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.
