Course Calendar
Please check back soon, the 2018 programme will be released towards the end of this year.
Screenwriting
Phil Gladwin
How to Build a Novel - Weekend
DJ Connell
- You will come away with an outline and timeframe for proceeding with your novel
- You will leave the course feeling confident about your ability to write your book
- You will feel enlivened and encouraged by the group dynamic
Wellbeing Moments
Andry Anastasiou
Adventures in Comedy Writing Weekend
Logan Murray
Passionate Living Weekend
Malcolm Stern
Yoga with Awareness Weekend
Ken Eyerman
Cuban Salsa
John Harris
Christmas Celebration 2017
Michael Eales
Christmas Celebration 2017
Susie Self
Welcoming The New Year
Kate Daniels
Welcoming The New Year
Alison Goldie
Screenwriting An Introduction to Screenwriting is an exciting glimpse into the world of the professional storyteller. During the course of the weekend you will learn how to create the kind of story that grips an audience, how to guide that audience through ever bigger emotional highs and lows, how to build to a dramatic climax, and how to leave them desperate for more. You should come with a blank piece of paper and no preconceptions, and expect to leave with a vivid insight into how TV drama is actually written. Using a mix of practical workshops, more formal discussions, and private writing time, Philip will introduce you to dramatic screenwriting. He will show you how it differs from other forms of writing, and he will explain what elements you absolutely need for a dramatic story. He will explain his professional methods for creating engaging characters, get you writing great scene and dialogue, and help each of you with your dramatic writing, whether you are just starting out, or whether you have been writing professionally for years. If you have ever looked at the TV and thought, I can do better than that‚ then this is your chance to begin. PLEASE NOTE that this course is best suited to people who want to write drama for the screen, the stage, or for radio. The course weekend begins with arrival from 4pm on the Friday evening and optional dinner at 7.30pm. After dinner there is a welcoming get-together and an introduction to the course. Courses run for two hours from 10.30am to 12.30pm on Saturday, 5pm to 7pm on Saturday afternoon and from 10.30am to 12.30pm on Sunday. The course price is £90.00 and a 10% discount applies to Friends of Skyros. As you proceed through the booking system you will be asked for your accommodation requirements. | Phil Gladwin  Owner of Screenwriting Goldmine, and most recently Head of Development for Bentley Productions (famous for making Midsomer Murders), Philip Gladwin has worked as a television script editor and screenwriter since 1995. He has been hired by (and sometimes been fired by) the BBC, ITV, and many different independent production companies, to write or edit TV shows such as New Tricks, The Dumping Ground, The Sarah Jane Adventures, Grange Hill, Holby, Trial & Retribution, The Bill, Casualty, Bugs, Crossroads, and Berkeley Square, plus a good few others that never made it to broadcast. Two of his stage plays went on national tour in 2011 and 2012, he has been nominated for a Sony award and a Medical Journalists Award for his radio plays, and nominated twice for the Dennis Potter Award for his TV work. While learning to write he worked as a cycle courier in central London, a researcher in Artificial Intelligence at Cambridge University, a waiter in London, Brighton and the East Village, and a technical writer for an IBM software house. He loved being a cycle courier, but possibly his least favourite job was being the man who sat outside a massive freezer keeping tally of the movements of tons of frozen fish. He now lives by the sea in Brighton. |
How to Build a Novel - Weekend ***SOLD OUT*** We will examine the novel from a structural perspective, breaking it down into the elements of a good story. You will learn how to plan your novel and how to build its chapters along the bones of a narrative arc. This course is about demystifying the process and about giving you practical skills to construct a compelling book with vivid characters. You will be guided and encouraged within a positive and supportive group environment. There will be daily exercises to stimulate creativity and to provide you with the confidence to power ahead with your novel. Key benefits: The course weekend begins with arrival from 4pm on the Friday evening and optional dinner at 7.30pm. After dinner there is a welcoming get-together and an introduction to the course. Courses run for two hours from 10.30am to 12.30pm on Saturday, 5pm to 7pm on Saturday afternoon and from 10.30am to 12.30pm on Sunday. The course price is £90.00 and a 10% discount applies to Friends of Skyros. As you proceed through the booking system you will be asked for your accommodation requirements. | DJ Connell  DJ Connell was born in New Zealand and has lived and worked in various countries including Australia, Japan, France and the UK. She began her writing career as a newspaper