What is it we’re talking about when we talk about “inclusion”? How do we individually and collectively create cultures that foster a sense of inclusion? Why are the most powerful and cutting edge organizations focusing with such intensity on this topic? What do we as applied improvisers bring to the table? (Spoiler alert: a lot!) What do we have to learn from other experts and practitioners? (Spoiler alert: at least as much!) Explore these questions - and some models and tools - through a series experiential activities and practical application to our very own worlds.
You'll get to experience first-hand how quickly play can establish trust and connection, change mindsets, and draw out leadership skills within individuals, teams, and organizations. We'll then show you case studies of 'games that worked' and 'games that didn't' in the corporate space. And by playing together, we'll define the value of play for a corporate audience.
The group will improvise a writing workshop, using elements from Spolin, Johnstone, and the Harold. Encore presentation/many delighted participants from 3 or 4 past AIN conferences. Very little talking, lots of writing. Come, especially if you feel intimidated reading this. It's my job to get things right.
Ooooh, some people signing up already! Great! Please bring implements for writing - paper, pens, computers, etc.
Workshop Description: Existence is improvisation. Most people outside of the performing arts are not taught improvisation and yet they have to improvise every day. Life Unscripted applies the basic tenants of great improvisational theater to serve as a guide to living a more spontaneous and fulfilled life. Drawing from contemporary understandings in depth psychology, attachment, and neuroscience and incorporating the skills of improvisational theater, we offer a paradigm to wake up and live our authentic story. This workshop offers the participants tools to enrich relationships, unleash the imagination, and build a more personally meaningful life.
Workshop Description: This workshop is intended to bridge the gap between intuitive, traditional forms of ritual medicine, and improv work. While some of the outlines of these practices may seem a bit foreign (“the knowing field,” “subtle energy”), many of the principles are quite similar to basic improv—generosity, intuitive response, focus, risk. The outcomes in this case, however, are geared toward creating “good medicine” or healing response, insight into conflicts and personal suffering, and the development of greater capacity for creativity and imagination. These are techniques perhaps best used at the outset before improv training actually begins.
Workshop Description: In almost every workshop or meeting I hear people say “I can’t draw!” You don’t have to be an ‘artist’ to draw, what you need are a hand full of key symbols and icons that you can confidently draw and then build upon improvisationally.
In this session, you will explore two structures to support telling visual stories.
5 Symbols: Infinite Stories is a microstructure for non-verbal storytelling to get us started. Then we will practice drawing and telling stories together with the Bikablo Icon Cards. We will work solo, in pairs and small groups as we practice drawing together.
Workshop Description: Looking for new concepts that can bring greater weight to your work in applied improvisation? Applied improv connects with over 30 years of field-tested theory and practice from Harvard University’s project on “Adaptive Leadership,” a hands-on approach to leading and managing change in and across organizations. Drawing on my current research and Improv for Leadership courses I have taught to Executive MBA students for the last several years, I will introduce participants to the core vocabulary of adaptive leadership, show how it connects with applied improvisation, and highlight how we can put this powerful alignment into practice.
Workshop Description: Since 2014, Caitlin and Theresa have been working with Bloomsbury Press and 11 applied improvisers to collect, edit and publish a book of case studies called Applied Improvisation: Leading, Collaborating and Creating Beyond the Theatre, which will be released next year. Come talk with the two co-editors and some of the contributing authors. We will share how the project started, some of our big challenges and successes, then spend the rest of the time on Q&A. We want to encourage and empower you write and publish your stories!
Workshop Description: The games and exercises used in Applied Improvisation utilize rules and agreements that produce the ideal social framework for exploring ideas and information. These rules allow improvisers onstage and people on the stage of life to create something wonderful together because they are designed to promote a space of psychological safety and mutual support. Research shows that skills and information learned in such a positive emotional atmosphere are more likely to be available when under stress in real-life situations. This workshop will examine the exciting breakthroughs in social-emotional learning applicable to therapeutic, educational and professional development settings.
Workshop Description: Can improv benefit someone with depression? What's unique to improv participants with ADHD or Asperger's? Play with these concepts and other ideas around mental health in this interactive and informative workshop led by an Expressive Arts Therapist.
