Women who run with their clown
21-25 Octobre (4 days. Scroll down for arrival & departure times)
30 Sept - 5 Oct 2026 (SOLD OUT)
"So much playfulness, but also depth, warmth and trust. Absolutely loved it. Ready to go again!" Isabelle
You run, you run, you run. You juggle your day around and run back home to possibly run some more after these little clowns that you created or this old sweet clown that created you.
But hold on a minute!
Look left...
Look right...
where the hell has YOUR clown gone??
Let's find out!
A retreat for women only.
We aim for a group of 6 women max who already have done clowning before and wish to dive in it a bit deeper.
4 days all included
Early bird
until 30 Aug
Supporter: £465
Normal: £405
Concessions: £365
"An incredible time. Only one wish: To come back!"
Anja (trained with Nose to Nose)
What is it? 4 days in nature's beauty for us women to explore the various layers of the clown: The deeper message within the comedy, the metaphorical world & the unconventional language of the clown.
A time to play, escape, find your clown, and recharge.
"A beautiful space where I was inspired and supported to create a new performance piece. Transformative experience!"
Harriet (Clown & Cabaret)
Day 1: Clown diner party & games
Retreat opening celebration.
Day 2: Going on a clown hunt. Every clown is different. Clowns grow out of our personalities, hide behind our passions and in the cracks of our life journeys.
You will find them in unexpected places : Inside a trumpet, bathing down the river, or among a pile of broken stuff. Yes, clowns love playing with bits and bobs and can't resist a worn shoe or a broken heart: They are pros at upcycling our life mess.
There's another thing clowns can't resist : playing! So, this will be a long outdoor day exploring our secret games to find your clown!
Day 3: The Poetic Language
Emotions are often far too big to fit into words no matter how hard you squeeze and you push... So clowns developed another language full of poetry, imagery and metaphors. Some of them still love words of course but they'd rather play with them that's all. With their very unique language, clowns take us into a world where they can be heart-wrenching, endearing and hilarious at the same time, so on day 3, we'll go to their language school for the day. (More about our poetic approach here.)
Day 4 Finding the colours of YOUR clown.
Building on the small seeds discovered in the previous days, we will focus on letting your clown grow. We will work on its world, message and unique language.
Time to dress up & invite friends over
In the evening: Party time with guests from the village! It's not a show, not even a sharing, more of a dinner invitation in the universe we explored. And of course, for our clowns it's finally the time to get messy-creative, dress up and powder their noses! We will explore diverse costumes playing around with objects, clothes, recycling bins and Nature's gifts. The last touch will be the make-up of course, a sacred clown ritual involving a magic mirror to reach inside us and spot the shadows and colours of our clowns.
Day 5: Clown goodbyes
Clown goodbyes with a celebration of what we each found for our clown.
"A letting go fest! Truly liberating."
Denise
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YOUR STAY
You will be staying in an old mill from the 14th century and its wooden chalets surrounded by a little river and a bamboo forest.
We have 2 individual rooms (supporter price check below) and 4 twin rooms.
We are located 35 minutes away from Bergerac airport and 5 min wallk away from Monpazier, a medieval village from the 12th century classified as one of France's most beautiful villages.
You will also find
- A swimming pool
- A sauna
- Monpazier's local market on the Thursday morning.
About The Facilitator
"Beautiful in both its poetic and physical language, Mohand & Peter is a triumph."
There Ought To Be Clowns
More info on Sophie's recent work Here
Sophie Besse is an award winning theatre director and founder of PSYCHEdelight Theatre Company of Sanctuary. Trained in both drama and therapy, she specialises in physical theatre, clowning and participatory theatre.
Her artistic training includes Philippe Gaulier, Jacques Lecoq, John Wright, Lucy Hopkins, Frank Wurzinger, Ben Keaton, Told by an Idiot and LISPA.
A diversity advocate, Sophie is experienced in creating inclusive spaces that bring together people from different cultures, languages and backgrounds. She worked with young offenders and women in prison for seven years and has been creating theatre with refugee communities since 2015. Over the past fifteen years, she has directed large-scale ensemble productions, creating spaces where diverse voices can be heard and celebrated.
Since 2023, Sophie has developed a particular expertise in directing solo clown pieces, supporting artists in transforming lived experience into powerful theatrical works that honour individual stories while revealing the shared human experiences that connect us all.
PRICE & CONDITIONS
4 days (21 - 25 Oct)
SUPPORTER - INDIVIDUAL ROOM: £505 You help provide access to our trainings for all & the 2 first people to book this price get an individual room.
NORMAL: £455
CONCESSION: £405
Check our early bird price!
If you can't afford this clown retreat contact us here
PRICE
4 days all included
Early bird
till 30 August
Supporter: £465
Normal: £405
Concessions: £365
Conditions
PRICE INCLUDES
This women clown retreat will include full day workshops + delicious home-made food, wine in the evening, accommodation, workshop and transport from and to Bergerac airport or station at agreed time (see below).
. To secure your place you need to pay a non refundable £100 deposit.
. The full fee has to be paid by the 1st of September and won't be refundable in case of last minute cancellation.
TRANSPORT TO & FROM VENUE
Tuesday 21 Oct : Ryanair London-Bergerac: 12:20 - 3.05pm
Sunday 25 Oct : Ryanair Bergerac-London: 4.15pm - 5pm
If you are coming through other routes we can pick you up at Bergerac' s train station at 3pm on the 21st of October and drop you on the Sunday at around 3pm.
If interested to come, please get in touch so we can discuss transport options depending on where you are coming from.
For bookings & questions
contact Sophie here (please put "retreat" in the title) or via what's app on +447954153038
Thank you!