journalist and also wrote for the international non-profit field and advertising before becoming a novelist. Her first novel 'Julian Corkle is a Filthy Liar' was published in the UK by Blue Door HarperCollins and was shortlisted for the Polari First Book Prize. Optioned by Sarah Radclyffe Productions and Macgowan Films, the novel was adapted for screen by Mark Herman and Jonathan Entwistle. The feature film is currently in pre-production. DJ Connell’s second novel 'Sherry Cracker Gets Normal' was also published by Blue Door with editions published in France and German by Editions Belfond and Rowohlt Verlag, respectively. DJ Connell lives in London and is a regular contributor on BBC London 94.9. In 2014, she received a grant from Arts Council England to complete her third book 'The Absurdist'. She is currently working on the second draft of her fourth novel which is set in Camden, London. To find out more about DJ Connell visit her website, djconnell.com and blog, djconnell.wordpress.com |
Wellbeing Moments Wellbeing means being happy, healthy and fulfilled in life. Our sense of wellbeing can change moment to moment, with our emotions, thinking and physical health. It's proven that we can increase our own wellbeing over time. When we listen carefully to ourselves and others, our inner wisdom can guide us to how to enhance our wellbeing in life. On this supportive experiential weekend workshop, we will draw on deep listening techniques from journalling, to peer coaching and neutral compassionate observation. Using these approaches, you will discover the inner spark of wellbeing wisdom that exists in you and that guides you to understand clearly how to improve your wellbeing in life. The course weekend begins with arrival from 4pm on the Friday evening and optional dinner at 7.30pm. After dinner there is a welcoming get-together and an introduction to the course. Courses run for two hours from 10.30am to 12.30pm on Saturday, 5pm to 7pm on Saturday afternoon and from 10.30am to 12.30pm on Sunday. The course price is £90.00 and a 10% discount applies to Friends of Skyros. As you proceed through the booking system you will be asked for your accommodation requirements. | Andry Anastasiou  Andry Anastasiou is an insightful experienced, qualified coach, international workshop facilitator and learning consultant. She has been leading personal and professional development workshops for over 20 years that have enabled her clients to experience wellbeing, change career direction, find new jobs, discover work-life balance and improve relationships. Andry has skills and knowledge in a range of coaching, mentoring, success and well-being and change techniques such as, Solutions Focused coaching dialogue, mindfulness, Qi Gong, MIT U Theory and possibility thinking. Andry facilitates creative, supportive workshops with real passion, insight authenticity and playfulness. What Andry’s clients say: • ‘The biggest change I experienced as a result of coaching with Andry has to be my new job, with my new career.’ • ‘Working with Andry is great because it’s like a journey of starting with someone stuck in a certain place and then by using skills and technique you enabled me to unravel it all to get to a different space. It’s all about understanding.’ Visit Andry's website here: http://thelearningmoment.org |
Adventures in Comedy Writing Weekend ***SOLD OUT*** Comedy, like any other art, is a craft. There are tips and techniques to be learnt. Simply put, if you can understand comedy grammar then unlocking the funny ideas becomes easier. From finding your creative inspiration to learning the building blocks of humour, this workshop will help you discover your unique comic voice. Although a writing course, there would be some non-writing exercises designed to encourage the participant’s creativity. There would also be writing games with group feedback and tutor led suggestions to help you hone your comedy writing skills. By the end of the course you will know how to write comedy and will have the confidence to stand up on your own and make a group of total strangers laugh. Not only will you learn some tricks of the trade, you will also gain a greater awareness of the multitude of differing comic styles that the group manifest. These comedy skills aren’t only for the professional; they are also a fantastic way to think outside of the box, hone your communication skills and increase your confidence in everyday life. More importantly, you will laugh loads over the entire course. The course weekend begins with arrival from 4pm on the Friday evening and optional dinner at 7.30pm. After dinner there is a welcoming get-together and an introduction to the course. Courses run for two hours from 10.30am to 12.30pm on Saturday, 5pm to 7pm on Saturday afternoon and from 10.30am to 12.30pm on Sunday. The course price is £90.00 and a 10% discount applies to Friends of Skyros. As you proceed through the booking system you will be asked for your accommodation requirements. | Logan Murray  Logan Murray is a working comic and award winning director, author of ‘Teach Yourself Stand Up Comedy’, and script consultant for the BBC. He has recently run a series of writing workshops for the Radio Four Comedy Department. He teaches all over the World the Art and Craft of Comedy as far West as Colorado and as far East as Shanghai. Logan has taught many of the comedians, comedy actors and script writers who have appeared on TV and Radio over the past fifteen years, but is far too modest to boast about it here. There is, however, a list of past alumni on his website… His courses offer a unique opportunity to find out what a comedian’s mindset is like and explore his belief that Comedy really is a life skill! |
