Feeling overwhelmed or anxious? The Student Success Hub at George Brown College (GBC) is offering comedy improv workshops for students to alleviate stress.  

Improvisational comedy, or improv, is an unscripted performance form. It’s an act where dialogue, actions, and characters are spontaneously created by the performers, offering a pure, unprepared experience. 

Ashly Seaman, founder and facilitator of You Amaze You (Y.A.Y.), has crafted a workshop using improv comedy as a tool for wellness.  

“I’ve combined my professional and my personal experiences into my business which is called Y.A.Y and I create and facilitate a program that uses the tools of improv comedy to promote mental health and a greater sense of belonging in schools and communities and workplaces,” says Seamen.  

Seaman believes that improv allows individuals to be authentic and discover joy in unexpected moments. She shared that these workshops are about learning to manage life’s unpredictability with a supportive mindset.  

 “Improv [is] a playful practice out of what can be scary in another context. The way that we can make mistakes and can be wrong and we can`t know the answer. Then, maybe in those higher stakes’ situations, we remember [our experience] without improve. I made a mistake. I was wrong. I didn’t know what to do. But everything was ok.”  

People will remember their experience and all support that received during the improv. They might reflect on this experience and possibly apply them in their daily lives.  

The workshop is conducted through a game format. Everyone can participate at their own level.   Throughout the workshop, participants must remain attentive to the game’s progress and their teammates. This focus is crucial as it aids in relaxing their mind. 

There’s no script in improv and being yourself is the only requirement. This flexibility allows participants to engage as much or as little as they like, without a binding commitment.  

“I always love to have folks who I know because I can challenge them in different ways. But I also love to have folks trying it for the first time and I will always do my best to make sure you feel as supported as possible,” she says.  

Interested students can attend the next workshop on Feb. 28 at room B155 at the St. James Campus. More information can be found through the Student Success Hub https://www.georgebrown.ca/event/improv-to-create-space-for-joy-0.