{"id":35534,"date":"2025-11-28T14:58:39","date_gmt":"2025-11-28T14:58:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hooplaimpro.com\/?page_id=35534"},"modified":"2025-11-28T16:41:13","modified_gmt":"2025-11-28T16:41:13","slug":"how-does-improv-help-in-real-life","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.hooplaimpro.com\/how-does-improv-help-in-real-life","title":{"rendered":"How does improv help in real life?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\"><p>[vc_row full_width=&#8221;stretch_row_content_no_spaces&#8221; el_id=&#8221;home&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1510933836001{padding-top: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column]<div id=\"home-slider\" class=\"flexslider\" ><ul class=\"slides\"><li><div class=\"slide-image\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/www.hooplaimpro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/DSC_1537.png);\"><\/div><div class=\"slide-wrap colored\"><div class=\"slide-content \"><div class=\"container\"><h1 class=\"font-small\">how does improv help in real life?<\/h1><p class=\"mt-25\"><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div>[\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row full_width=&#8221;stretch_row&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1719273443220{margin-top: 30px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column][vc_row_inner equal_height=&#8221;yes&#8221; gap=&#8221;2&#8243; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1719273227416{margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column_inner el_class=&#8221;padder padder-left quote-text&#8221;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]Improv is an incredibly useful tool for any type of performer as it teaches you to be more confident, spontaneous, human, and free onstage! But how can improv help offstage?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Improv helps with real-life skills such as:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Confidence<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Listening skills<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Self-trust<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Collaboration and teamwork<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Adapadability during times of change<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Building community<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Finding a sense of play and joy in adult life<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>And&#8230;.. so much more! I had the pleasure of chatting with some Hoopla students and performers about the way improv has helped them in their real lives! We had such lovely and inspiring conversations, read on to see what they all had to share! :)[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner equal_height=&#8221;yes&#8221; gap=&#8221;2&#8243; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1719273204685{margin-top: 0px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column_inner el_class=&#8221;padder padder-left quote-text&#8221; width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1719273180984{margin-top: 0px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;}&#8221;]<div class=\"title\"><h2 class=\"\"  style=\"color: #3a81f7!important\">Alex Webster<\/h2><h4 class=\"\"  style=\"color: #000000!important\">Currently getting a BA in Theatre<\/h4><\/div>[vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-35554 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hooplaimpro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/bbdad1cf-ee6f-4294-a5d4-6cff463966ae-300x193.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"193\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hooplaimpro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/bbdad1cf-ee6f-4294-a5d4-6cff463966ae-300x193.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hooplaimpro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/bbdad1cf-ee6f-4294-a5d4-6cff463966ae-550x354.jpg 550w, https:\/\/www.hooplaimpro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/bbdad1cf-ee6f-4294-a5d4-6cff463966ae.jpg 701w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Improv has completely changed my life. Hoopla has literally been like therapy to me. It\u2019s that one day a week where I can just forget any problems and be silly and have fun. I am honestly a changed person. Before improv I suffered from quite severe anxiety, and improv inspired me to take chances I never thought I would take. I would not be at university if I hadn\u2019t done Hoopla. It was one of the reasons I realized- I am going to get this degree- what\u2019s the worst that can happen. It literally did change my life, it\u2019s the best thing I ever did. Improv allowed me to go back to school because it helped me learn to embrace the unknown. Beforehand I was so settled, and I knew what tomorrow brought, and I was bored of it to be honest. Getting a bit older I started deciding I needed to make some changes. And I\u2019m not scared of change anymore. I used to be terrified of change, and now I\u2019m okay with it. I tell everyone about improv and