Passionate Living Weekend As children we marvel at the world around us, longing to be grown up and able to taste many gifts in life. Somehow as adults we have learned to shut down and avoid our pain and struggle. Unfortunately and unknowingly, we also close down our passion and joy. This workshop is designed to reawaken our appetite for the richness of life. Using a blend of psychotherapy, sensual techniques, dance, small group exercises, laughter and communication, we will explore and embrace our passionate selves. The course weekend begins with arrival from 4pm on the Friday evening and optional dinner at 7.30pm. After dinner there is a welcoming get-together and an introduction to the course. Courses run for two hours from 10.30am to 12.30pm on Saturday, 5pm to 7pm on Saturday afternoon and from 10.30am to 12.30pm on Sunday. The course price is £90.00 and a 10% discount applies to Friends of Skyros. As you proceed through the booking system you will be asked for your accommodation requirements. | Malcolm Stern  Malcolm Stern has worked as a group and individual psychotherapist for more than 20 years. He was a co-founder and is Executive Director of Alternatives at St James’s Church in London and runs groups internationally. He is the author of Falling in Love / Staying in Love (Piatkus 2004) and was co-presenter of Channel 4's relationship series 'Made for Each Other' in 2003 and 2004 and sailed on the 'Rainbow Warrior' with Greenpeace in the 1980s. Visit his website here: malcolmstern.com |
Yoga with Awareness Weekend In a focused and yet playful way, experience how Ken integrates Yoga with Feldenkrais. These yoga classes and moving meditation sessions are suitable for all levels, including complete beginners and those who have injuries or are restricted in their movement. The intuitive and spontaneous hands-on approach emphasizes the benefits of using your breath and developing an awareness of your inner process. Participants will learn to use their bodies with intelligence, awareness and efficiency. The Eyerman Technique will ease you into new postures while encouraging you to explore movement in a way that is both developmental and restorative. Ken seeks to work with you, by developing core movement, and helping you tune into the constant flow of life energy essential to maintaining health and clarity of mind. Ken's yoga courses in Greece with Skyros.com are included as 'One of the 5 Best Yoga Holidays' on the Healthista website and listed as the 'Best holiday for those with injuries', describing the yoga as 'great for people who want a slower pace, including complete beginners and those who have injuries or are restricted in their movement.' The course weekend begins with arrival from 4pm on the Friday evening and optional dinner at 7.30pm. After dinner there is a welcoming get-together and an introduction to the course. Courses run for two hours from 10.30am to 12.30pm on Saturday, 5pm to 7pm on Saturday afternoon and from 10.30am to 12.30pm on Sunday. The course price is £90.00 with a 10% Friends of Skyros discount. As you proceed through the booking system you will be asked for your accommodation requirements. | Ken Eyerman  With over thirty five years experience, Ken is an American who has worked as a movement therapist, having studied dance and psychology. Previously he worked at the London Contemporary Dance School as bodyworker in residence. Ken is trained in The Feldenkrais Method, Awareness Through Movement and has a busy private practice at Natureworks/ Danceworks in London. As well as regular yoga workshops, Ken offers his Yoga with Awareness holidays internationally and returns to Skyros for his 25th season! He is the author of an inspirational book, Massage and was named as one of the Londons top three masseurs by the Evening Standard. The Ken Eyerman School of Bodywork and Movement is affiliated to the Institute of Complementary Medicine. |
