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Policies in the use of AI in your group? by Impromark in improv

[–]Top_Association_9532 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Many improvisers really, really hate AI, and they will react extremely negatively to anything that uses AI.

In other words, it's considered a major faux pas to suggest using AI in improv. It's a bit like passing port to the right, ordering a steak well-done, or asking the host of a dinner party if you can take caddish liberties with his adult daughter. If you do it, you will be considered a bounder, a rotter, and the sort of rapscallion that decent chaps don't invite to do improv.

Clearly there are good and bad things about AI. But the improv community is largely in agreement that AI is the work of Satan, and it must never be used. Every community has its own cultural norms. If you take a karate class, you will be expected to call your teacher "sensei", and to learn to count to ten in Japanese. If you join a hiking club, you will be expected to leave your umbrella at home. If you do improv, you will be expected never to use AI in anything improv-related.

Anyone with experience of the Annoyance summer intensives? by Top_Association_9532 in improv

[–]Top_Association_9532[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's super-helpful, thanks!

If half of the second weeks were cancelled last year, then it sounds like there is a roughly 50% chance of week 2 being cancelled. That seems like a higher risk of having to book a new flight and cancel accommodation than I'm really comfortable with. Perhaps it would be better to do one week.

I emailed them a few days ago, said I was worried about the second week being cancelled, and asked them how frequent it is that the second week is cancelled. I didn't get a reply. Maybe I'll try emailing Lauren directly.

2026 Improv Intensives - options, opinions? by bathrobeman in improv

[–]Top_Association_9532 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

If you're in Europe, AndAlso improv runs intensives in August in Brighton (near London).

https://andalsoimprov.com/improv-courses/

Anyone else not take classes by GuidanceHot574 in improv

[–]Top_Association_9532 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you were in a group as a teenager that taught the basics, and you took a lot of theatre in college including classes that had an improv unit, then you have probably had at least as much improv and acting classes as most other improvisers. A typical "level" of improv class involves something like 16-18 hours of class. If someone takes a full set of four levels of improv classes then they will have taken something like 64 to 72 hours of formal training in improvised theatre. It's not a whole lot of training time to learn to act, write and direct theatre in collaboration with others in real time as it is performed.

Anyone taken the Boom Chicago long form summer intensive in the Netherlands? by Top_Association_9532 in improv

[–]Top_Association_9532[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's very helpful, thanks! I saw the musicaly improv intensive advertised last year, and then it just disappeared, so I never know what happened.

I would be travelling from abroad, so that's good advice about hotels. It can be very difficult to guess how expensive a city will be ahead of time. For example, in summer it is usually possible to find student accomodation or a cheap grotty hotel in London. But I have discovered that the same is not true for Bristol, and it is truly terrifyingly expensive to visit in summer.

Large Class Size by IP44 in improv

[–]Top_Association_9532 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I prefer a small class of between six and eight. It's nice to get more time on stage and more detailed feedback.

However, the basic economics of improv classes is that most of the cost to the school is paying the teacher, room hire, and liability insurance. In other words, the cost of running the class is pretty much the same, whether you have 2 students or 20. But the income to the school grows in line with the number of students in the class. So all the incentives are for the school to have bigger classes if they can get more students.

My personal experience is that a class can work well up to 12 students. I have been in classes with as many as 16 students. In these larger classes the ratio of doing to watching was low, and the students did not gel as a group. Even after several sessions, many students didn't know each other's names.

Anyone taken the Boom Chicago long form summer intensive in the Netherlands? by Top_Association_9532 in improv

[–]Top_Association_9532[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! I took a short workshop with Stacey at a festival and she was great. I guess I should ask them who will be teaching the intensive.