I think everyone should do it. It changed me and everything about me. <\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space]<div class=\"title\"><h2 class=\"\"  style=\"color: #3a81f7!important\">Jon<\/h2><h4 class=\"\"  style=\"color: #000000!important\">Works in TV post-production<\/h4><\/div>[vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I started improv because I had to do a best man speech. I had done a few before and always found them very daunting. I don\u2019t like standing up and presenting. I did a public speaking course, which actually didn\u2019t really help because you\u2019re still just practicing reading off a piece of paper. I then started the Hoopla beginners course and have now gone through level 4. And what it\u2019s actually done, besides just being really fun and supportive, is force me to be truly in the moment. When there is nothing scripted to say, it\u2019s very freeing. That freedom was a new feeling for me. Since doing the course, I did the best man speech and found it much easier. In my daily life, doing improv has really emphasized my ability to listen. That\u2019s a massive part of improv, is listening to what your scene partner is saying. Because if you don\u2019t listen to what they are saying, you\u2019re in a different world or different story. And in real life, if I\u2019m going to a party or meeting new people, now I\u2019m not in my own head thinking about what I\u2019m going to say, what if they say this, what if they say that. Now I just treat it like an improv scene and trust I can go in, see what the other person says, fully listen, and respond naturally. The listening and being in the moment has really been the main thing for me.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space]<div class=\"title\"><h2 class=\"\"  style=\"color: #3a81f7!important\">Steve Roe<\/h2><h4 class=\"\"  style=\"color: #000000!important\">Director of Hoopla<\/h4><\/div>[vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-35535 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hooplaimpro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Steve-Sign-3-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"Steve Roe with Sign\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hooplaimpro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Steve-Sign-3-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.hooplaimpro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Steve-Sign-3-550x734.jpg 550w, https:\/\/www.hooplaimpro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Steve-Sign-3.jpg 682w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I started improv over 20 years ago. I think it helps life all the time. Before I started improv I was on a graduate scheme in my early 20s. It was meant to be a dream job, but I found that with things like presenting to people and even just having small meetings, I was so bad at it and got so nervous. I felt like I\u2019d found myself landed in adult life and I was like- woah- I\u2019m missing some stuff here. I had a lack of confidence in being in front of an audience. And I felt weirdly stuck in life and not able to take risks and go for things sometimes. When I started improv classes the benefit was kind of immediate, the biggest benefit I got was.. Being happy. Being happy in adult life. I realized adult life can be fun and playful. I really liked the fact that there were people of all different ages there. Some of my first improv friends were 20 years older than me. It gave me hope for the future. Keeping a sense of humour and play while navigating through anything in life was a big one. The original reason I went I don\u2019t even think about anymore because I\u2019m so comfortable talking to audiences now. Even at short notice, if someone is like \u201ccan you come chat to this room of people\u201d I\u2019m just like \u201cyeah sure what\u2019s the topic\u201d and they\u2019ll be like it\u2019s 500 people and I\u2019ll be like \u201cokay\u201d and even just that is way above and beyond what I thought I\u2019d get from it. Just by doing improv regularly a lot of other things in life start to feel a lot easier. If you\u2019ve been improvising without any preparation in front of an audience, then just saying a few words at a meeting becomes a lot easier. Also definitely creativity, it gives you a shared language and understanding for creating ideas using listening and Yes, And. Also being able to let ideas go. When I was working in TV, sometimes I would have to pitch 20 ideas and only 1-2 would make it. Improv helped me be excited to create all those ideas, and easily let go of the ones they didn\u2019t take and not take rejection personally. Being in an environment regularly where you can play and come up with stuff, but know that if you make a mistake you can weave it in or learn from it has been really helpful. There\u2019s a good Keith Johnstone quote which is \u201caccelerate your rate of failure\u201d and now if I\u2019m embarking on learning something new I can just accept that I\u2019ll probably be bad at it the first 1,000 times I try, so I\u2019m going to try 1,000 times as quickly as possible. I feel much more comfortable being in the beginner