Background to Hoopla
Hoopla aim to make impro open and accessible to everyone.
Hoopla aim to provide a fun, friendly, encouraging, trusting, safe and supportive environment where people can enjoy performing and watching improv.
We aim to book and produce a variety of improv shows that represent the full variety of improv styles, from people of different backgrounds working and playing together.
Hoopla aim to open up improv for everyone by putting on fun shows that are suitable for people who are new to watching improv, as well as existing improv fans and improvisers, to help grow the overall UK improv audience and scene.
Hoopla also support new improvisers and groups by providing a safe and supportive environment for them to build up performing experience and experiment with new ideas. We aim to have a space for everyone to perform, from beginner improvisers stepping on stage for the first time to experienced TV famous improvisers. We vary our marketing accordingly so that the right audience turns up for the right show.
We aim to provide a fun place to perform where groups can put on shows without the financial restrictions of large financial deposits or that are found in many fringe theatres and festivals.
We also provide a paid Producer to promote all our shows to give you a lively improv loving audience.
We aim to provide a supportive and welcoming environment to people of all ages, genders, ethnic backgrounds, physical abilities, cultural views, sexual orientations, religions and nationalities, and are currently working to encourage greater diversity and accessibility in the improv scene.
Hoopla also put on additional events like improv networking, jams and socials to help grow the flourishing UK improv community.
Hoopla also aim to provide safe and supportive events and socials where people new to London can join a community and make new friends.
To help this we ask our performers to follow the guidelines below
Improvise together as a team. The team applies to the greater improv community and transcends groups, companies and shows.
Treat our front of house volunteers, front of house managers, producers, tech support, hosts and audience with respect and help welcome them into the larger improv community.
Say thank you to all the front of house volunteers that have helped run the night.
Respect the other acts when they are on stage, by not talking at the back, slamming doors or distracting from the show in any way.
Support each other, on stage and off stage.
Support other groups.
Listen to your scene partner.
Yes And your scene partner, unless it is unsafe or demeaning to do so.
Collaborate with, rather than compete with, your fellow improvisers.
Respect physical boundaries and don’t do anything physically dangerous to yourself or your scene partner.
Respect sexual boundaries, on and off stage.
Improvise from a place of fun, love, kindness and respect for your fellow improvisers and audience.
Safety, trust and support is always more important than the temporary existence of an improv show. So if in doubt, stop the show, and you won’t be made to feel bad for doing so and this will not jeopardise future bookings in any way.
You should never have to perform in an unsafe or unsupportive environment. If in doubt talk to the host, a member of Hoopla, or the venue management, bar staff or security. We do not expect performers to deal with unsafe situations.
Help us to create an environment free from harassment of any kind.
Difficult subject matter in scenes, characters with unpleasant viewpoints, and human/society/political issues can be tackled on stage if that is the artistic choice of the group, as long as the scene is to be treated with full emotional intelligence and the themes and moral implications of those viewpoints fully explored in the ongoing story in an intelligent manner (see section at bottom of this page for examples).
Please no drug use or excessive drinking before performing.
If you are concerned about anything
If you have a concern or complaint, or are worried about the behaviour of a fellow improviser, teacher, director or audience member, please talk to your teacher or contact one of the following support team:
Steve Roe, 0207 459 4395.
Company Director, Hoopla Impro.
Angela Pollard, [email protected]
Producer, Hoopla Impro.
Jessie Rutland, [email protected]
Training Manager, Hoopla Impro.
Your concerns will be listened to and follow up actions agreed and carried out where appropriate. All concerns will be addressed in the strictest confidence, and will not be communicated to anyone else in Hoopla without your permission.
Talking to us helps us to continue to provide a safe and supportive space, and speaking up will never result in you losing places in shows or similar.
Off Stage Behaviour
We understand that there will be creative differences between improvisers and groups, and healthy debate is welcome. However we cannot tolerate physical abuse, verbal abuse, emotional abuse, bullying, sexual harassment or abuse or harassment of any kind.
Anyone who is abusive, bullying or harassing may be asked to leave our venues and may be barred from returning and performing again.
If you are a victim of abuse or harassment, or are worried about the behaviour of someone, please talk to one of our diversity officers above. You can also talk to one of the security team at The Miller, to make sure you are in a safe space.
This extends to all our show venues, warm up spaces, rehearsal spaces and after show pubs.
While we don’t presume to have authority over other improv venues, groups or the improv scene in general we can also listen if you are having problems outside of Hoopla.
Other Links
>> Code of Conduct Policy for Students on Courses.
>> Code of Conduct Policy for Teachers.
>> Teaching Guide for Teachers.
>> Diversity and Accessibility Policy.
This document is open to feedback
Please email [email protected] with any feedback.