Emirates Airline Festival of Literature
Earlier this year, students at The Gaia Centre took center stage at The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, performing live improv, and playing games with and for members of the audience. In keeping with Gaia’s training philosophy of giving learners classroom plus an on-stage platform to practice their skills, we were invited to perform for four days at the festival. Our performers – part of our ‘Travelling Troupe’ and ‘And We Are’ started practice two weeks prior to show time.
It’s always fun to practice improv and let your imagination run wild, and it is especially fun in a space where there are no limitations on that. To make an improv entertaining and encapsulating, one needs to apply the essential rules of the artform, no matter the venue, actor or subject matter. The imagination is virtually infinite and it’s difficult to hold on to one idea without direction or a set of predetermined guidelines. That is the challenge of improv.
There are a few rules to keep in mind when improvising. Let your first idea be the idea you run with, if you wait to think of a better one or don’t fully commit to the idea you have, you could find yourself silent on stage. Don’t be afraid to make a mistake, trust that you and your improv group will figure it out. Be brave!
Remember that improv is also a team activity, make sure you’re working together and that the show is never about any one individual. Be selfless, let the idea and the concept have the spotlight, that’s what makes great improv.
Finally, build on top of ideas. When someone pushes out an idea, be willing to roll with it, and then use some of your own ingenuity to add to it. Let your imagination run free, but it’s important to make sure it’s adding to someone else’s, not running over it.
Our learners took these guidelines, took teamwork, creativity, and courage to put on some fantastic performances. Drop in a heavy dose of fun, and the experience was enchanting to see. Children have such a wealth of ideas and improv is a great way to put that out into the world.
I had a great time teaching and watching them, I’m sure the audience did too.
Shan is our Resident Drama King and Improv Fanatic. Along with training kids in acting or communication skills at Gaia, he’s usually wrapped around his beloved brown-leather poem book, brewing up a storm with his writing.
Read more about him here – https://goo.gl/Bu7Rbn