WITH TOBY SPAVEN and ALI STOCKFORD
We are delighted to offer four playful days of clowning on the beautiful Ynys Enlli—a place of wild beauty, sea air, seals and Manx shearwaters. Enjoy locally sourced delicious vegetarian food and stay in one of the islands 1870”s houses.
The word courage comes from a root meaning “heart.” Through clowning and reconnecting with our playful spirit, we can develop and sustain — in ourselves and each other — the heart to be who we truly are, to trust life and to trust ourselves. Taking heart is a profoundly inward process: an invitation to soften the fears that keep us guarded, and to become more fully present in ourselves and what is around us.
Island life has a stillness, a quietness and brings a shear sense of wander that helps us comes back to ourselves. Let the boat crossing shed any roles that you don’t need and gather to play, explore and discover together through games, exercises, short impros and moments of joyful foolishness designed to awaken your inner clown.
We’ll base our activities in our Clown Hideaway and uncover natural stages across the island—on cliff paths, in fields, by the sea. We’ll listen, respond and play with the island itself as our inspiration. There will be voice work on the beach accompanied by the choruses of seals, gentle ensemble work, laughter, stlliness, surprise and space to reconnect with the pleasure of being gloriously human.
Whether you are completely new to clowning or already travelling alongside your clown, this is an invitation to play deeply, fail beautifully and discover what happens when clown meets wilderness.
ABOUT CLOWNING
Clowning is a state of playfulness that brings us to experience a child-like, naïve and vulnerable state of being. Paradoxically we grow, learn and are strengthened through reconnecting playfully with what makes us most vulnerable. This approach to clowning is not a technique (tricks, gags and routines) but a personal journey towards finding one’s own unique way of being a clown, by listening and being receptive, essential skills for any creative and imaginative expression. It is only when we let go our control over things that we begin to be surprised by the depth of what reveals itself to us. Come for a weekend of letting go and freeing up!
The group is limited to 14.
Facilitators:
Toby Spaven
Toby is a drag artist, and dancer and works as a builder by day. They have been training with nose to nose as a clown facilitator and has been transformed by the nose to nose courses. They facilitate groups in the construction and sports industry to build trust and vulnerability within the working and playing culture. They love to play.
Toby has had the fortune to be involved in the building maintenance on Ynys Enlli and fell in love with the island as soon as they stepped off the boat.
Alison Stockford (Ali)
Ali has been facilitating Nose to Nose Clowning workshops since 2016, teaching across the UK and, more recently, Europe. She holds this work in high esteem as the perfect grounding for all creative work exploring the power of fun, connection and our shared human experience as well as developing theatrical awareness
Drawn to what is authentically funny, moving, and true in each individual, Ali enjoys creating welcoming spaces where people can step into the present moment, take creative risks, and embrace a playful way of being.
A qualified teacher (Université de Lille, France, and the University of Reading, UK), Ali is a former Head of Performing Arts at St Mary’s Special School and College, Bexhill, and is fluent in English and French.
Alongside leading Nose to Nose Clowning Levels 1–5, she has delivered training for the Giggle Doctors at Theodora Foundation, Lis’n Tell Speech and Language Practitioners, Quantum Marketing, and medical students at the University of Bristol. She has also worked as a social clown and facilitator at events including The Imaginarium, ARU Cambridge’s Writers’ Conference, and the ANTITHESES Conference at St Hilda’s College, Oxford.
COURSE OPEN TO ALL
This course can be booked via the ENLII website
Date and times:
Arrival: 12th September 2026
Departure: 16th September 2026
Venue:
BARDSEY ISLAND / YNYS ENLII.
Seals just off of the island of Ynys Enlli