Bring a Brick with John Cooper
42 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 6 years ago - ★★★★★ - 2 ratingsInterviews with professionals who use improvisation in thier work
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Episodes
Podcast: Jim Ansaldo – Teaching improvisation to teenagers with autism
November 27, 2017 13:37 - 24.8 MBJim Ansaldo is a Research Scholar at Indiana University Bloomington, a member of Comedysportz Indianapolis and an instructor at Camp Yes And, which teaches improv Teenager on the Autism Spectrum. “Improv gives us a means for everyone to bring their life experience to the table” I had the chance to catch up with Jim earlier this year in San Jose, California. We talked about his approach to teaching, and his work bringing improvisation to with children and teenagers with autism, and how it ...
Podcast: Jim Ansaldo - Teaching improvisation to teenagers with autism
November 27, 2017 13:37 - 24.8 MBJim Ansaldo is a Research Scholar at Indiana University Bloomington, a member of Comedysportz Indianapolis and an instructor at Camp Yes And, which teaches improv Teenager on the Autism Spectrum. "Improv gives us a means for everyone to bring their life experience to the table" I had the chance to catch up with Jim earlier […] The post Podcast: Jim Ansaldo - Teaching improvisation to teenagers with autism appeared first on John Cooper.
Jim Ansaldo – Teaching improvisation to teenagers with autism
November 27, 2017 12:37 - 24.8 MBJim Ansaldo is a Research Scholar at Indiana University Bloomington, a member of Comedysportz Indianapolis and an instructor at Camp Yes And, which teaches improv Teenager on the Autism Spectrum. “Improv gives us a means for everyone to bring their life experience to the table” I had the chance to catch up with Jim earlier this year in San Jose, California. We talked about his approach to teaching, and his work bringing improvisation to with children and teenagers with autism, and how it c...
Podcast: Series 2 Summary | Question and create
May 09, 2017 09:30 - 10.3 MBIn this episode I recap what I've called 'series 2'. The last eight interviews with some great people who use applied improvisation (improv, impro...that particular way of thinking and responding, and using mental agility). Beginning with Paul Z. Jackson and culminating with Pam Victor. There's a wealth of information to be had, on a load of different […] The post Podcast: Series 2 Summary | Question and create appeared first on John Cooper.
Series 2 Summary | Question and create
May 09, 2017 08:30 - 10.3 MBIn this episode I recap what I’ve called ‘series 2’. The last eight interviews with some great people who use applied improvisation (improv, impro…that particular way of thinking and responding, and using mental agility). Beginning with Paul Z. Jackson and culminating with Pam Victor. There’s a wealth of information to be had, on a load of different topics, and I thank all the wonderful guests who gave their time. http://rocketsteps.co.uk/podcasts/Series-2-recap.mp3 Paul Z. Jackson is o...
Podcast: Pam Victor | The Zen of Improv
April 14, 2017 07:00 - 36.3 MBPam is the founder of Happier Valley Comedy whose mission it is to make the world a happier place through improv. She's co-author of "Improvisation at the Speed of Life", with Chicago's TJ & Dave and uses improv to teach personal and professional growth. She has her own podcast, Conversations with Funny Feminists. We chat […] The post Podcast: Pam Victor | The Zen of Improv appeared first on John Cooper.
Pam Victor | The Zen of Improv
April 14, 2017 06:00 - 36.3 MBPam is the founder of Happier Valley Comedy whose mission it is to make the world a happier place through improv. She’s co-author of “Improvisation at the Speed of Life“, with Chicago’s TJ & Dave and uses improv to teach personal and professional growth. She has her own podcast, Conversations with Funny Feminists. We chat about honesty and authenticity in improv, facts versus belief and using improv for personal development to overcome fears and increase learning opportunities. Bullet Poi...
Podcast: Paul Goddard | Improv in Agile development
March 27, 2017 07:00 - 42.1 MBPaul is a coach in agile development and certified Scrum trainer. He's the founder of training company agilify and his book 'Improving Teams' brings together his work in agile and improv theatre, highlighting the overlaps and connections between the two. In conversation we talk about the cost of change in the workplace and how similarities […] The post Podcast: Paul Goddard | Improv in Agile development appeared first on John Cooper.
