Let's Play! Experimental Longform Improv Jam

Join the Brighton improv community for an experimental longform jam, led by advanced players and to include all levels of experience!
About this Event

You are warmly invited to our Experimental Longform Improv Jam at the colourful and cosy Islingword, Brighton! We will PLAY, fail fast, say yes to the mess and find the joy in taking risks together in this open and inclusive space.

Who is it for?

Experienced players: Players with experience in longform improv will be providing the foundation for this jam, so that we can make bold choices, move scenes forward and open the space to newer players discovering longform.

Beginners: If you are new to longform improv, we will take care of you and make you look fabulous! Come along and have the time of your life ?

What is longform improv?

Longform improv is where we start with one simple suggestion and then go on an improv adventure to see where it takes us.

In shortform improv, you might play a game with a clear rule, then finish it and move on to something completely different.

In longform, we stay in the same world for longer, though not necessarily in the same place or with the same characters. We enjoy seeing how each scene, or series of scenes, can inspire the next, following whatever feels fun, surprising or makes us curious.

Is it like writing a play?

Not at this jam! Narrative improv is one type of longform where you create a story with a beginning, middle and end. That can be fabulous, but it is not what we will be focusing on here.

We are not trying to make everything fit together neatly or work out where the story is going. We are free to pick things up, put them down, bring them back in a totally new way and let scenes develop organically from earlier ideas.

Any character, relationship, place, sound, voice, feeling or concept might come back later... or we might find ourselves in a whole new dimension. Anything is possible!

What can I expect?

Fun, play and lots of improv! We'll do a quick warm up together before the jam starts, helping us to feel grounded and comfortable in the space. Then we'll jump right into our longform jam with two parts and a break in the middle.

In the second part we will actively encourage musical improv - because we can!

Will there be an audience?

No, this is not a show and there is no fixed team. It's a big playground for people who want to jump into longform, try things out and see what happens!

How does the jam work?

We will aim for around 6–8 players up at a time (including the supporting backline), but you can jump up when you are inspired, or sit down to watch at anytime.

When it feels right, we will rotate the players to ensure everyone has a chance to play.

We'll take a suggestion to kick us off, then everyone is welcome to tag and edit scenes. [If these terms are new to you, we'll explain them for you at the jam.]

At anytime we can call reset, take a new suggestion and start a new longform adventure! We'll all help each other to have a marvellous time, the jam belongs to all of us.

Do I need to be clever, fast and funny?

Not at all! The magic of improv is in showing up as you are and seeing what happens when anything is possible.

You, just as you are, is everything we need!

What will I take away from the jam?

We hope you'll go away feeling inspired, energised and ready to take on the world!

You'll also have experimented with improv in new ways, and you may well have found a new love of longform.

At the end of the night, we'll have drinks at the Islingword and celebrate the risks we took, surprises we discovered and all the fun we had together! ?

Agenda

?: 06:30 PM
Arrive early and relax in the garden ☀️
?: 07:00 PM
Warm Up
?: 07:30 PM
Longform Jam - Part 1
?: 08:00 PM
Break
?: 08:15 PM
Longform Jam - Part 2, musical improv actively encouraged!
?: 08:45 PM
Celebrate! ✨