The Nomadic Academy of Fools is an intensive year long creative development programme that tours the UK and Europe.

What will I learn?

During this programme you will be introduced to Jonathan Kay’s unique Fooling technique, a practice he has been developing for the last 36 years. The Fool, as we tend to understand it, originates from the medieval jesters seen in Shakespeare plays. These Fools were quick witted creatives who adopted an innocent childlike awe that allowed them to see and question the world around them in ways that others would have been punished for. Developing this idea further Jonathan has created a relationship to theatre, and the actual world that it reflects, that is experienced through the eyes of this Foolish perspective. In doing so the person inhabiting the Fool sees the world differently and reacts to it from a new stand point. This alone is incredibly exciting as it is like playing in a parallel universe, one that we remember from childhood, but have not visited for a long time. Fooling also has benefits for your everyday life. Besides being creatively invigorated, this technique also develops your confidence to work in front of an audience, using only your imagination. Although terrifying at first, the process is gently led and created in a safe environment that allows for failure and free exploration. Being able to work in the moment, using only your own openness, unlocks all of the areas you have kept squirreled away in the hope they will oneday be discovered, yet go continuously unnoticed. By the end of the year long adventure, both in the inner and outer world, you will have come to discover where your limits lye and have a greater understanding of why you are choosing to hold these limits in place. You will have also experienced a taste of the limitless.

What skills will be taught?

The first year fools of the Academy were taught the seven stage structure of fooling. This structure is a technique applied for opening up your imagination, so it can take over from your thinking, in a way that allows those watching you, or viewing the work as an audience, to come with you into this space of your imagination and understand what is happening. This technique can be applied to any creative act, be it performing on stage, writing a poem, making a spreadsheet or building a fence. The result will be new and innovative as it will have no regard for already given rules.This structure is now held within the group by these original fools. Each weekend of the Academy there is a public workshop where this structure is passed onto the general public who join the Academy for the weekend. So the structure is continually revisted, but because most of the difficulty around using the sttructure is based on how much permission one gives oneself to fly into the imagination, the journeyings of these first fools has opened up a deeper expanse of permission for those who have then come and taken part.

The second year of the Academy used this structure to work on a production of Richard II. In the tradition of ignoring set rules, the production process and approach to this play was completely different to a usual rehearsal process. Each fool treated the story of the play as one from their own inner world, which meant aspects of themselves created all of the parts. We have all been usurped at points in out lives and we have all  played the usurper. Using this inner world stage each fool learnt the whole play by heart and therefore  played all of the parts, often with several of them playing the same part at the same time. They also play the set, props, costumes and atmosphere, adorning all of these elements with inner lives of their own and individual perspectives. The results are magical, rich with texture and mind blowing considering that half the fools had never performed in front of an audience before the beginning of the year. The show will be touring with the Academy throughout the next year.

This year the focus will be on developing an individual repertory company, so that each time you get up to work on an imporivsed piece you will have a stock set of characters you can use to perform with. These characters will be aspects of yourself that you already let out to play in your everyday life, your jack the lad persona, or your self important aspect, or your hysterical banshee. These aspects will be adorned with physical characteristics and voices that will  mean your improvisations will seem fuller as different characters within them will be more fully realised. This ability to shape shift should help to free you up in your every day life as well, as you are able to play different characters in a witty and generous way whilst interacting with people, be it down the pub or throughout a presentation.

Who is this for?

Jonathan has taught many different types of people from a great number of professions, from gardener, opera singer, mental health worker, self-made millionaire, mid-wife, teacher, barrister, prisoner, activist, city worker, trapeze artist to poet. The one thing they all have in common is a desire to explore the unknown and open themselves up emotionally in a way that enhances their creativity and that generously shares who they are without feelings of judgement.

Where does it take place?

One of the most exciting aspects of the NAF is it’s nomadic quality. Spending ten days each month in a different city around Europe and the UK is quite an adventure. The places we have stayed and worked in are as varied as the participants. We have stayed in luxury apartments, old gypsy wagons, artist co-operatives, high class residentials, tents, yurts and medieval farm houses. We spend half of our time in beautiful natural surroundings and the other half right in the throng of the city. We work in highbrow theatres and fields! A year in the NAF is akin to taking a year out of work to travel and have a once in a lifetime experience, but you’re also training and developing at the same time.

Jonathan Kay and the Nomadic Academy of Fools 2009-2010 Tour:

September - Spain, October - South France, November - Berlin, December - Brighton, January - London, February - Glastonbury, March - Birmingham, April - Liverpool and May - Edinburgh.

To find out more about the places we visit go to our Links page

How much does it cost?

The fees to take part in this incredible journey are paid by donation. We run a transparent organisation and so throughout the year if we are finding that contributions levels are hindering the comfort in which we work then we talk about it and look at how we can increase contributions. With this experience you will literally get out of it what you put in. At the auditions we talk about the kind of level of donation you think you can offer, be it financial or in terms of time and energy.

For more information download the information and application pack in the left hand toolbar

I’ve always recommended anyone to do this work… it will be an extraordinary journey.

Toby Jones, Actor for National Theatre and Harry Potter films