Paul Goddard | Improv in Agile development
March 27, 2017 06:00 - 42.1 MBPaul is a coach in agile development and certified Scrum trainer. He’s the founder of training company agilify and his book ‘Improving Teams’ brings together his work in agile and improv theatre, highlighting the overlaps and connections between the two. In conversation we talk about the cost of change in the workplace and how similarities in agile and improv allow for efficiency in fields like software development. How adapting is as much about a given project as it is the people involved...
Podcast: Cathy Salit | Performance of a lifetime
March 16, 2017 07:00 - 46.4 MBCathy Salit is CEO of Performance of a Lifetime. She has delivered hundreds of keynote speeches on how using performance in everyday life helps with growth and productivity. She's the author of Performance Breakthrough' A radical approach to success at work. In conversation with Cathy we chat about her work at POAL, and how treating life as a […] The post Podcast: Cathy Salit | Performance of a lifetime appeared first on John Cooper.
Cathy Salit | Performance of a lifetime
March 16, 2017 06:00 - 46.4 MBCathy Salit is CEO of Performance of a Lifetime. She has delivered hundreds of keynote speeches on how using performance in everyday life helps with growth and productivity. She’s the author of Performance Breakthrough’ A radical approach to success at work. In conversation with Cathy we chat about her work at POAL, and how treating life as a great performance can be a strong catalyst for growth and change. How her company has developed over time using performance, improvisation and psycho...
Podcast: Dan Starkey | An Actors Foundation
March 10, 2017 07:00 - 38.4 MBDan Starkey is an actor appearing in television series such as Doctor Who, inside No.9 and Class Dismissed on CBBC. He's performed with many improv groups and done improv marathons. I'm a massive Doctor Who fan, and seeing Dan improvise some online shorts for Doctor Who, a big TV production, made want to delve into how […] The post Podcast: Dan Starkey | An Actors Foundation appeared first on John Cooper.
Dan Starkey | An Actors Foundation
March 10, 2017 06:00 - 38.4 MBDan Starkey is an actor appearing in television series such as Doctor Who, inside No.9 and Class Dismissed on CBBC. He’s performed with many improv groups and done improv marathons. I’m a massive Doctor Who fan, and seeing Dan improvise some online shorts for Doctor Who, a big TV production, made want to delve into how that came about and find out more about Dan’s work. http://rocketsteps.co.uk/podcasts/DanStarkey-BABpodcast.mp3 Bullet Points improv, Keith Johnstone Spontaneity shop, T...
Podcast: Adam St John Lawrence | Improvisation for Innovation
March 03, 2017 08:00 - 41.1 MBAdam is a customer experience consultant with a background in stand up comedy and psychology. "We are going to break your ideas". Adam uses improv theatre techniques to drive design and innovation and is the co-initiator of the world's largest service innovation event, the 48 hour Global Service Jam. In this interview we discuss how Adam […] The post Podcast: Adam St John Lawrence | Improvisation for Innovation appeared first on John Cooper.
Adam St John Lawrence | Improvisation for Innovation
March 03, 2017 07:00 - 41.1 MBAdam is a customer experience consultant with a background in stand up comedy and psychology. “We are going to break your ideas”. Adam uses improv theatre techniques to drive design and innovation and is the co-initiator of the world’s largest service innovation event, the 48 hour Global Service Jam. In this interview we discuss how Adam brings his skills in theatre, marketing and design together with improvisation. Using the ‘yes and’ in service design, showing client’s how to embrace un...
Podcast: Neil Mullarkey | The Business of Improvisation
February 23, 2017 08:00 - 45.8 MBNeil Mullarkey is one of the founding members of the Comedy Store players and probably one of the most recognisable faces in the world of improv. He has a string of well known movie and television credits appearing with other improv alumini. Just as impressive is the list of companies he's worked with, where he has brought […] The post Podcast: Neil Mullarkey | The Business of Improvisation appeared first on John Cooper.
