When: 9-12:00
Presenter: Dr. Samuel Lagier
For: Teachers in higher-education. Limited to 12 participants.
Duration: Between 1h and 2h30 depending on the number of topics selected

Improvised comedy (improv) is the art of creating scenes on the spot. Following a few simple rules improvisors explore the unknown in an act of co-creation to entertain an audience. Beyond the performing arts, these rules are valuable in everyday life and for a large array of activities. The discipline translating the principles of improvised comedy to the workplace is called applied improv. This discipline is by essence experiential: participants engage in activities to better learn from their own understanding of the situations created.

After a short introduction to improv and its philosophy, participants will explore a selection of topics useful for teaching. For each topic, a set of activities will be provided. Participants will engage in the exercises to experience them firsthand. The activities will then be debriefed on 2 levels. First participants will be asked about their experience and what they learned from it. The group will then discuss how to run that activity and how to best use it in the context of their teaching program.

Participants can choose from the following topics:
- Break the ice / create a safe space *
- Teamwork - Communication
- Listening / empathy
* this topic will be covered at the start of the workshop with a depth matching the participants’ interest.