Improbable Summer Workshops 

Monday 28th July - Friday 1st August 2025

 
 

Improvisation For An Uncertain World

How do you hold all the different things you have to do?

How do you care for others without losing yourself?

How do you manage the mundane and remain visionary?

How do you hold the awfulness and the wonder of the world?

How do you feel hope amidst the grief?

We live in extreme and overwhelming times. Extreme views. Extreme weathers. It is all extremely worrying, and easy to become polarised, stuck in one role or mood, divided from others, even divided within yourself. How do you hold it all without breaking?

Here’s one possibility: join us for Improbable’s 2025 Summer Workshops.

We don’t have all the answers, but you will be in excellent company as you ask your questions, and we have some ideas and practices to share which you might find helpful, even – so we have been told – life-changing.

We’re improvisers. Improvisation is not only how we make theatre and operas, it’s how we run our company, how we lead and listen, how we make decisions, how we recover from cancer (see Matilda’s recent blog) and how we respond to world events.

When you improvise- the way we do it - you have to practice wholeness. You have to be both totally committed and utterly flexible; deadly serious and carelessly casual; ready to act and happy to wait; certain you are right and glad to find you are wrong once again.

In other words, instead of being divided, you must embrace paradox.

Come and practice this with us in diverse games and exercises drawn from Impro, theatre, Open Space Technology, Process-Orientated Psychology and more. Whether you work in the cultural sector, media, business, ecology, education, medicine, or are at a crossroads, unsure what to do - you are welcome. This workshop is for experts and novices alike, because what we offer is both incredibly simple and highly sophisticated.

You may even find surprising answers to your impossible questions—like: which came first, the chicken or the egg?

The answer is…. both.

They both came first. So come to the Improbable Summer Workshop.

As things fall apart, let’s practice wholeness together.

  • When

    Monday 28 July – Friday 1st August 2025.

    Arrivals will be on Monday lunchtime around midday.

    Each day we will have morning, afternoon and cosy evening sessions running from around 10am - 9pm each day with plenty of breaks including lunch and dinner.

    Where

    Improbable Summer Workshops are residential. We’ll be onsite at Bore Place and sessions will take place in the Large Barn and across the site.

    All food is provided in partnership with Bore Place and communal cooking and eating will be part of our time together.

    Transport will be provided from Sevenoaks station at the start and end of the week or you are free to make your own way to us.

    Address: Bore Place Road, Chiddingstone, Edenbridge TN8 7AR

    What?

    Each week will include

    • Up to twelve workshop sessions across five days led by Improbable’s artistic leadership Co-Artistic Directors: Phelim McDermott and Lee Simpson and Associate Director Matilda Leyser.

    • 4 nights’ accommodation at Bore Place.

    • All meals and refreshments throughout the week catered for.

    • Transport to/from Sevenoaks station on arrival and departure days.

    How much?

    £1,800 inc VAT for a private room

    £1,200 inc VAT for a shared twin room

    Some rooms include bunk beds. On application you will be able to select your accommodation preference. This is subject to availability.

    Bursaries: Two bursary places are available. These places are fully funded with travel costs to and from Bore Place covered. Bursaries are intended for people in receipt of income-related benefits and who otherwise wouldn't be able to attend due to financial barriers.

    We appreciate that not everyone can qualify for benefits for many reasons, if that's you and you do want to apply for a bursary there is an option to tell us a bit more about you on the application form. This will be held confidentially and we may discuss it with you if we offer you a place.

    If you have any questions about whether you can apply, you can get in touch by emailing office@improbable.co.uk. Our phones aren't always manned but we'll arrange a time to give you a ring.

  • When applying there is a section where you can tell us about any access requirements so that we can ensure to accommodate them during your time at Bore Place with us.

    Full information on the accessibility of the site at Bore Place can be found on the Bore Place website here.

    If you have any access requirements you’d like to discuss ahead of submitting your application, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the team by emailing office@improbable.co.uk and we will arrange a time to call you.

    The form also includes a space to provide information on any preferences you have on room sharing to ensure everyone is assigned a room they feel comfortable with.

  • There is a short application form. We’ll ask you details about yourself (contact info, access requirements, accommodation preferences and whether you would like to apply for a bursary). We will then ask you:

    To tell us a bit about yourself

    Why you want to come to the Summer Workshops

    And if there is anything else you’d like to tell us.

    That’s it! Applications are now open and will close on Monday 12th May 2025.

    APPLY NOW.

  • Email: office@improbable.co.uk