5-Day Fools School

Holly Stoppit's 5-day Fools School in Sheffield

19-23 May 2025

Application deadline: 7th April

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. You may find yourself tapping into the freedom of your inner child. Your inner critic may have some things to say about this. Your inner guide may show up to help you manage the situation and so might your inner anarchist, your inner artist or even your inner hermit.

As you embody each part, you’ll find that some parts like to talk, some express themselves through dance or song and some might just want to sit quietly and be. The Fool, approaching life with openness and curiosity, walks into the empty space and says, "Wow, look what I found!”

This 5-day course equips a small group of participants with the tools to walk onto an empty stage with no script, no plan and no ideas and discover and play with whatever is ready to be seen. Although Fooling is a solo form, this workshop is very much a group journey. Working with honesty and integrity, the group will support each other to find an audaciously authentic quality of play.

Each day there are mindfulness meditations, physical warm ups, group games and exercises to enable participants to explore different methods of accessing and embodying their own personal cast of characters. There are also lots of opportunities to play solo for each other in a safe and supportive environment.

Who is Holly?

Holly Stoppit is a facilitator, educator, dramatherapist, IFS practitioner, clinical supervisor and creative consultant who offers playful, creative and reflective approaches to exploring the human condition.

Holly has been creating and delivering performance skills / self development workshops for adults since 2007.

Who is this for?

This course is designed adults aged 18+

It is for both performers and people who want to learn more about themselves.

It’s for a very small group of 8 participants, so that everyone gets a good amount of supported stage-time.

Priority will be given to people who have worked with Holly before, as this week can go super deep and Holly needs to know you'll be a good fit for the work, but don't be afraid to apply if you've not encountered Holly as this is her first time back in Sheffield after many moons.

Costs: £500 (standard) / £460 (low income) / £420 (supported)

Find out more and apply here

Holly Stoppit lying on stage in a spotlight by Alex Tabrizi

Host or Publisher Make Weird Make Wild (Charlie Hammond)