zone. Being a parent improv helps a lot too, because you\u2019re just already used to playing. Yes, And as a parent too is really helpful. If we\u2019re at the park playing floor is lava and one of my kid\u2019s mates says that I\u2019m the lava monster, I can just choose to be like yeah you know what, I\u2019m not working right now, my phone is off, hell yeah I\u2019m the lava monster, and if I catch you you\u2019re the lava monster too. If there is one uniting philosophy we have at Hoopla it\u2019s play. When you\u2019re in a state of play you learn much quicker and on a much deeper level. It\u2019s when new ideas come, new relationships form, it\u2019s where we find different parts of ourselves. Offstage, improv has helped me to accept that we are never a finished product. There is no finished Steve (chuckle). So part of the process is always playing and finding out things and pursuing what\u2019s interesting.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space]<div class=\"title\"><h2 class=\"\"  style=\"color: #3a81f7!important\">Becky<\/h2><h4 class=\"\"  style=\"color: #000000!important\">Project manager specializing in healthcare quality improvment<\/h4><\/div>[vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]<b>\u00a0<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the reasons I came to improv was because I was going to be made redundant a couple of years ago. I had been working at that job quite awhile, and I thought, oh god I am going to have to do job interviews now, once I get a job I\u2019ll have to meet a whole new load of people, and so I thought- I better brush up on my skills. I started off doing drama classes as I thought that could help. Someone I was in a drama class with was absolutely evangelical about Hoopla and recommended it to me, saying it helped them so much with their communication and people skills. I started improv and it helped so much with my job interviews. I felt more confident speaking off the cuff about stuff. I used to prepare so much when I needed to speak publicly. When you do improv you\u2019re practicing leaping into the unknown all the time, so it helps with your spontaneity and getting comfortable with the unknown. People can tell if you\u2019ve been preparing for ages and it sounds quite robotic and dry. Now I can present in a way that\u2019s human and engaging, and react in the moment to questions or things that pop up. Improv has helped me so so much. Definitely with collaboration skills. In improv you\u2019re always working as a team, and you\u2019re always thinking about your team. It\u2019s helped me think in a team mindset. It\u2019s also helped with taking initiative and acting on my ideas. Improv also teaches you that making mistakes is okay. Nothing is ever going to be perfect, and in fact when it\u2019s not perfect it\u2019s probably the gold, mistakes are the gold. Probably the biggest thing that improv has given me is community. I\u2019d never been apart of a community really. It\u2019s really interesting how improvisers just kind of band together. And it\u2019s kind of wonderful, that you meet these wonderful wonderful people.\u00a0 I\u2019ve met some of my best friends now through Hoopla, I\u2019ve got a whole new social circle, I\u2019ve met so many wonderful inspiring people. It just gives you this wonderful community that you feel comfortable with, and that\u2019s so enriching. Improv has also helped with being more positive. It makes you think about the sillier aspects of life. Now when something goes wrong, or I\u2019m in a tough meeting or something, before maybe I would have just felt upset or annoyed, but now I look at it and think- well, this is absolutely absurd, and I bet it would make a really good improv scene! With improv you basically just meet all these fantastic people and you\u2019re all laughing all the time! It\u2019s lovely to just get to be really really silly and play. I just love going to play!<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space]<div class=\"title\"><h2 class=\"\"  style=\"color: #3a81f7!important\">Amy Reid<\/h2><h4 class=\"\"  style=\"color: #000000!important\">Educator and skills coach<\/h4><\/div>[vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The prioritizing of celebration in improv really stuck up to me. Both with myself and learning to celebrate my little wins, and going into a work environment and being able to celebrate others more, and be their \u201cwhoop-er\u201d. I \u201cwhooped\u201d a lot during my improv course and have brought that energy back to my workplace. Another big piece is trusting my voice, and leaning into the improvisation of life and the truth that we are always improvising even if we don\u2019t realize it. It\u2019s helped me to not overthink what I\u2019m saying, both in personal conversations and at work. I used to really hold myself back at work, especially in meetings, and I find myself being more confident to just trust what I want to say. Also, being seen in front of strangers in a vulnerable way has been so valuable. My parents always called me \u201cmini plan girl\u201d &#8211; so improv has helped me to release needing a plan and embrace the spontaneity of life. Being seen and accepted while being on stage in class and not having a plan has helped me to trust in myself. Improv also helped me learn to work with other people rather than against them, and come from a place of acceptance and encouragement.