Home / Event / PUPPETRY AND CLOWN – Laughton Lodge, near Lewes, East Sussex, UK

PUPPETRY AND CLOWN – Laughton Lodge, near Lewes, East Sussex, UK

with Vivian Gladwell and Caroline Ada
10-15 AUG 2025

This new 6-day in-person course brings together Caroline’s many years of experience as a puppeteer and performer and Vivian’s four years of working online with puppetry and clowning. 

What can puppets teach us about reclaiming our human connection to each other and to our world?

For beginners as well as confirmed clowns or puppeteers this course is about finding freedom and discovering the many internal dialogues that we carry within us. We will explore the basics of clowning and comedy through improvisations with puppets. We will also look at making our own puppets out of simple everyday objects.

Puppetry is about making the world around us come alive and giving a voice to our innermost thoughts. See links about puppetry below.

The group is limited to 12 participants.

WHO IS THIS COURSE  FOR?
Anyone with an interest in discovering clowning and/or puppetry and how the two can enhance one another. Beginners and professionals alike are welcome. 

PREREQUISITES:
No prerequisites

COURSE DATES
10-15 August 2025 

TIMES:
Day 1 – arrive by 5:00pm to settle at the venue and with supper at 6:15pm – workshop begins 7:30pm – 9:00pm
Days 2 and 3 – 9:00am – 6:00pm
Day 4 – 9:00am – 4am / Evening sharing 7:30pm – 9:00pm
Day 5 – last day   – 9:00am – 12:30pm – Lunch 12:45pm

COURSE FEE:
Early bird – £520 (if paid in full before 10 June 2025 – midnight)
Price – £620 (for full payments after 10 June 2025)
Deposit – £200 (this deposit will guarantee your place at £520 if you pay the remaining £320 before 10 June 2025

After 10 June 2025 the course will be £620.
PLEASE NOTE: Deposits cannot be reimbursed after 10 June 2025. You get a full refund of the course in the event of Nose to Nose cancelling. Before 10 June 2025 cancellations will be charged at £20.

Accommodation and meals:

Breakfast/lunch/supper/tea breaks from Sunday supper through to Friday lunch inclusive.

All meals are freshly prepared each day and are organic and vegetarian . Vegan and gluten-free options are available. Please let us know if we need to cater for any specific allergies. Tea, coffee and snacks are also included during tea breaks

You can book your accommodation and meals directly through Nose to Nose.  Please email us nosetonose@gmail.com

Single Room and all meals : £305

Camping and all meals: £260

Camper van and all meals : £260

Venue: Laughton Lodge, Lewes, East Sussex, UK

Facilitators:

Vivian Gladwell 

Vivian is the founder and director of Nose to Nose and has given hundreds of workshops around the world. He lives both in the UK and France where he started clowning in 1978. He speaks French and English fluently.

Vivian began teaching in 1988 as part of the Lifeways Festival at Emerson College – UK. He trained as a facilitator with theBataclown in 1990 and joined their team in 1991 also working as a modern day Court Jester (Clownanalyst).

He created Nose to Nose UK in 1990, Nose to Nose of North America in 2006 and Fool View, the Social Clowning group and has trained facilitators in the UK, the USA, Germany and Italy – view history.
He continues his role as ambassador for the work by researching the applications of clowning in the context of teacher training, medicine, conflict management, ecology and intercultural work in many countries (South Africa, USA, Senegal, Vietnam, India, Malaysia, Italy, Germany, Norway…)

He holds clowning as a social playground for exploring our humanity.

Caroline Ada
Producer, Puppeteer, Puppet Maker & Set Designer
Caroline has 18 years of experience as a primary school teacher & SEN educator. She is a facilitator of puppetry workshops in schools, community centres & museums in the UK & France. Caroline has trained as a puppeteer at the Curious School of Puppetry and Little Angel Theatre.

Accommodation and meals:

Breakfast/lunch/supper/tea breaks from Sunday supper through to Friday lunch inclusive.

All meals are freshly prepared each day and are organic and vegetarian . Vegan and gluten-free options are available. Please let us know if we need to cater for any specific allergies. Tea, coffee and snacks are also included during tea breaks

You can book your accommodation and meals directly through Nose to Nose.  Please email us nosetonose@gmail.com

Single Room and all meals : £305

Camping and all meals: £260

Camper van and all meals : £260

Click here to book this course or enquire

To book a course follow the link Click here to book… above. You will see on the form whether there are available places.  Submit the form with your details and we will let you know how to proceed with payment of your deposit. Your deposit is REFUNDABLE  MORE than 2 months before the start of the course. There is a £40 admin fee for refunds.  If the course is cancelled your deposit will be refunded in full.

Deposits are paid  online.

NOTE: Your place can only be confirmed after we have received your deposit. As the fee quoted usually only covers the course fee, please check you know the total cost of the course (course fee + accommodation and meals).

Once your deposit has been accepted, we will notify you to confirm your place on the course.
You are booked on the course
ONLY when Nose to Nose confirms your place.

If you have questions or problems, email us at nosetonoseoffice@gmail.com
If full email us at nosetonoseoffice@gmail.com to go on our waiting list. We’ll let you know when a place becomes available.

MORE INFO CONCERNING COURSE FEE…

Q: Can I talk to someone? A: Yes, just send an email with your phone number to nosetonoseoffice@gmail.com and we’ll call you as soon as we are free to do so.

Q: Are there still spaces available on the course? A: Just click on the link Click here to book… above. You will see on the form whether there are available places.

Q: Can you put me on the waiting list? A: Sure, just click on the link Click here to enquire and fill the form. We will put you on our waiting list and let you know when a place becomes available.

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