Cuban Salsa In this course you will master the basics of Cuban Rueda Salsa - the Cuban social dance. Students can expect to cover the basic steps and turns of Cuban style which transfer to Columbian, LA and Cross Body styles. The course is designed for beginners but refreshers and the more experienced are still welcome to join this fun and invigorating course. The course weekend begins with arrival from 4pm on the Friday evening and optional dinner at 7.30pm. After dinner there is a welcoming get-together and an introduction to the course. Courses run for two hours from 10.30am to 12.30pm on Saturday, 5pm to 7pm on Saturday afternoon and from 10.30am to 12.30pm on Sunday. The course price is £90.00 and a 10% discount applies to Friends of Skyros. As you proceed through the booking system you will be asked for your accommodation requirements. | John Harris  John Harris teaches Cuban Salsa and Argentine Tango and is also a Yoga instructor and Life Coach. He has led over 15 Skyros Holidays to Cuba and has taught Yoga and Life Coaching in a variety of settings worldwide. He first began working for Skyros in 1999, is originally from New Zealand and currently resides in the UK with his wife Zoe and son Felix. |
Christmas Celebration 2017 A four-day celebration with courses, coastline walking, parties, games, fabulous food and the company of inspirational leaders and soon-to-be new friends. Christmas at The Grange this year is hosted by Susie Self and Michael Eales, both of whom bring a wealth of skills, experience and fun to the event. Courses and activities will be based around what everyone would like to do. Feel free to join in as much or as little as you want. This is the time of year we talk about Peace and Joy and the challenge to all of us is how to live a happy and peaceful life in a world that is becoming faster moving, more stressful and more fearful. This is the perfect opportunity to explore and experience both. Michael Eales will be offering Living In The Now, Finding Our Joy. This will be a mix of mindful living, looking at how you can live in the present moment more of the time, and finding our path of happiness. The aim is to be at your best more of the time, and to find a strategy to bring that more into your life. Michael will also offer Mindfulness Meditation and Laughter Yoga. Michael creates a very safe and encouraging group space. Susie Self will lead Joyful Choir, singing in a happy upbeat group. This is a great activity for freeing your voice, connecting with others and filling you with wellbeing. No previous singing experience is needed. She will also offer a Open Mic activity, so bring a song, sheet music, a poem or a story. Susie will also offer Mandala Painting, a great way to relax and release your creativity. During the session you will be bathed in Susie's sensuous Subtle Sound Immersions. Susie makes painting fun, easy and rewarding. No painting experience is needed and all materials are included. Together, these great hosts will lay the foundations for a Christmas you will truly enjoy! | Michael Eales  Michael Eales, psychologist, writer, and leadership coach for 30 years, is one of the leading figures in Humanistic Psychology. He is co-author of The Personal Management Handbook,Implausible Professions and The Coaching Cube and is a management consultant with major organizations. He was part of the staff team of the Human Potential Research Project at Surrey University and has trained many practitioners in the field. He has written for film and television. He co-wrote and acted in the film Inertia (Dir. Anna Campion), which opened at the London Raindance Film Festival, and Bipolar‚ which premiered in 2006 at the Edinburgh Film Festival. He is currently working with Anna Campion on a film adaptation of a novel. In 2013 he published Sketches of Skyros, a collection of poems illustrated by paintings of the late Manos Faltaits, and Dreams Like Enigmatic Paintings, a translation of the work of Henri Michaux. |
Christmas Celebration 2017 A four-day celebration with courses, coastline walking, parties, games, fabulous food and the company of inspirational leaders and soon-to-be new friends. Christmas at The Grange this year is hosted by Susie Self and Michael Eales, both of whom bring a wealth of skills, experience and fun to the event. Courses and activities will be based around what everyone would like to do. Feel free to join in as much or as little as you want. This is the time of year we talk about Peace and Joy and the challenge to all of us is how to live a happy and peaceful life in a world that is becoming faster moving, more stressful and more fearful. This is the perfect opportunity to explore and experience both. Michael Eales will be offering Living In The Now, Finding Our Joy. This will be a mix of mindful living, looking at how you can live in the present moment more of the time, and finding our path of happiness. The aim is to be at your best more of the time, and to find a strategy to bring that more into your life. Michael will also offer Mindfulness Meditation and Laughter Yoga. Michael creates a very safe and encouraging group space. Susie Self will lead Joyful Choir, singing in a happy upbeat group. This is a great activity for freeing your voice, connecting with others and filling you with wellbeing. No previous singing experience is needed. She will also offer a Open Mic activity, so bring a song, sheet music, a poem or a story. Susie will also offer Mandala Painting, a great way to relax and release your creativity. During the session you will be bathed in Susie's sensuous Subtle Sound Immersions. Susie makes painting fun, easy and rewarding. No painting experience is needed and all materials are included. Together, these great hosts will lay the foundations for a Christmas you will truly enjoy! | Susie Self  Susie Self ARCM MPhil Cantab is an International singer/composer. She has composed 4 symphonies 3 operas and 6 albums. She has just won a STEAM scholarship to read for a PhD in composition at Birmingham University. Susie has sung solo in the West End and for the opera houses of Lyon, Luxembourg, Salzburg, Strasbourg, Antwerp and The Royal Opera, Covent Garden. |
