OUR EXCLUSIVE PROGRAM
The Annoyance program is designed to restore humanity, authenticity, and kindness to creating, communicating, and evaluating ideas in a fun and productive offline improv sanctuary. We will combat the AI-atrophy and device dependence that ties us to our devices rather than our thoughts. Instead, we encourage and explore unassisted cognition in our collaborative interactions.
“Improvisation is the ability to be completely ok with having absolutely no idea what you are doing.”
— MICK NAPIER, FOUNDER, ANNOYANCE THEATRE
Using the principles of improvisation, this workshop challenges participants to interact with one another with the common goal of encouraging creative thought and thoughtful communication. Cognitive processes atrophy with lack of use; this workshop reengages our creative center and our ability to share and appreciate ideas.
THOUGHTFUL COMMUNICATION
Restoring thought and thoughtfulness to communication
A series of interactive experiences that restore respect, substance, kindness and authenticity in communication. Improvisation demands being present and attentive to the conversation and situation at hand. It offers the opportunity to explore and discuss different ways of communicating, allowing first-hand successes in respectful and meaningful communication exchanges. Each of these exercises are paired and non-confrontational, as well as great fun!
Creating With Power and Kindness
Collaboration with substance and affirmation
What happens when a group of people engage in an unfettered, non-judgmental creative experience that is met with only affirmation and acceptance? It’s a rare occurrence, but with this session it is both created and celebrated. Each participant will be invited to utilize unassisted cognition and left to their own devices — as opposed to the device in their pocket! Together a group will play and invent using their minds: their humor, will, ideas, and sometimes even props and musical instruments to collaborate and create something wonderful and whimsical.
First thought lab
The value of trusting and declaring thoughts off the top
of your head
What is unassisted cognition? Unassisted cognition is simply thinking on your own without the intrusion of a device or others to shape what you say or how you say it. It’s you. This experience goes beyond “thinking on your feet,” and challenges and explores the courage to declare your first idea before judging and diminishing its value. In this experience, first thoughts are celebrated for their courage. In improvisation, “being wrong out loud” and “freedom to fail” are valued and encouraged. In a safe and truly fun series of exercises, participants are asked to create a variety of content on the spot, equal parts silly and valuable.
The Step Back to Unpack
A way to measure your creation with respect
It’s wonderful to collaborate, but it’s another animal when it comes time to take that necessary step of breaking down and assessing what you have created. This experience explores Productive Critique — the method of finding what is valuable, what can be built upon, and what is better left behind. With noses off the phones and devices, instructively breaking down the project as its own collaborative process is explored in a safe and thoughtful manner. Creation is a delicate and precious resource that can be falsely embellished with meaningless affirmation, or completely destroyed with one negative judgment. Instead, with Productive Critique, the core value of creation is determined, celebrated, and authentically appreciated.
We offer full or half-day workshops…
in any of these single areas, or can create a full-day mix and match of all of them!
The freedom of such a mindset allows for shared creativity and collaboration in any workplace and encourages teams to trust and inspire each other’s independent thought in a fun, protected, and energized environment.
Computers and phones will be stored during this workshop!!
TRUSTED BY:
