Old Year's Night is what they call it in Barbados where I spent a few years in the 90s.
And it seems fitting at Annex Improv to recognize the remarkable year that has been with the 1st Annual 'Top 6 of 2022' [patent pending].
6. Back to In-Person Improv
We tried it outdoors at Central Tech.
We tried it on Zoom.
Thank God we're back to mixing it up as humans in the same room together again.
There's nothing quite like Here and Now, with folks that are engaged in having fun together. Let's never break up again, ok?
A new website with better SEO resulted in a dramatic increase in Google search hits for this homegrown Community Arts program. Classes started selling out quicker than ever before, and several students said that particular aspects of the new website actually sold them on signing up with us [e.g. emphasis on Laugh Therapy, Humanistic Programming, less corporate than The Second City]. Thanks to Veronika Doma at Webmedics for this new site.
4. SpadinaProv
When we needed a 2nd night to meet public demand, our friends at the Centre for Social Innovation offered us Tuesdays in the Climate Ventures Room at their Spadina location. We got some great feedback from students there, and made a bunch of new friends in Chinatown!
"Impact? Self-awareness and knowledge."
"It gets me out and doing something different."
"I learned quite a lot about reading social cues and moving stories forward. I don't impress easily."
"I've learned to keep my mouth shut more often- thanks for that!"
3. AnnImpVersary
We celebrated 10 years of Annex Improv with a party in The Garage on December 12th.
50 alumni & friends showed up, many laughs and quality interactions.
We had lots of food and booze, did 'PowerPoint Improv' and 'Wheel of Improv' on stage
Also, we offered a sneak preview of the '10 years of Annex Improv' photo installation, coming soon to CSI Annex.
2. ABCs of Anxiety
For Brian's Master of Art's program at York U., he produced a short documentary about a 2 minute cartoon featuring the artwork and poetry of Sean Sinclair-Day, a Fall 2022 Annex Improv student!
The film went on to several international film festivals, and we had a special screening one night in 'The Garage'. Watch the ABCs of Community Arts in living colour.
1. Doubling Our Class Offerings in 2023
In response to the increasing public desire for low-stakes, fun, interpersonal interaction, Annex Improv is going from 2 to 4 classes starting mid January 2023 [Mondays and Wednesdays in The Garage, 6-8pm, and 8-10pm].
This coming year, we're offering 2 'Foundations' programs [beginners], 'Continuing' [experienced], 'One Room Schoolhouse' [4 classes, beginners & experienced together] and Improv On-Camera [4 classes, creating media through Improvisation].
Have a look at the cartoons we created via character work in the Fall 2022 Annex & Spadina Improv classes. We played these cartoons at AnnImpVersary and they went over huge.
In Conclusion [-1?]
As usual, you can sign up for any Annex Improv class on our swishy website, and get your mom to use her credit card to pay! Or send an eTransfer to brian@youandmedia.com. Programs are filling up, but there's room in every. single. class. for you and your bestie.
Here's to a Safe and Happy 2023 for each and all of us.
