Weekly Classes

Philosophy for Home Education.  Fun dialogue that helps children connect to one another combined with deep thinking and disagreement about juicy, debatable questions. A different theme each week, with over three years of different sessions to enjoy. In the Nov-Dec block we'll be exploring fibs, freedom, AI, logic and identity (Trigger's Broom, anyone?) Are you free if nobody is in your way? Or only if you are actually able to do something? Are you free to lick your elbow? 

Come play the classic tabletop game of swords and sorcery in sessions designed for new and experienced adventurers alike. Develop your creativity, problem solving and social skills through collaborative and interactive storytelling and fantasy role play.
 
Led by an expert Dungeon Master, we’ll use streamlined rules for quicker quests and cracking combat. In D&D, you’ll get to swing swords, sling spells, ponder puzzles and roll dice as the heroes of your own story! 

Improv is one of the best ways to develop your creativity and performance skills. Every week in improv is a chance for new stories, games and characters. So you get the chance to be lots of different people as well as yourself! 

Sessions are taught by professional actor and improviser Charlie Sturgeon.

Debating could be described as play fighting for the mind! We use "The Tree of Strife", the largest  collection of motions to debate ever compiled (over 2000 now!), from the desirability of meeting aliens, whether freedom of speech entails a right to offend, or whether toddlers are tyrants.

Great for developing confidence and skill as a speaker and thinker.

A mix of games, arguments and all sorts of entertaining sense and nonsense. Developed by improviser and actor Charlie Sturgeon out of the traditions of improv, parents have been know to listen in just for the entertainment!

Great for developing confidence as a speaker and performer, connecting with others and also just having a tremendous amount of fun.

You are a crew of philosophers travelling in an experimental hot air balloon/ Zeppmarine/ Time Machine or whatever else you can imagine together.  Tell Jason what happens next in the story, and he'll weave a philosophical problem around it - which could be a problem for the characters you meet, or for you!

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Great for developing creative, critical and collaborative thinking.

Each block, you explore a different play by the master playwright. For April-May, it's A Midsummer Night's Dream, and for June-July, The Two Noble Kinsmen by Shakespeare and Fletcher.

In these practical and playful sessions you’ll get to perform speeches and scenes, explore stories and history. Hosted by Charlie who was leading man for the Australian Shakespeare Company.

An opportunity for budding writers to get inspiration, grow their skills and (if they want to) share their work with other wordsmiths. We have a different focus each week, and many sessions are the result of requests from our writers. We've had sessions on character and story arcs, the lives of objects, action, dialogue, poetry with and without rhyme... and as well as the main session, there's always the opportunity to bring your writer's aches and pains to the Writers' Clinic for advice - "I can't make my characters interesting if they're nice.", "How do you keep fight scenes convincing?", "How do you keep track of a complicated plot?"

This class explores the same topics, but has its own distinct vibe, making use of the chat facility and being a place where those who don't like being on show can relax as they think. It's a very lively discussion that puts Jason through his paces!

The same enjoyable make-em-ups as the daytime improv club, but at a time that is friendly for UK schoolschoolers and US homeschoolers as well. A very friendly place for bright youngsters who are a bit bored at school and who know our residentials over at GIFT.

Philosophy has been keeping enquiring minds busy for thousands of years! How much can you change a picture before it becomes a lie? Do slugs deserve to eat?

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There are several time slots to choose from for 9-12 year olds and for teens. A different theme each week FRESH TEXT NEEDED

Inspired by the philosophy of art session we had last block and the exciting art lots of participants brought to the sessions, a "commission" will be announced two weeks before the event, asking for art on a particular theme. How you understand and carry out the commission is always entirely up to you - pan ting, sculpture, maybe even interpretive dance! Then we'll get together on zoom to share our work.

The same friendly argy-bargy asthe daytime debate club, but at a time that is friendly for UK schoolschoolers and US homeschoolers as well. A very friendly place for bright youngsters who are a bit bored at school and who know our residentials over at GIFT.