MAIN COURSE – How To Be A Stupid

Monday 9th to Friday 20th June 2025 (days off Sat 14th & Sun 15th) | 9am to 6pm | £900

With A de Castro

“This course made me feel open to the possibilities of the world and my possibilities in it in a way no other training has done.”  (HTBAS participant)

“Learning clowning with de Castro busted open my creative practice and my heart.” (HTBAS participant)

Places: 12

Who’s it for: Clowns (new and those in need of a refresher), actors, performers of all kinds, anyone who stands in front of the public as part of their work, those wanting a personal journey of transformation. 18+

What to expect: 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 exploration aimed at developing your clown’s intelligence, and the confidence to use and apply this unlimited power of imagination in any creative or performance context. Through guided exercises and explorations, de Castro expertly and safely steers participants through an individual and collective process. Each participant’s journey of development is supported and celebrated.

This is a transformatory course; by embracing the methodology you will deepen your ability to enter and stay in the state of clown in whatever context you work. Transformation only comes with some effort and the course is a process that will stretch you, but one based in support, kindness, and a great deal of fun, laughter and play along the way. It invites you to try things and make mistakes, within a supportive environment. Come prepared for challenges and change.

By the end of this workshop, you will have:

• explored key clown techniques, including the pleasure of being present, charisma, confidence and risk taking, the freedom to fail and how to use the audience as your partner

• a strong understanding of the relationship with your own clown persona, that is completely unique and individual to you

• a toolbox of well-defined exercises to refine your performance skills on your own and in groups

• knowledge of how to use clowning in acting, or in any creative within other disciplines.

Things to note: This is a full-time, full-on course, which offers space for each participant’s learning journey. The course asks for your commitment over 10 days; the process is cumulative, and so absences are not permitted. This course invites you to enter the depth and intensity of the process, including time spent discussing, observing, reflecting and giving/receiving feedback within the group. If you want to discuss whether the course is suitable for your individual learning needs, please email us and we will be happy to have a chat with you.

“…no other professional in the clowning arena is able to convey the techniques of this special art form in a way that makes them relevant to contemporary performing arts. In addition to these techniques, she has demonstrated the ability to convey a set of values that go beyond the realm of clowning and have helped the students tremendously in their human and creative development.” (Head of Drama School)

SHORT BITES – The Art of Accidents

Monday 2^nd June & Tuesday 3^rd June 2025 | 10am – 5pm | £200
with Kevin Brooking

Book all 3 Short Bites for the discount price of £500

“A voyage into the world of the unexpected.”

Places: 15

Who’s it for: Clowns and those with experience of performing in whatever discipline. 18+

What to expect: This workshop is a voyage into the universal human world of the unexpected. The workshop will also draw on the old masters of physical mishaps (Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, George Carroll) to practice how to make an intentional ‘accident’ look unintentional and how to perform this with honesty and realness. Incorporating slapstick, trips & slips, and how to fall (safely!), this workshop will enable you to work with intentional and unintentional ‘mishaps’ with confidence, enjoying the problems they present.

Kevin is a master in performing and teaching about the world of accidents in clowning. This workshop will use exercises and improvisations to explore this classic art and demonstrate how to build the rhythm of accident sequences. A practical and highly enjoyable workshop which will give you tools for your own performance and greater confidence to use them.

Things to note: This is a practical workshop which requires some capacity and confidence to work with the physicality of performance.

SHORT BITES – Humanitarian Clowning

Wednesday 4^th & Thursday 5^th June 2025 | 10am – 5pm | £200
With Kevin Brooking

Book all 3 Short Bites for the discount price of £500

“Clowns disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed.”

Nalle, Clowns Without Borders, Sweden

Places: 15

Who’s it for: Experienced clowns, street performers, hospital or social clowns, those who take performance into non-theatre situations. 18+

What to expect: Drawing on years of experience travelling the world with Clowns Without Borders, Kevin offers this special introduction into the purpose and practice of clowning in challenging global contexts across cultural divides. Clowns Without Borders draws on openness of spirit, generosity, complicity and the partnership of clowns with their audiences, using listening, improvisation and imagination to celebrate differences and overcome difficulties through humour. Kevin is co-founder member of CWB in Belgium and believes communities around the world are hungry for creative expression and exchange, and clowning offers a way to connect with simplicity and humanity.

This workshop will introduce you to the play of archetypes that can support people to overcome difficulties and transform fear through the positive energy of humour. Through exercises, discussion, creativity and plenty of anecdotes from his vast experience, Kevin will introduce the concepts of being culturally neutral and culturally specific in performance and inspire you to go further in your connections to humans in difficult situations through the universal joy of laughter.

A very special workshop, not to be missed.

Things to note: This workshop is a taster, offering you an opportunity to learn about this sort of clowning, not full training in professional clown work in globally challenging and sensitive situations. The workshop is best suited to those with experience of clowning who want to explore how humanitarian clowning works, clowns who wish to travel with more freedom, and social clowns who want to expand the cultural context of their work. It is open to performers of all sorts who wish to learn more about the philosophy and practice of humanitarian clowning.

