The Holden was founded twenty five years ago and started from an idea that seemed a bit risky, even in those days.
The idea was to create a school where not even the poster boy for student restlessness – Holden Caulfield – would be bored or expelled.
We wanted to teach something that captivates even the roughest among us – stories. How they work, where they come from, where to find them and how new ones can be told.
The teaching method also had to be special, in order to maintain the principles that keep us hooked on a good story; how they make us laugh and cry or even knock us off our feet.
Many things happen at the Holden every day, for many different people and in many different ways. Below are a few pointers to help you decide which parts of the school would suit you best, and also how to easily navigate the site.
Well how about this: Original is a two year, full time course that is designed for students aged 18 to 30 who would like to make a career out of narration. The different paths in this case are collectively called College and are each focused on a separate storytelling area. Not to say that you can only do one, in the two years you will cross paths many times with the others and experiment with diverse methods; from videomaking to comics and radio podcasts to traditional written narrative.
Yes. We inaugurated Academy in 2019; it lasts for three years and graduates earn a degree that is of equivalent value to a three year course at Dams.
Academy is in fact the only place in Italy where you can graduate in writing: here you will study all the techniques that go with such a profession and relate to the seven Disciplines – seven fundamental abilities that, we believe, are vital for living in today’s world.
If you’ve never lost your passion for stories or you would simply like to develop your existing style for work then you can choose Over 30.
The course lasts for eight weekends and is spread over an eight month period (approximately October-May or May-December). As with the other courses, you can choose a College path to spend most of your time on. During this period however you can divert from your main class onto Tracks, a series of shorter courses that focus on other writing techniques. To find out more, click here.
Then the WonderLabs would be right up your street; a series of short courses on particular techniques that can be done during the evening or weekend: script, poetry, short story, songwriting, advertising and journalism.
These courses are run both here in Turin or online. We also do courses around Italy so all you have to do is choose what, where and when to study.
There are two cases. Firstly, perhaps you have a novel or a script on the go but you’re stumped. Maybe you need someone to take a look at it and advise. We call this Writing Coach: a series of face to face appointments with a professional who can give their own opinion and help you nudge it back in the right direction.
Secondly, if you have an idea but don’t know where to start, then we have the Training Camp – an intense workshop on a chosen narrative style (screenplay, TV series, children’s literature and so on). By working in a small class and with the trainer in close contact you can develop your idea into a more structured one. But that’s not all; at the end of the course you can present your idea to a panel of industry experts and backers, in order to take it even further.
Sure. Free workshops take place at Fronte del Borgo (an area on the riverfront) which have a specific role to play – to help young children understand that reading, writing and storytelling are wonderful things. Furthermore, we share our methods with teachers, tutors and parents either here in Turin or at your school.
Many of the Holden school projects are for both pupils and teachers and we are always inventing new ones. Our dream is to have a little bit of the Holden’s spirit in all of the world’s schools.
Yes. Some of today’s best stories are told by brands and companies that, by and large, change the way that people think and act.
Corporate Storytelling explores the secret behind all this and helps your business with its own ideas, communication and everyday working habits.
Then perfect! Holden Studios is the perfect place for such ideas. It’s somewhere where we can forge new tools and change the world view of anybody who uses them. All you have to do is tell us what’s on your mind.
Here at the school we have a bar called the Bartleby. It’s open anyone at the Holden to take a break, have some lunch or to think up some good ideas. In fact, some of the best ideas were formed over a drink.
We also host Morsel, our special events, here at the bar. Our merch stand can also be found at the Bartleby, for those who fancy taking something home with them.
We have a Sport Club that not only has an 11-a-side but there is a volleyball team too. To find out more, take a look here.
You can always find refuge in the Library. Here you can find all the books, magazines and board games that you could ever want. Be mindful however as you might find yourself in the middle of a Fronte del Borgo activity – so please figure out a good time first. Or you could have a look at our events page; don’t expect the Oscars but we have a lot of fun!