Welcoming The New Year New Year at The Grange 2017-2018! This will be a four-day celebration with partying, singing, dancing, games, delicious food, coastline walking and the company of inspirational leaders and soon-to-be new friends. Alison Goldie and Kate Daniels will run workshops and facilitate games and group activities that will have you bonding in humour and creative play. Alison is a very experienced theatre-maker, comedy improvisation teacher and coach who has run courses for Skyros Holistic Holidays for 20 years, and The Grange for 12 years - she has a reputation for creating wonderful events. As well as improvisation and party games, she will offer a coaching session to support your plans for the year ahead. Jazz singer and psychotherapist, Kate Daniels, is well-known at Skyros and The Grange for helping people to Walk Tall, Feel Fabulous and Find their Voice. Expect to have some fun as you learn to release your Inner Diva or Divo! Sing wonderful songs in three and four-part harmony whether or not you call yourself a singer, and step into the New year with panache. Together, Alison and Kate regularly hosted The Skyros-at-The-Map Café afternoon cabarets which brought great music and performance to North London. These expert hostesses will work in tandem and individually to bring you what might just be your best New Year celebration ever. NB: Bring some stout shoes for the beach, and a fabulous outfit for our New Year’s Eve party.
| Kate Daniels  Singer and songwriter, Kate was also for many years the director of Systemic Psychotherapy training at the Tavistock Centre in London, Kate continues to teach there and in addition has run courses and directed in Skyros for 14 years. Pursuing a creative life is her passion. She studied in Birmingham with playwright David Edgar, has acted and written for theatre and radio and this year she will be launching her third CD as a jazz singer. A recent performance of hers at the Vortex in London was hailed by The Guardian jazz critic as “A classy concert of song-cherishing internationalism”. |
Welcoming The New Year New Year at The Grange 2017-2018! This will be a four-day celebration with partying, singing, dancing, games, delicious food, coastline walking and the company of inspirational leaders and soon-to-be new friends. Alison Goldie and Kate Daniels will run workshops and facilitate games and group activities that will have you bonding in humour and creative play. Alison is a very experienced theatre-maker, comedy improvisation teacher and coach who has run courses for Skyros Holistic Holidays for 20 years, and The Grange for 12 years - she has a reputation for creating wonderful events. As well as improvisation and party games, she will offer a coaching session to support your plans for the year ahead. Jazz singer and psychotherapist, Kate Daniels, is well-known at Skyros and The Grange for helping people to Walk Tall, Feel Fabulous and Find their Voice. Expect to have some fun as you learn to release your Inner Diva or Divo! Sing wonderful songs in three and four-part harmony whether or not you call yourself a singer, and step into the New year with panache. Together, Alison and Kate regularly hosted The Skyros-at-The-Map Café afternoon cabarets which brought great music and performance to North London. These expert hostesses will work in tandem and individually to bring you what might just be your best New Year celebration ever. NB: Bring some stout shoes for the beach, and a fabulous outfit for our New Year’s Eve party. | Alison Goldie  Alison Goldie is an actor, theatre director, writer and teacher. After graduating from Hull University with a degree in drama she performed in many rooms above pubs, did solo stand-up comedy, played all the female characters in Newman and Baddiel in Pieces (BBC2), then became a travel reporter on The Travel Show (BBC2). She toured the world with the award-winning The Weird Sisters Theatre Company and received huge acclaim for her solo show, Lady in Bed. She has directed plays for Vienna’s English Theatre, and in London’s West End, as well as many fringe and community shows. Alison’s book ‘The Improv Book: Improvisation for Theatre, Comedy, Education and Life’ was published in 2015 by Oberon Books and has received unanimously positive reviews. Alison is also a trained and practising life coach. See Alison's website here: www.alisongoldie.com and www.alisongoldiecoach.com. |