Workshop Description: How in tune are you to the way you respond to your world? Using improvisation to mindfully connect to your emotional state in this moment, you will access what fuels your response to another individual or situation. This approach grounds you in presence, helps authentically connected words appear effortlessly, thus deepening each interaction in a more meaningful way. Enjoy how easy and fun it is to access a state of flow within this moment.
Workshop Description: Active participants in this 45-minute workshop will be introduced to an immersive improvisational theatre camp, where all attendees – from the campers to the kitchen staff – play in role as wizards attending a magical camp. Every one-week camp session involves all 100+ attendees in a new, improvised story where evil is vanquished and good prevails (… so far!) We will play some of the richest scenes from the stories and strategies for inspiring controlled action and discussion will be demonstrated. Come prepared to play your Best Wizard Self.
Workshop Description: This session is designed to share the results of my recently completed doctoral dissertation on the impact of theatrical improvisation on organizational effectiveness. The use of an experiential, arts-based curriculum that is centered around theatrical improvisation, when utilized for corporate employee training and development purposes, has the potential to have a transformational effect on individuals and organizations if planned and implemented in a thoughtful and purposeful manner. This interpretive case study explored the use of an improv-based training program for employee development purposes in order to understand the experiences of the study’s participants relative to the perceived impact and effectiveness of this training methodology, at both the individual and group levels.
Workshop Description: Stories provide entrée to relationships, are essential for prospective sharing and are a means of understanding and empowerment. Story frames are structured story prompts that can be used in intercultural communication. Prompts provide participants with “permission” to share, while at the same time allowing the stories to be directed to suit communicative goals.
We will explore the power of narrative, consider culturally sensitive approaches to narrative engagement, and develop our own story frames. The goal of this workshop is for all of us to become more narratively resourceful as we talk, listen, create, and celebrate the power of stories.
Workshop Description: Children have experienced armed conflicts and are living in internally displaced camps have limited access to play. Having lived with traumatic experiences ranging from loss of family member, closed relative or family home, these children carry a lot of untold burden with them. This workshop will take participants on a journey of how Applied Improvisation is been used to provide psychosocial support for children and persons displaced by insurgencies in Northeast Nigeria.
What is the best approach to handling the concept of ‘failure?’ In what ways can we as Applied Improvisers help the organizations and individuals we work with ‘right-size’ their relationships with failure? This interactive session will feature a ‘fish bowl’ style conversation in which participants will:
Join us for a conversation about how you can work with these concepts in a variety of settings and contexts.
Each year, The Detroit Creativity Project creates pathways to foster social and emotional learning for over 700 middle and high school students. A higher education researcher uses a faculty training methodology that improves student engagement and learning. An elementary teacher-turned-training strategist applies innovative techniques to change the way students in Thailand and the U.S. develop literacy and engage with writing. Their secret? These practitioners know: improv works in education. In this dynamic panel discussion and interactive workshop, participants will hear from three practitioners who dared to say yes. Find out what happens when improv shakes up traditional learning models.
Nancy Hower & John Lehr have produced completely improvised comedies for Sony, NBC, TBS, Comedy Central, Hulu and more. What sets Hower & Lehr apart is their soup-to-nuts approach. In addition to creating, pitching and writing every episode of their shows, the team are “Showrunners” -- they fully produce every aspect of the day to day operations, dealing with everything from schedules to budgets. They have co-written the scripts for every episode with Hower directing and Lehr acting. This unique skill set puts them in a position to speak on all phases of improvised television production, which is exactly what they’ll do.
Facilitators think a lot about style…the khakis or nose ring speak volumes. Audience members have individual styles too and the more adept you are at assessing and adapting your style to theirs, the more likely you will be engaging and memorable.
You’ll learn simple strategies to help you have fun and be more effective in the moment. An interactive style map provides concrete tips to help you prepare when you have the time and improvise when you don’t. The first 20 people in the room receive a free style map. Additional maps available for purchase.
As a hospitality executive and speaker + consultant, Mike has worked with hundreds of teams full of buzz and big ideas. So why do some tap into their imagination to create disruptive drivers of growth and innovation while others are consistently 10 steps behind? The answer: the best companies have a system to put their team’s creativity into practical outputs. His presentation delivers real-world tools that can be used immediately to increase creative output and deliver bottom-line results. You’ll learn to:
Whether you are a keynote speaker, addressing a boardroom or even at the water cooler your presence is felt the moment you come within proximity. You are not born with this ability it can be learned using applied improvisation. The improvisation process aids participants to focus on the learning points needed and to have an ‘aha’ moment as they feel the transformation. Trust is the foundation of all relationships and is key in developing a presence. Participants will learn how to develop trust by becoming more approachable and open.