Neil Mullarkey | The Business of Improvisation
February 23, 2017 07:00 - 45.8 MBNeil Mullarkey is one of the founding members of the Comedy Store players and probably one of the most recognisable faces in the world of improv. He has a string of well known movie and television credits appearing with other improv alumini. Just as impressive is the list of companies he’s worked with, where he has brought improv theatre techniques into businesses like Barclays and Google. In this interview we talk about Second City and the early days of the comedy store players. We also d...
Podcast: Mary T. Curtis | Behavioral Health
February 16, 2017 07:00 - 34.7 MBMary is a learning and development professional. She trained with Second city and combines her skills to deliver dynamic experiential learning programs. Mary uses applies improvisation techniques in the area of behavioural health. Working with business in professional development courses and families, she helps people manage issues such as stress, anxiety and addiction to fulfil their peak […] The post Podcast: Mary T. Curtis | Behavioral Health appeared first on John Cooper.
Mary T. Curtis | Behavioral Health
February 16, 2017 06:00 - 34.7 MBMary is a learning and development professional. She trained with Second city and combines her skills to deliver dynamic experiential learning programs. Mary uses applies improvisation techniques in the area of behavioural health. Working with business in professional development courses and families, she helps people manage issues such as stress, anxiety and addiction to fulfil their peak potential. When I started the podcast in 2016, Mary was on top of my list of people to talk to. In th...
Podcast: Paul Z. Jackson | Train the Trainer
February 09, 2017 07:00 - 35.9 MBPaul (@Paulzj) is a trainer of trainers and a founding members of the Applied Improvisation Network. He has authored a handful of books including 'The Inspirational Trainer' and '58 and a Half Ways to Improvise in Training'. "We teach what we need to learn most." He has a background in comedy and journalism and his early […] The post Podcast: Paul Z. Jackson | Train the Trainer appeared first on John Cooper.
Paul Z. Jackson | Train the Trainer
February 09, 2017 06:00 - 35.9 MBPaul (@Paulzj) is a trainer of trainers and a founding members of the Applied Improvisation Network. He has authored a handful of books including ‘The Inspirational Trainer’ and ’58 and a Half Ways to Improvise in Training’. “We teach what we need to learn most.” He has a background in comedy and journalism and his early biog entries read like a who’s who’s of the British comedy scene. Paul has played a large role in bringing improvisation techniques to a wider audience. In our chat we tal...
More Yes. More and. Series 2 available soon.
February 06, 2017 06:00 - 1.16 MBIn Series two of the Bring a Brick Podcast I interview another eight people who use improvisation in their work. Guests include Paul Z Jackson from the AIN, Behavioral health expert Mary T. Curtis, comedy store players founding member Neil Mullarkey and customer experience consultant Adam Lawrence. Series two is available in February. What is […] The post More Yes. More and. Series 2 available soon. appeared first on John Cooper.
Podcast: Series 1 Summary | To connect and improve.
January 12, 2017 07:00 - 5.08 MBA summary of the first eight podcasts. I've interviewed a pretty board range to people so far and the interest and feedback has been great. The tone has shifted from episode to episode, depending on the guest and subject matter, some have been fun, some more serious, and that I think is a good thing. If […] The post Podcast: Series 1 Summary | To connect and improve. appeared first on John Cooper.
Series 1 Summary | To connect and improve.
January 12, 2017 06:00 - 5.08 MBA summary of the first eight podcasts. I’ve interviewed a pretty board range to people so far and the interest and feedback has been great. The tone has shifted from episode to episode, depending on the guest and subject matter, some have been fun, some more serious, and that I think is a good thing. If you’ve been listening to Bring a Brick, I’d urge you leave a review on itunes or Stitcher. There’s no funding for publicity, so it’s all word of mouth and fingers on keyboards. What do ...
Podcast: Richard Pascoe | Presentation skills and Facilitation
December 29, 2016 07:00 - 44.3 MBRichard is the founder of Making Presentations, where he trains and consults on advanced presentation skills. His work is underpinned by the principles of Improv, in terms of training and how improv principles help us be better presenters. He worked for Procter & Gamble for 17 years, starting in sales. He moved into consumer and shopper […] The post Podcast: Richard Pascoe | Presentation skills and Facilitation appeared first on John Cooper.
Richard Pascoe | Presentation skills and Facilitation
December 29, 2016 06:00 - 44.3 MBRichard is the founder of Making Presentations, where he trains and consults on advanced presentation skills. His work is underpinned by the principles of Improv, in terms of training and how improv principles help us be better presenters. He worked for Procter & Gamble for 17 years, starting in sales. He moved into consumer and shopper research, and then to global learning & development and knowledge systems. The regular theme throughout was the need to know what motivates people to take ...
Podcast: Marijn Vissers | Social Inclusion
December 21, 2016 07:00 - 33 MBThe importance of having fun Marijn began using improvisation during his time as a nurse working with PTSD sufferers. There he learned to use improv techniques to bring much needed fun into the lives of people using the clinic. He is now part of improbattle.nl working with people from all ages and background and uses […] The post Podcast: Marijn Vissers | Social Inclusion appeared first on John Cooper.
Marijn Vissers | Social Inclusion
December 21, 2016 06:00 - 33 MBThe importance of having fun Marijn began using improvisation during his time as a nurse working with PTSD sufferers. There he learned to use improv techniques to bring much needed fun into the lives of people using the clinic. He is now part of improbattle.nl working with people from all ages and background and uses improv theatre to bring them together. In this talk Marijn discusses his experiences in the clinic and it’s pretty heavy stuff in places. Listeners note; the interview touche...
Podcast: Dominic Wilcox | Creativity and Invention
December 15, 2016 07:00 - 30.2 MBCreativity is a state of mind... Dominic is a London based artist and inventor who create thought provoking works with humour. In his own words he works “between the worlds of art, design, craft and technology to create innovative and thought provoking objects”. There's a lot of 'yes and' in Dominic's work and I was […] The post Podcast: Dominic Wilcox | Creativity and Invention appeared first on John Cooper.
Dominic Wilcox | Creativity and Invention
December 15, 2016 06:00 - 30.2 MBCreativity is a state of mind… Dominic is a London based artist and inventor who create thought provoking works with humour. In his own words he works “between the worlds of art, design, craft and technology to create innovative and thought provoking objects”. There’s a lot of ‘yes and’ in Dominic’s work and I was keen to get him on the show to discover what parallels there may be between the creative process of inventing and that of improvisation. This is a slightly tangential interview w...
Podcast: Sam Al-Hamdani | Diversity and Inclusion
December 08, 2016 10:49 - 28.5 MBBringing people together Sam is a member of the Renegade Saints improv troupe. He's also part of the Csz Worldwide diversity and inclusion committee and works for the United Nations. Sam took time out to chat about the current state of improv in Geneva, what it's like to perform in a multilingual city and how […] The post Podcast: Sam Al-Hamdani | Diversity and Inclusion appeared first on John Cooper.
Sam Al-Hamdani | Diversity and Inclusion
December 08, 2016 09:49 - 28.5 MBBringing people together Sam is a member of the Renegade Saints improv troupe. He’s also part of the Csz Worldwide diversity and inclusion committee and works for the United Nations. Sam took time out to chat about the current state of improv in Geneva, what it’s like to perform in a multilingual city and how he almost left the world of improv, he wants to make the world a better place, so it’s a good job he didn’t. Vote for Sam! Bullet Points: The improv scene in Geneva Social diver...
Patrick Short | Improv for Training
November 29, 2016 09:00 - 37.4 MBPlan as much as you can, then prepare to throw the plan overboard. Patrick has worked in the improv industry for over thirty years. In this interview we chat about early days of his career, taking improv training into Silicon Valley, the changes he’s observed in the industry and how he prepares for a training event. He’s the owner of ComedySportz Portland, Oregon and has led workshops for over 500 organizations including Apple and Nike. (Pronounced ‘Ni-key, not ‘Nike as I say in the podc...
