WORKSHOPS | TEACHING

WORKSHOPS & TEACHING

Elf is a dedicated and seasoned educator, committed to mentoring individuals at various stages and levels of their artistic practice across the country. She has taught workshops for nearly a decade. Leveraging her extensive background as a performer, Elf has meticulously developed dynamic exercises and a unique performance methodology. The primary objective of her workshops is to inspire individuals, fostering a deeper connection with their bodies and unlocking their inherent capabilities.

With extensive experience, Elf conducts workshops both in the UK and internationally for artists and non-artists.

These sessions are perfect for theatre groups, drama schools, and ensemble companies looking to deepen their play, complicité, and storytelling.

WORKSHOPS INCLUDE:

THE POWER OF PLAY – An Introduction to Clowning
A joyful and intensive exploration into the heart of clown. Learn how to find the game, embrace failure, and connect with your audience through vulnerability, timing, and mischief. Ideal for performers wanting to unlock spontaneity and rediscover the pleasure of being ridiculous.

ANIMAL EYES – Bouffon & the ‘Dark Clown’
Step into the grotesque. This workshop explores the subversive power of Bouffon and the dark clown. Perfect for those who are fed up with people pleasing and being nice on stage.

HOW TO MAKE YOUR INCREDIBLE SHOW
A practical, no-nonsense session on devising solo or ensemble theatre from the ground up and how to face up to your ego to get exactly what you want and make the show you want to make.

CLOWNING FOR ACTORS – Clown Meets Classical
Designed for actors with a grounding in text, this workshop examines how clown principles can transform classical and contemporary scene work.

CLOWNING & THE FIVE SENSES – Advanced Workshop for Experienced Performers
A sensory laboratory for artists ready to stretch. This workshop explores how taste, smell, touch, sound and sight can radically shift the clown's world. Designed to deepen physical awareness, presence, and complicité.

CORPORATE WORKSHOPS

Elf also delivers bespoke workshops for corporate teams, leadership retreats, and creative organisations seeking to boost confidence, connection, and communication in the workplace.

Drawing on over a decade of experience in theatre, clowning, and performance, Elf uses her distinctive and engaging methodology to help individuals and teams reconnect with play, presence, and creative risk-taking. These sessions are ideal for professionals working in fast-paced or high-pressure environments who want to enhance collaboration, spark innovation, and build trust.

Popular corporate workshops include:

The Power of Play – Cultivating creativity and spontaneity at work
Stage Presence for Professionals – Public speaking and performance confidence
Clown Logic for Creative Thinking – Reframing failure, embracing curiosity, and unlocking ideas
The Embodied Leader – Using physical awareness and voice to enhance leadership presence
Connection & Complicité – Building better team dynamics through laughter and shared experience

Each workshop is tailored to your organisation’s specific goals, and can be delivered in person or online, for team sizes ranging from small executive groups to large staff events.

For more information or to book a discovery call, please get in touch via info@theelflyons.com

MENTORING EMERGING ARTISTS & STUDENT GROUPS

In 2022 Elf completed her PGCE in Secondary Drama at Goldsmiths University, London, and served as a secondary school teacher in London until April 2023. Elf loves working with young artists, community groups and students to help them discover their creative potential.

She currently teaches at Rose Bruford University as a visiting lecturer alongside guest teaching at drama schools and universities around the UK. Since the Autumn of 2022, Elf has assumed the role of LAB leader for the Soho Theatre's Comedy Lab Plus +.

Elf conducts workshops at schools, universities, conferences, and community centres, in addition to offering one-on-one mentoring sessions for those eager to hone their craft and push their creative boundaries.

For information on future workshops or to contact Elf regarding working with your community group, school or youth centre, please reach out to her at info@theelflyons.com.

TESTIMONIALS FROM STUDENTS

Elf ran a fantastic, fully inclusive clowning workshop for our group of young artists with complex needs. The workshop seamlessly blended laughter with learning and Elf had an exceptional understanding of how to make the workshop accessible: all participants were engaged, appropriately challenged and experienced something new. The unique abilities of all participants were nurtured and celebrated. Above all, the session was filled with silliness, fun and laughter.

Katie Black, Total Arts, Cambridge Junction

Elf ran an incredibly professional and playful workshop, which was a joy to take part in. Her knowledgeable approach led to many discoveries for the artists, and she’s given them new tools to take their careers to the next level.

-Andrew Sim, Festival Director of Reykjavík Fringe

Elf creates effortlessly safe, inclusive and fun spaces for people of any background to learn and play. Her workshop has become the fundamentals of my creative development process.