*NO FALLING EXERCISES WILL BE PERFORMED AT THIS WORKSHOP.
We will play the simplest of games and start to notice more, to uncover people’s assumptions and the things that influence their behaviour.
I use this with teams and organisations to start conversations about behaviour, culture and how this affects how they work.
You will leave with simple ways to safely challenge people about the assumptions they are carrying around and question if they are useful.
Really simple, yet it gets to the heart of how we work together.
Would it be valuable if you had more clients? NLP is a hot keyword in the self-development and in the professional development field and is gaining popularity for entrepreneurs, life coaches, trainers and therapists. Learn some techniques on how to use this to attract clients who are interested in Applied Improv training for their clients. This workshop will share tips on how to attract Life coaches, teachers, sales people and entrepreneurs to you.
Using the tools of Reframing, Anchoring, Mirroring and Rapport we will do some activities.
Learn and share experiences on Professional and Self Development workshop titles, content and marketing angles.
We will discover and explore group games and exercises to practice, and inspire three key creative thinking skills: Fluency, Flexibility and Uniqueness skills. These activities may be used to stretch a team's creative muscle.
We will begin with foundational research about creative thinking (focused on the aforementioned 3 key skills) and then dive down into the games that will correspond with these skills. Together, we will explore variations of the games as well as share new ones. Such games will include: "What if" "What the heck is it" "Finding Connections" "Better mousetrap" "In Common" and more…
In this interactive workshop, Valentin discussed his experiences with using improv exercises in negotiation (and management) trainings:
This workshop brings the Spolin foundation of Improvisational Games and philosophy focused on movement and full body communication. This is perfect for developing Improvisation with groups of non- actors. There is no pressure to “act.” This is a fast-paced, full-involvement workshops with games new to AIN members. These techniques allow you to tap into true spontaneity, connection and creativity. They also make great high-energy warm-ups. Viola Spolin originated formalized Improvisational Theater techniques.
Effective facilitation skills are an essential part of being a successful Applied Improvisation practitioner, consultant or trainer of any kind.
This session focuses on a creative style of facilitation. It includes powerful tools you can immediately apply to your own work including discovery and design work.
Workshop Description: This workshop will introduce Viewpoints (Space, Shape, Time, Emotion, Movement, and Story), a movement approach created by dancer Mary Overlie, and further developed by theatre directors Anne Bogart and Tina Landau. The versatility of this approach allows for both dynamic and contemplative approaches to facilitating groups. Participants will learn about how these elements can be used singularly or in combination to create collaborative and engaging exercises for groups. This framework also provides a way of assessing how to respond in the moment to what is happening in a group, in order to facilitate a sense of flow in the session.
Expand your offerings, grow your business, reach global audiences, bring improv to isolated populations, and deliver to today's distributed teams with improv online. We will share how we have worked with a Fortune 100 company to take our instructor-led training online to reach their global employee base. Using some of our best practices to keep virtual classrooms fun and interactive, we will explore how to adopt different activities and modalities online. We will also share our favorite platforms and functionalities. But don't worry--this session will take place in-person… for now!
The Social Change Model of Leadership Development is a purposeful, collaborative, values-based process intended to facilitate positive social change. The model was conceived and developed by a group of higher education researchers who referred to themselves as “the Ensemble”—building off each other’s scholarly work in an organic and creative manner. Over the past 20 years, the model and its corresponding tenets (the 7 C’s of Social Change) have played a prominent role in shaping leadership education curriculum across the country. Let’s explore how we can use the model as a framework for applied improvisation and leadership trainings.
This presentation will outline and demonstrate techniques for applying improvisation and drama in the teaching of a second language, as well as discuss the strengths and challenges of this approach. Specifically, the experiences of the speaker teaching in a Chinese language environment will be addressed. Following the presentation, there will be practical demonstration of some techniques, as well as time for discussion and sharing among participants.
