In 2015, Geoff Monk (Nottingham Improv Comedy Experience (NICE)/MissImp) had an idea to go to Edale YHA for a weekend of improv, where participants from groups across the Midlands would draw on each other’s experience and lead workshops. Hoping that about 20 might go, 32 showed up that November! It was so popular that this quickly led to the idea that the event would be repeated twice a year in various Midlands locations. Tom Young (The Same Faces) volunteered to co-host the events and in the Spring of 2016 we went to Hothorpe Hall with over 50 improvisers! Two more events followed at the Hallmark Hotel Stourport Manor and Yarnfield Park in Staffordshire.
“UK Improv Weekends and Events” became a temporary name, then as of May 2017 the organisation was re-branded as “The British Improv Project” as our participant base are not just from the Midlands, but from all over the UK, Germany, and the USA.
November 2019 marked our 10th event, now at Stoke Rochford Hall, near Grantham where nearly 80 attended. That was due to continue in April & November of 2020, but Covid19 cancelled both. We resumed in November 2021 at Yarnfield Park which is currently our ‘regular’ venue with events held in April of 2022 and planned for November 2022.
Looking to the future we hope to add a longer summer event in a UK holiday destination which will combine improv with other leisure and social activities.
Geoff Monk & Tom Young are the joint organisers of The BIP, and continue to provide affordable, top quality improv training, outside of London.
Full Venue History
November 2015 – Edale Youth Hostel, Derbyshire
15-17 April 2016 – Hothorpe Hall, Leicestershire
November 2016 – Stourport Manor Hotel, West Midlands
April 2017 – Yarnfield Park, Stone, Staffs
November 2017 – Scalford Hall, Melton Mowbray
20-21 April 2018 – Scalford Hall, Melton Mowbray
9-11 November 2018 – Stoke Rochford Hall
12-14 April 2019 – Stoke Rochford Hall
8-10 November 2019 – Stoke Rochford Hall
April 2020 – Pandemic cancelled
November 2020 – Pandemic cancelled
April 2021 – Pandemic cancelled
19-21 November 2021 – Yarnfield Park, Stone, Staffs
8-10 April 2022 – Yarnfield Park, Stone, Staffs
4-6 November 2022 – Yarnfield Park, Stone, Staffs
28-30 April 2023 – Yarnfield Park, Stone, Staffs
10-12 November 2023 – Yarnfield Park, Stone, Staffs
3-5 May 2024 – – Yarnfield Park, Stone, Staffs