BBC world service recently ran a fascinating programme* about people who are learning improv to overcome social anxiety. “What’s that got to do with me and my work?” I can hear you say. Everything. Because what they are doing is…
The fact that Applied Improvisation can have a great impact on organisations is no longer in question. There has been a huge amount of research done by universities, business schools, and independent academics, and the findings are unassailable. Applied Improv…
Last week I was lucky enough to be at the AIN Conference 2016 – the Applied Improvisation Network’s fantastic conference at Keble College in Oxford. There were 250 practitioners from around the world sharing their experience of the extraordinary power…
How well does your team relate? I recently had the delightful privilege of co-delivering “Right Here, Right Now” a ground-breaking Applied Improvisation training day for psychotherapists. This was a partnership programme, between Improv Initiative and Cascade Therapy. If I may…
There is a tenet that is used throughout the Improv world that goes “Your skill level is average – your fellow players are all geniuses!” It is useful for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it takes the pressure off you…
Could Improv be an answer to the modern diseases of Information Overload and Stress? Mindfulness is the buzzword of our times. And not without good reason. Those of us with busy working lives spend a lot of our mental energy rehashing the recent…
Ask a casual observer what they think the key skill of improvisation is, and the chances are they’ll say something like “quick thinking” or “wit” or “having a creative mind.” Actually, while these are all helpful assets, none of them…
The terms “Teamwork” and “Collaboration” are often used interchangeably. I believe they are very different beasts. Formula One Pit Crews are fabulous examples of the ultimate team. They can change all 4 wheels of a racecar in an almost inconceivable…
There is an Applied Improv exercise I use quite a lot, called “Strawberry/Vanilla”. People mill randomly around the room, and every time two people pass each other, they make eye contact and simultaneously they say out loud either the word…
“Just because something doesn’t do what you planned it to do doesn’t mean it’s useless.” ― Thomas A. Edison There is an understanding in all forms of Improvisation, whether it’s Jazz, Dance, or the kind of theatre and comedy I…