*Black and Minority Ethnic.
An improv workshop for improvisers who identify as BAME and improvisers who are allies of BAME players.
Do you feel like giving improv a go in a safe environment? Do you love improvising but feel like you aren’t always truly ‘seen’ in your scenes? Maybe you found yourself being put on the back foot or ‘othered’ unhelpfully on stage. Perhaps you’re an ally and keen to play nice and supportively, without prejudice. Or are you sometimes scared, whether BAME or non-BAME, to make daring offers, through fear of racist readings or repercussions?
Then this Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) workshop is for you! It welcomes people who identify as BAME and non-BAME people who want to learn how to play more inclusively with BAME improvisers.
Improv is for everyone! The London improv community is making strides into creating a level playing field for all-comers but there’s still a ways to go. This is where DDG comes in. We strive to ensure we provide an inclusive atmosphere that honours our whole improv community.
So, whether you are a seasoned player or a newbie, this four-hour BAME workshop will give you the chance to flex those ethnicity ownership and inclusivity muscles, to meet like-minded improvisers, and to ask the difficult questions of our experienced teacher. You don’t have to be a Person Of Colour (POC) to join us, so long as you want to learn!
What does the workshop cover?
• Some typical ethnicity-facing dynamics that arise when improvising.
• Classic ethical and non-ethical BAME-centric suggestions and offers you might encounter.
• What ‘doing an accent’ really means and how to navigate that moment.
• A tick-list of warm-ups and exercises to get allies in an inclusive frame of mind.
• Fun mini-jams where we unpack the best (and worst!) of our instincts and ideas.
You’ll learn:
• How to side-step / call out basic traps when on stage and in the moment.
• How to play and amplify your truth so people hear and acknowledge you.
• How to spot an ally.
• How, as an ally, to be a more inclusive player.
• How to deal with conflict in a scene – and when to choose your battles.
• How to own your unique brand of ‘other’.
• What ‘woke’ means to you in improvisation terms.
• How to be a generally more confident player.
Who’s your teacher?
DDG Improv’s Monica Gaga. Monica is an experienced UK player and key member of London’s premier BAME improv team: Do The Right Scene (formerly Nu Z Land). She is a highly experienced improviser, show host and workshop facilitator working in a range of BAME, mixed and non-BAME environments. Monica trained as an actor at East 15 and as an improviser with Second City, Chicago.
DDG is dedicated to creating safe space and inclusive fun for all.
Bursary places are available. Please email classesddgimprov@gmail.com for further information.