Workshops

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.

Upcoming Workshops and Events...

5th February 2026,

Dear friends old and new,

Here's what's coming up in the next few months...

I've just unleashed the next batch of courses!!!

There's another Play, Presence and Parts weekend coming up in Bristol on the 6th and 7th June!
There are two more 5-day Fools Schools coming up in Bristol in May and June!
There's an advanced Fools training called Fool Meets The World in Bristol in April!

For more info and booking, scroll down this page.

To sign up to my mailing list, to be amongst the first to hear about new courses, scroll to the bottom of this page.

Love and laughter,

Holly x

Spring Programme 2026

1.) Play Presence and Parts

What? A brand new weekend introduction to the wonderful world of Holly Stoppit, for those who are longing for more play and connection in their lives!

Who? Anyone over the age of 18. It may be of particular interest to artists, creatives, performers, directors, facilitators, teachers, therapists, counsellors, people in the helping professions, or anyone who works with, lives with or interacts with people. It’s for anyone who is drawn to this work!

Where and when:

***NEW WEEKEND JUST ADDED***

BRISTOL: 6th and 7th June 2026

Norwich: 28 February + 1 March 2026 (fully booked, reserve list in operation)

Sheffield: 14 + 15 March 2026 (fully booked, reserve list in operation)

Times: 10 - 5.30 both days

Application: first come, first served

More info and application forms here.

2.) 5-day Fools School

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

***NEW DATES ADDED FOR MAY (25-29) AND JUNE (22-26) 2026***

Fooling is a form of solo improvisation where you get to meet and play with the cast of characters who normally live inside you. 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 or coach may show up to help you manage the situation and so might your inner anarchist, your inner artist or even your inner hermit…

Dates: 25-29 May 2026 Or 22-26 June 2026

Venue: Clifton, Bristol (more details on booking)

Times: 10-6 each day (final day finishes at 6.30)

Application deadline: Monday 6th April

More info and application form here.

3.) Fool Meets The World (advanced Fools training)

Formerly known as ‘Site Responsive Fooling,’ this is an advanced Fools training for people who have completed Holly’s 5-day Fooling workshop.

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?

Dates: April 13th-17th 2026

Place: Central Bristol

Who: You need to have done my 5-day Fools School to apply for this course.

Application deadline: Friday 6th March

More info and booking here.

4.) Clown Congress in Bristol

Calling all clowns, fools, tricksters, idiots, buffoons, plonkers, nincompoops, dopes, clods, numpties, wallies and sillybillies! Come gather with us for 2-days of deep, meaningful, playful and irreverent exploration of the state of play of our beloved artforms.

Dates: March 28th and 29th 2026

Venue: Bristol University

First come, first served

Deadline for bookings: 13th March 2026

More info and booking here.

5.) Clownvergence - The Online Clown Conference

Clownvergence (April 9–12) is a 4-day online gathering with workshops, panels, Clown Cafés, carnival, open spaces, and more. It’s a space for clowns of all levels - from complete beginners to seasoned teachers - to come together in curiosity, to learn, share, connect, and unlearn.

I will be co-hosting a session about the meeting point of clowning, fooling and IFS with Saskia Solomons, Angela Hayes and Sarah Burns.

Where: Online

When: 9-12 April 2026

More info and booking here.

6.) PERFORMANCE AND PARTS FOR VOCAL IMPROVISERS

I will be collaborating with the legendary queen of Vocal Improvisation, Briony Greenhill to offer an exploration of the inner parts that come up during improvised vocal performance.

When: 27th April - 1st May 2026

Where: Buckfastleigh, Devon

More info and booking here