We are delighted to invite you to your next (and final?) EHOC experience taking place from Sunday 6 – Monday 7 November at The Comedy School in London. I have attached a brief agenda to help you with your planning and below you will find an introduction from the Comedy School to what you can look forward to during the experience
CREATIVITY, CONFIDENCE AND COLLABORATION
Improvisation skills are particularly helpful in today's increasingly high pressure environment with its emphasis on immediate measurable results. Our collaboration techniques not only serve teamwork but also leadership which should include the ability to engage and enable others and not just direct them. Every individual is unique so we will be encouraging watching and listening to get the most out of the people around us and ourselves. Whether working in pairs or groups the language of "Yes And" over "Yes But" leans us towards interaction where participants build on each other's work rather than get in each other's way.
Creativity is universally valued but so often can find itself blocked both within an individual and within a group. improvisation techniques are particularly effective at removing these blocks and nurturing the creativity we all have inside us.
The confidence to take part and more importantly, the confidence to persevere after setbacks, especially when you find your prepared plans need to be changed on the spot, are enhanced by improvisation with its language of "making offers" but also "holding ideas lightly". Our exercises will harness spontaneity and invention; and help make the unexpected or unknown less a place to anxiously avoid and instead a fertile area where new winning ideas can be bred. We have observed that the more comfortable we become falling back on routines that have worked in the past, the less keen we become to try out different ways for the future. The fear of being judged or of "failing" can hold anyone back. This is why we will work on building an environment of trust as well as one filled with humour where "creating mess" and taking risks - that will not always go as intended - is accepted as part of the process, even welcomed. Rather than being a distraction from producing rewarding work, play can sometimes be the best tool for achieving it. Fun can take away the fear.
As the day goes on we hope to see people's confidence grow and have them start to feel safer trying out new things whether working solo, working alongside others or working in front of others too. By the end we hope everyone will have surprised themselves and been surprised by others.
As much an attitude as a set of techniques the improviser's skill set is within everybody's grasp and once mastered is never forgotten.