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=&#8221;padder padder-right green&#8221; width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1719273192454{margin-top: 0px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;}&#8221;]<div class=\"title\"><h2 class=\"\"  style=\"color: #3a81f7!important\">Helen<\/h2><h4 class=\"\"  style=\"color: #000000!important\">Does voulenteer work<\/h4><\/div>[vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019m outgoing, and I\u2019m quite feisty I\u2019d say. I\u2019ve got severe sight loss, and improv has given me confidence day to day with my sight, and with public speaking. I stand up and talk to people a lot, and it\u2019s definitely helped me with that. As far as my sight, I was a little bit shy to ask for help sometimes. Now I\u2019ll just go \u201cHello is anybody there, I need help with this or that\u201d and it\u2019s given me that confidence to go outside of my comfort zone and be braver. Improv has changed my life. I\u2019ve met some new friends which is great. I\u2019ve formed a team called Room for Improvement, and we meet up every week and practice. We\u2019re all so different, and we all bring different things to the table which is good. We perform all the time around London and have been going for over a year. <\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text][\/vc_column_text]<div class=\"title\"><h2 class=\"\"  style=\"color: #3a81f7!important\">Kath Pollard<\/h2><h4 class=\"\"  style=\"color: #000000!important\">Film\/TV Sound Mixer<\/h4><\/div>[vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-35556 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hooplaimpro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/6c2cd0b2-fc45-4175-ac95-706d986eb1a6-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hooplaimpro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/6c2cd0b2-fc45-4175-ac95-706d986eb1a6-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hooplaimpro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/6c2cd0b2-fc45-4175-ac95-706d986eb1a6-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.hooplaimpro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/6c2cd0b2-fc45-4175-ac95-706d986eb1a6-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.hooplaimpro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/6c2cd0b2-fc45-4175-ac95-706d986eb1a6-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.hooplaimpro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/6c2cd0b2-fc45-4175-ac95-706d986eb1a6-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.hooplaimpro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/6c2cd0b2-fc45-4175-ac95-706d986eb1a6-960x960.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.hooplaimpro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/6c2cd0b2-fc45-4175-ac95-706d986eb1a6-550x550.jpg 550w, https:\/\/www.hooplaimpro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/6c2cd0b2-fc45-4175-ac95-706d986eb1a6-800x800.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.hooplaimpro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/6c2cd0b2-fc45-4175-ac95-706d986eb1a6.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b>\u00a0<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019m an A type personality, chatty, driven, extrovert. My partner says I am a big interrupter, which I know comes from my family. We function by interrupting and being louder than each other. My poor partner Becky is on the other side, she\u2019s quiet, introverted, not an interrupter. And so I can be quite annoying at times for that reason. Improv really helps you to listen and focus on the other person and be in the moment all the time, and not distracted, and not thinking about the next thing that you are going to say, because you don\u2019t know what that person is going to say to you. So it really helps you to be in the moment, listen, and come up with a response based on what the other person said. So that\u2019s super helpful on a relationship level, and on a work level of dealing with clients. I work with directors and producers and executive producers. Sometimes they are all in tune with each other. Other times they\u2019re not and you have to read the room. So improv is super helpful with reading the room, listening, and saying something appropriate responsively. And sometimes bringing in the silliness from improv can help and relax people as well. Additionally, after Brexit I was very angry and I joined a political party. So now I go door knocking like a Jehovah&#8217;s witness. And there are massive lessons from improv to be had when it comes to going and canvassing people. Because you do not know who is going to answer the door. And it could be a friendly chat, it could be someone you recognize- I recently canvassed Emma Thompson- or even a door slammed in your face, and you have to respond in the moment spontaneously in an appropriate way! I was doing level 2 when I was canvassing a lot, and I would be out all day canvassing, and then go to my level 2 class at night, and it was so helpful.