Dylan McBurney, Pilot Comedy, Melbourne

Elf's training is transformational and super practical. I left with specific techniques I can apply to my show and a deeper understanding of what works best for my performance style and the areas I need to improve (with how to do that). The most comprehensive training I've done. I wasn't bored once. It was jam-packed, fast, fun, and kind! I felt encouraged, motivated, and fully equipped to take my show to the next level. Exceptional all around.

Lauren Wallett, completed 'Clowning and the Senses' Workshop in December 2023

The sessions were energetic, lively and laugh out loud funny. I peed my pants.

Flo, aged 12, Clown Camp for Kids

I have not been so impacted by someone's direction, succinct observations and energy in a long time.

Lara, Amsterdam, 2024

I absolutely enjoyed the 2 day workshop we had in Amsterdam. It was packed with wisdom, information, constructive feedback and fun! I don’t think I have felt many times so free to be silly and be seen as such and not be self judging in the process.

Jonada, Amsterdam, 2024

I absolutely loved Elf's 2 days weekend workshop. The workshop was rich in content and we all got personalized feedback and the opportunity to try ourselves out in several ways and many short solo performances. Elf created a safe and playful space to experiment; there was always a good buildup to more difficult exercises - the transition felt very smooth. I met with two other workshop participants some days after the workshop and we were all still reliving the experience.

Eniko, Amsterdam, 2024

I couldn't have wished for a better course leader than Elf Lyons for the Comedy Plus Labs course at Soho. Within minutes of the first session, Elf put us all at ease and created a safe space for us to be vulnerable and push ourselves to create something we were truly proud of.

Shabaneh, Comedy Labs + 2023

As a teacher Elf naturally fizzes with creativity and has an allergy for hack. Our performances in the end-of-course showcase were testament to this and were weird and often wonderful.

Benji Waterstones, Comedy Labs + 2023

Elf gives surgically precise guidance that can take your material to where it needs to be instantly.

Dru Cripps, Comedy Labs + 2023

It has been an absolute pleasure being taught by Elf on the Soho Comedy Labs Plus course - Elf is an inspiring and kind teacher, who knows exactly how to get the best out of students, by encouraging them to get out of their comfort zone, and by being incredibly supportive but also honest. The environment she created for us on the course was crucial in allowing us all to grow and push ourselves.

Abbi Cole, Comedy Labs + 2023

Every session with Elf I learn something and howl with laughter. Her ability to create a fun loving atmosphere gives people the confidence to play and gain insights into their own performance. She has embraced and perfected the art of zoom teaching still keeping everyone engaged and involved.

Marty Gleeson,Comedy Labs + 2023

The course has helped me to unleash my creativity and has melted away all of my inhibitions. I’m no longer afraid to throw myself into the deep end, I can trust that I have all the skills needed to create some cracking material now. Elf has coerced the clown out of me and helped mould her into something I’m truly proud of.

Serena

Elf’s brilliant course led me to a better understanding of who I am as a performer.

Emma

Elf creates a warm and supportive environment that allows you to really explore your most ridiculous and off-beat ideas. I felt very seen as an individual, whilst also a part of an ensemble and I loved every minute. I left the course very inspired and with some great tools for continuing the work we started on my own.

Hannah

If you have forgotten what it is like to play, or want to rekindle that flame then this is the course for you. Delightfully madcap & fun will ensue.

Piero

Elf’s approach makes you really open up to the possibilities in creating solo work; how you relate to your audience and how you can achieve great comic theatre with simple techniques and principles. It’s a joy to experience the change when you experiment

Milly

Elf gave me a lot of tools & ideas to develop my creativity and structure my performance. Her workshops are also a warm environment where it is good to try ideas you are feeling shy about. I’ll come back!

Gratianne

Phenomenal and life giving weekend that allowed me to access parts of myself I never even knew existed. Led so kindly with just the right of push and go ahead to dare one into the unknown, uncomfortable to create the beautiful. And most importantly, so much fun!

Bambi

Time spent in an Elfy Lyons course for me is time spent in a safe space with encouragement to grow as a performer. I was challenged without being pushed, and I learned (a lot) while laughing. I recommend it!

Gerry

Elf facilitated a amazing 4 week clown workshop. I was able to explore new sides of performing and have individualized feedback which was so affirming and wonderful. The layout led to a really fun creative process and the activities were purposeful and awesome. Thank you!

Issy

Doing the course with Elf was great fun, and really changed the way I think about developing and relating to a character. The group created personas ranging from the tragic to the downright alarming, but between those more extravagant experiments we explored some really interesting ideas and, pleasingly, managed to be quite funny with it.

Chris