“It’s impossible to learn that which you think you already know.”

Epictetus

Through short and long form improv, clown, movement, laughter and reflection, we’ll fall upwards into

Playful discovery
Laughter and fun
Letting your body surprise you
Movement and messing around
Stimulation for personal reflection

Polarity Play!

Polarities are seeming opposites that actually support each other, like yin and yang, leading and following and so on.

As themes through the classes, we’ll play with polarities as springboards for creativity and optional explorations outside class.

Order and Chaos

Too much order and we lose touch with life. Too much chaos and we become overwhelmed.

Finding joy in patterns and structures
Tapping into chaos and impulse and being surprised

“The world is made of chaos and order. And the quality of our being depends on how we manage the balance between them.”

Jordan Peterson

Archetypes and Individuals

- Using archetypes to inspire rich improvised myths, legends and fairy stories
- Opening up meaning in human quirks and tiny details, finding “a world in a grain of sand”

“You are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else.”

Jim Wright

Listening In and Listening Out

Where do you look for inspiration – in yourself or in others? We’ll explore finding inspiration in

listening and paying attention to your fellow players
sensing and exploring your inner responses

“Stop measuring days by degree of productivity and start experiencing them by degree of presence.”

Alan Watts

Ordinary and Extraordinary

We sometimes feel we need to do something exciting, funny or just generally “better”. Instead we’ll explore

Daring to be ordinary
Not trying to be smart, but allowing the connection to take it wherever it takes us

“Don’t try to be funny. We are hilarious – to be a human is to be funny.”

Del Close

Leading and Supporting

Sometimes it’s good to take charge. Sometimes it’s good to support. We’ll explore

Taking charge, being big and bold
Letting go and supporting whatever’s going on, whether you expected it or not

“Life is a mysterious game: The only way to win is to surrender.”

Gabrielle Roth

Succeeding and Failing

When we first make a plan then try to force events to go that way, we get stuck. We’ll explore

Getting into loving problems
Allowing the obstacle to become the way
Turning a detour into a new destination

“When you’re not concerned with succeeding, you can work with complete freedom.”

Larry David

Committing and Relaxing

Like how we suspend disbelief during a film, we play as if everything is important and also laugh to remember it totally doesn’t matter and we’re just messing around!

We can explore big themes and laugh about it. Create masterpieces and sweep them away. Let go of knowing and discover new lands.

Who is it for?

To enjoy this class you should have done some short and long form improv before and feel OK about jumping in and exploring. For example, you might have done a course with me such as The Delight of Surprising Yourself or similar with someone else. Ask me if you’re not sure.

Image Credits

All at Unsplash if not otherwise stated.

Laughing woman – Ivana Cajina @von_co
Jumping into puddle – Rafaela Biazi @rafaelabiazi
Woman pulling face – Toa Heftiba @Heftiba
Dionysus – Boudewijn Huysmans @boudewijn_huysmans
Swing dancers – Amandine L @amandine_latour
Man with plant – Jason Edwards @jasonedwa
Two women lying backwards on bed – Olena Sergienko @olenkasergienko
Man falling backwards into lake – Cesar La Rosa @obcesar
Woman laughing – Callum Shaw @callumshaw
Colourful infinity symbol – Gordon Dylan Johnson Openclipart @gdj
Two friends laughing under a tree – Bagas Muhammad @bagskai

Choose time	Fridays 2-4pm BST

Sense and Silliness