“Whether it’s in a hospital or refugee camp, orphanage, or through games that engage the audience in the present moment, clowns are activators that can transform fear into hope through the power of play.”
Clowns Without Borders

SHORT BITES – Get Your ACT Together

Friday 6^th & Saturday 7^th June 2025 | 10 am – 6pm | £200
with A de Castro

Book all 3 Short Bites for the discount price of £500

“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.”

Places: 5 (individuals, duos or small company groups)

Who’s it for: Clowns/performers who have an act or a show scene, or part of an act/scene, that could do with an ‘outside eye’. Open to solo performers, duos or small company groups (up to a max of 4 performers per group). Groups count as 1 space. 18+

What to expect: Perhaps you feel struck with a part of your act, how to enter/leave, how to shift the pace or move, or introduce a different element. Perhaps something doesn’t work and you’re not sure why or what to do about it or you’d just like an ‘outside eye’ to give you feedback. This new workshop offers a focused space in which solo or small groups of performers can work on an act/scene (or part of one) which needs some coaching.

Lead by de Castro, bringing their deep knowledge of clowning and theatre making/stagecraft from over 50 years in the business, Get Your ACT Together offers professional support to 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? Or an opinion on the text or act we are creating? And particularly for clowns, it can be hard to find someone to give us this feedback, who also understands the clown universe. A de Castro has sharp eyes and can bring clarity to the material or difficulty you present, helping you really connect with what you want to achieve.

Over an intensive two days, the group acts as a supportive audience, offering you the chance to perform your act, get feedback, work on it, try things out and find creative ways to address the difficulty you brought, leading to work that is stronger, more confident and unique to you.

Things to note: This is a workshop for participants who already have an act in some stage of development. Preference will be given to those who have completed How To Be A Stupid with de Castro already, as this offers a shared language about the state of clown.

“I had a chance to participate in ’The Outside Eye’ with de Castro… She helped me in the moment I really needed it as a clown and as an artist.”

SATURDAY SPECIAL – All We Need Is Laugh

Saturday 14^th June 2025 | 10am – 11am | £20
With A de Castro

Book with The Pleasure of Playing for £50

Places: 25

Who’s it for: A gentle, easy workshop suitable for everyone, performers and non-performers alike. 18+

What to expect: Do you need some joy in your life?! Friendly, fun and warm-hearted, this workshop will release stress and leave you feeling great!

Laughter Yoga was developed by Dr Kataria of Mumbai, who de Castro trained with, and is a proven technique of using breathing exercises and laughter to offer immediate mental and physical benefits. Laughter is an essential tool in building confidence, removing cynicism and increasing enthusiasm. It is also very good for your health and dramatically reduces stress by naturally releasing endorphins. The workshop is safe, fun, easy to do, and stress free, regardless of age, fitness levels or ability.

Things to note: This workshop is a gentle, easy workshop suitable for everyone. You don’t have to feel jolly to do it – the exercises release endorphins anyway and give an immediate lift to the spirits. The only yoga required is breathing! Please bring a mat or blanket so you can relax lying down (this can be done in a chair if you prefer).

SATURDAY SPECIAL – The Pleasure of Playing

Saturday 14^th June 2025 | 11.15am – 5pm | £40
With A de Castro

Book with All You Need Is Laugh for £50

Places: 25

Who’s it for: A fun, lively workshop suitable for everyone, performers and non-performers alike.

What to expect: Play is at the heart of clowning. For performers, actors, clowns, all creative minds, it is important to keep the state of playfulness fresh and alive, to feed the soul and keep it light, exercising mind, body and spirit. We often focus on technique but what is that without connection with our inner spirit and creative self? The Pleasure of Playing uses simple exercises to liberate the imagination and release a new burst of energy, focus and awareness. Based on collective non-competitive games, this structured workshop has become a must for clowns, artists and creative minds of all disciplines.

Things to note: The Pleasure of Playing is a fun, lively workshop. Some games are physically active but don’t require a particular level of fitness and can be adapted for disabled participants and those with health conditions. If this is you, please let us know when you apply so we can prepare any adaptations to games beforehand.

**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)

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

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

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.

Wednesday 29th to Friday 31st January 2025 | 9am to 6pm | £300

Led by Suzie Ferguson

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!

Mon 29th January to Saturday 3rd February 2024 / 9am- 6pm / £600

To register your interest and/or request an application form, email whynotinstitute@aol.com

So, you’ve done some clowning!  You’ve learnt to play with an audience, stay optimistic and look for games…. but how do you make a show?

In this week long intensive workshop we will playfully explore the principles of devising with clown and comedy in a safe but challenging environment. Whether a solo show, double act or larger cast, this workshop will give any performer or director, the tools to make a very stupid piece of theatre.

Through exercises and games, theatre maker and director, Stephen Sobal, will reinforce the foundations of clowning whilst working with each participant to create something from nothing.

The best way to see if something works it to put it in front of an audience. Therefore the workshop will conclude with a sharing with an invited audience.

de Castro will be collaborating alongside Stephen Sobal in directing, editing and refining material for the end of week presentation.

Led by Jack Stark

Saturday 18^th January 2025 | 10am to 5pm | £ 120

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

BEAUTY OF MISTAKES

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

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 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 –