Nicola Pauling

Gain a picture of improvisational play that goes well beyond the stage and the gag. Picture the pitfalls, the risks and the joys of bringing improv out into the public, shaping it as a tool for community development and wellbeing. In this workshop, you’ll explore how to facilitate play in the public sphere, how to champion ‘play and performance’ as developmental and discover some of the philosophical teachings behind improv as a medium for social development and activism.

Nicola Pauling has over 20 years experience developing people and communities through participatory performance, adaptive improvisation and crucial conversations. She is the founder and Artistic Director of Voice Arts, a charitable trust that facilitates performance based development programmes with social housing tenants, the over 70’s and new migrants and former refugees.

Nicola is herself an actor, improvisor and director. She is a founding member of improv troupe Best on Tap and has also researched, written and performed an acclaimed one woman show: “She Danced on a Friday.” She is a graduate and Associate of the New York based East Side Institute, a founding member of both the ‘Global Play Brigade’ and ‘Reimagining Dementia, A Creative Coalition for Justice.’