown Doctors offer an impartial way of entertaining, supporting and empowering children who may be struggling with fear, boredom, loss of control and other insecurities related to their stay in hospital. Click the buttons below to follow us on Facebook and Twitter to get the latest updates or you can click the globe below to visit our website and find out more about us.

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Theodora Children’s Charity - Theodora Children’s Charity

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Our Giggle Doctors bring joy and laughter to children living with illness, disability and serious health challenges

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Home | Clowns Without Borders UK Clowns Without Borders -

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Helping Children Heal through Laughter. We are charity that helps supports refugee children around the world through play.