Kate Heward is an account manager, business owner and player in the Hoopla Impro House Team Michelle. Read on as Kate talks about giving herself permission to be big when it comes to ideas and how improv helped her to create an LGBTQ+ clothing brand. Hi Kate! Tell us a little bit about your[…]
How to make better friends and get past small talk according to a professional improviser
Feb 14, 2023
I think improv is relevant far beyond the stage because improvisation is simply the art of acting without a script. And how often are we forced to do that in our everyday life? We are improvising all of the time! Especially in conversations or when we are trying to build new relationships. Great conversationalists look[…]
I improvise comedy for a living. You’ve probably seen people like me on TV shows like Whose Line Is It Anyway? We go on stage in groups of four or five and try to make an audience laugh, but with absolutely no script whatsoever. The audience shout out suggestions and from that point we are[…]
Improvisation and Children’s Stories sound like a match made in heaven! Fascinated to see how those two different worlds collide, we talked to Story Producer Mara Alperin of Wonderbly, a company which specialises in creating personalised children’s books. She told us about the benefits of ‘Yes And’ in the creative process, how to counter our[…]
So. I’ve been reflecting all the virtual communication that I’ve been involved with, Zoom calls, webinars and more. Here are the key things I’ve learnt so far… Don’t forget to be human! It’s a bit weird doing a zoom call or webinar, especially if you share your screen. You are probably sitting in your kitchen,[…]
We talked to Jennifer Longden, lead HR in a Fintech company as well as a Drama graduate. She talked to us about how improv changed her direction in life as well as how it’s changed her perception of work. I currently work as the lead HR in a Fintech company. These days I[…]
Chris Rosser is an owner and principal of a Stagecoach Performing Arts School in Reading East. The success of Chris’ business has also allowed him to explore the world of comedy, writing sketches for Hoopla Impro as well as being cast in one of our resident house teams: Michelle. Most recently, Chris has taken[…]
“So, I have this concept which I call ‘Listening to Ignite’, which is, you’re listening for things that can really light up the other person. So, it’s about what your curiosity clicks into. And (so) can you ask a question that allows them a launchpad to show the best of their skill, their experience, their[…]
Public speaking is one of the most sought-after employability skills in the modern working world (CBI, 2019). Yet, studies have shown that public speaking is one of the most commonly held fears. According to one survey in the United States, the fear of public speaking came ahead of the fear of death! As the comic Jerry[…]
Author: Dr S. Rutili, DVM, MBA Every time I get asked about what I have learned going through the MBA, I never fall short of material to talk about. However, the why and the how of the Cranfield MBA cannot be publicly revealed (cultivating the mystery so you check out the link – is it[…]
2020 was a challenging year for everyone, however one of the groups most challenged by the shift to online was our educators. In an ever changing landscape where schools didn’t know if they were coming or going, teachers have needed to be adaptive to deal with all the challenges thrown their way. We talked[…]
I am a professional improviser, which sounds fancy, but I’d wager that you are too. My background is in improvisation on stage: just as in TV shows like Whose Line is it Anyway?, I go up in front of audiences and make it all up for laughs. This might sound a bit irrelevant to the[…]