Despite living in an era of hyper connection on the digital front, we're in the middle of a loneliness epidemic, and it's having disastrous effects on our mental health. Could the answer be to put our smart devices down and learn to connect back to our playful and inquisitive selves, remembering the kind of curiosity and wonder we felt as a child? Holly Stoppit thinks the answer is a big, glorious, fearless YES!
Inside every adult lives a unique, curious, playful, sensitive creature called a clown. Holly Stoppit helps people from all walks of life to access their inner clowns and harvest the crazy wisdom that abounds.
Holly grew up in the circus and has travelled the world to learn from many wise clown masters. She has performed in streets, schools, festivals, circus tents and theatres. Holly is now a Bristol-based clown teacher, facilitator, dramatherapist, performance researcher, theatre director, university lecturer, blogger and actual real-life clown.
In her TEDx talk, Holly shares her clowning highs and lows and how she discovered clowning can bring us into deeper connection with ourselves and each other. Ten years ago, having become increasingly fascinated in the healing potential of the creative process, Holly began retraining as a drama therapist. For her master’s dissertation research, Holly explored the potential therapeutic benefits of clown skills, training for adults with mental health issues. Thus "clown-o-therapy" was born - a group therapy system which blends clowning, mindfulness and personal reflection.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx