International Women’s Day is always a time for reflection, celebration, and renewed commitment to gender equality. This year, I had the privilege of attending a thought-provoking panel discussion at Brighton University on Women in Leadership. The event brought together an inspiring group of women…
Navigating Chaos with Improv: VUCA and BANI in Business What do Improv, VUCA and BANI have in common? You’ve heard of VUCA, but have you heard of BANI? In fact, first of all, have you heard of VUCA? What is VUCA? VUCA stands for Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity. It…
by Jules Munns, Director of Studies I like telling this story to new improvisers because it often surprises them: I started doing improv because I hated improv. Well, not quite hated it. Friday mornings at drama school, we had improv classes with a gentle…
Does Improv Help with Pitching? Short answer: YES. This week, I’ve found myself in one of the most surreal situations. I’m currently working on a pitch for AndAlso at the Create South East Showcase while simultaneously running a high-level training program for a company whose staff needs…
Psychological Safety in Teams & Improvisation Training On the face of it, improvisation might seem like it’s all about recklessness and risk-taking. Yes, we practice getting comfortable with failure, celebrate mistakes, and embrace uncertainty, but lately, I’ve been reflecting on what safety and improvisation have in common. This idea first…
Stay positive, don’t argue, be nice to each other. If you have ever been to an improv class, you will have heard some version of that. Justifications vary, but the stay-positive instruction is so often repeated, it is worth examining. And when I say ‘examining’, I…
How to MC an Improv Show: A Guide to Hosting with Confidence It is often said that the tech crew are the most underappreciated people involved in an improv show. Don’t get me wrong, I worship my lights, sound, and musical directors, but I’ve come to the conclusion lately that…
Improv Training for Executive Teams: The Secret to High-Performing Leadership Several years ago, my comedy troupe, The Maydays, were asked to perform in a ‘high-performing teams’ showcase for a large corporate event. The lineup of high-performing teams included us, a shadow gymnastics group, a jazz trio, and Britain’s Got…
The History of Improv The History of improv is hard to pin down. Like folk music, improv is often passed down through generations by oral tradition rather than through written or recorded formats. Games in particular can vary wildly between how they are played and what they are…
How to Prepare for your first improv class People often ask us what they need to do to prepare for their first improv class. The genuine truth is nothing. You just turn up, as you, and experience it. This should be a reassuring thing, but I…
How improv makes you attractive That certain ‘je ne sais quoi.’ Effortless Charisma. Radiant Charm. That feeling that certain people give off that just makes you want to be around them. What is the thing that makes someone smoking hot (or not)? According to clinical…
“All our words from loose using have lost their edge” – Hemmingway Bullshit is an easy word to throw around. Being foul mouthed, in the past week I have used it to refer to slow traffic, my daughter’s inability to sleep, a narrative turn in a…