Podcast: Patrick Short | Improv for Training
November 29, 2016 09:00 - 37.4 MBPlan as much as you can, then prepare to throw the plan overboard. Patrick has worked in the improv industry for over thirty years. In this interview we chat about early days of his career, taking improv training into Silicon Valley, the changes he's observed in the industry and how he prepares for a training event. He's […] The post Podcast: Patrick Short | Improv for Training appeared first on John Cooper.
Podcast: Gillian Hatcher | Improv in Design (and art)
November 24, 2016 09:00 - 32.7 MBBold ideas, driven by improv. In this we interview with Jill Hatcher we chat about the similarities between how improvisers and designer think in order to solve problems and building on ideas. We also digress into comic-book jams and the process if making graphic art. 12.19 Micheal Scott, the office. Strathclyde, Scotland https://www.johncooper.org.uk/podcasts/GillianHatcher-BABpodcast.mp3 Gillian Hatcher (@Gillreads)is a Research […] The post Podcast: Gillian Hatcher | Improv in Design (an...
Gillian Hatcher | Improv in Design (and art)
November 24, 2016 08:00 - 32.7 MBBold ideas, driven by improv. In this we interview with Jill Hatcher we chat about the similarities between how improvisers and designer think in order to solve problems and building on ideas. We also digress into comic-book jams and the process if making graphic art. 12.19 Micheal Scott, the office. Strathclyde, Scotland Gillian Hatcher (@Gillreads)is a Research Associate in the department of Design, Manufacture and Engineering Management (DMEM) at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow...
Podcast: Kat Koppett | Storytelling
November 22, 2016 09:00 - 35.6 MB"Story is the way our brain makes meaning of the world." In this interview with Kat Koppett we discuss her career origins in theatre and how she went back into the classroom to explore the qualities of improvisation as a tool for training. We also talk about improv in different cultures, and get a great viewpoint of the […] The post Podcast: Kat Koppett | Storytelling appeared first on John Cooper.
Kat Koppett | Storytelling
November 22, 2016 08:00 - 35.6 MB“Story is the way our brain makes meaning of the world.” In this interview with Kat Koppett we discuss her career origins in theatre and how she went back into the classroom to explore the qualities of improvisation as a tool for training. We also talk about improv in different cultures, and get a great viewpoint of the historical development of the improv scene in the US. New York, USA. Kat (@kopco) is head of Koppett.com, a company specialising in the use of theatre, improv and storytell...
Podcast: Drew Tarvin | Improv in Business
November 15, 2016 09:00 - 38.6 MBLeading on your feet. In this interview, I chat to coach and author Andrew Tarvin about teaching improv in business, introverts and extroverts and life on the road. I'm really grateful to Andrew for agreeing to be the first interviewee for the Bring a Brick podcast, we cover a broad range of subjects. Andrew […] The post Podcast: Drew Tarvin | Improv in Business appeared first on John Cooper.
Drew Tarvin | Improv in Business
November 15, 2016 08:00 - 38.6 MBLeading on your feet. In this interview I chat to coach and author Andrew Tarvin about teaching improv in business, introverts and extroverts and life on the road. I’m really grateful to Andrew for agreeing to be the first interviewee for the Bring a Brick podcast, we cover a broad range of subjects. Andrew (@HumorThatWorks) is an award-winning speaker and trainer. His company, Humor That Works teaches individuals and organisations how to use humor to be more effective, and his book was re...
Podcast: Interviewing people who use improv in the work and life.
September 07, 2016 18:07The Bring a Brick podcast interviews people from all over the world who use improvisation and applied improvisation in their work. It's a broad and constantly developing field where the host takes the role of curious student, learning how people teach and benefit from the unique values of applying improv. A word from the host. Hi, I'm […] The post Podcast: Interviewing people who use improv in the work and life. appeared first on John Cooper.
Interviewing people who use improv in the work and life.
September 07, 2016 17:07The Bring a Brick podcast interviews people from all over the world who use improvisation and applied improvisation in their work. It’s a broad and constantly developing field where the host takes the role of curious student, learning how people teach and benefit from the unique values of applying improv. A word from the host. Hi, I’m John Cooper; stand up comic, improviser and designer. I use improv and play to teach and discover in pretty much everything I do. I’ve taught workshops for t...