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space]<div class=\"title\"><h2 class=\"\"  style=\"color: #3a81f7!important\">Suzie Simons<\/h2><h4 class=\"\"  style=\"color: #000000!important\">Founder of Eye Matter<\/h4><\/div>[vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I think improv is the most fantastic way of improving your life. It makes you much more open to other people&#8217;s suggestions and ideas. I also think it is a safe fun space to be creative and really let your brain go anywhere it likes. Also for me as somebody who did performance when they were young improv recaptures a part of my life that I had forgotten all about.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space]<div class=\"title\"><h2 class=\"\"  style=\"color: #3a81f7!important\">Sophie<\/h2><h4 class=\"\"  style=\"color: #000000!important\">Getting a PhD in math and outreach worker<\/h4><\/div>[vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-35557 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hooplaimpro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/PHOTO-2025-11-18-14-15-41-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hooplaimpro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/PHOTO-2025-11-18-14-15-41-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hooplaimpro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/PHOTO-2025-11-18-14-15-41-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.hooplaimpro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/PHOTO-2025-11-18-14-15-41-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.hooplaimpro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/PHOTO-2025-11-18-14-15-41-960x640.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.hooplaimpro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/PHOTO-2025-11-18-14-15-41-550x367.jpg 550w, https:\/\/www.hooplaimpro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/PHOTO-2025-11-18-14-15-41-800x533.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.hooplaimpro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/PHOTO-2025-11-18-14-15-41.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I really like having an outlet to be silly. We often get way too serious in life, and it just brings a lot of joy to the day to learn tools and practices to be silly. With work, I\u2019ve started using the improv tools and warmups to get myself ready to give talks. Sometimes I\u2019m giving talks to several hundred kids at once, so being able to warm up and get energy is super important. I also MC bigger events which involve a lot of thinking on your feet, fighting fires, listening to what the other speakers have said. There\u2019s so many improv skills that go into that too. I\u2019ve also started doing some work in activism, which is something I didn\u2019t expect improv to be useful for, but actually it\u2019s been really helpful with things like thinking of crazy ideas of things we can do and having creative protests, but also working out how to de-escalate situations. Improv helps you know how to listen to people, and you can diffuse situations because you can just listen, be in the moment, and find a solution. <\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space]<div class=\"title\"><h2 class=\"\"  style=\"color: #3a81f7!important\">Ian<\/h2><h4 class=\"\"  style=\"color: #000000!important\">Consultant and coach<\/h4><\/div>[vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Improv is one of the single biggest things that has helped me with navigating grown-up life. In the past I might have become attached or stuck in my ideas, and insistent that my own way was the best way. It would take me a long time to accept change. Improv has enabled me to recognize that life itself is a team sport, and most people are really well-intended even if their ideas are different to mine. And that actually there is real joy in collaborating and allowing things to happen as they happen. At work it\u2019s really helped me with fast paced changing environments. My brain doesn\u2019t get hung up when things change suddenly. Now I\u2019m able to go- hunh! That\u2019s interesting! Yes, And! In my personal life when things haven\u2019t gone so well, I have been able to much more quickly accept the truth of the situation and make changes that are helpful for me and for other people. Both with small things like changes of plans and deeper and more difficult things too. With the deeper ones, it might take a bit longer, but often I think back to improv and thinking- if this was a scene I would just go with it. There probably isn\u2019t a single area improv hasn\u2019t positively impacted, in home, life, and work.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space]<div class=\"title\"><h2 class=\"\"  style=\"color: #3a81f7!important\">Robert Lock<\/h2><h4 class=\"\"  style=\"color: #000000!important\">Longtime Hoopla student and performer<\/h4><\/div>[vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I think Improv has given me a new social life post pandemic. I left my job after 15 years burnt out. Which was a good decision but it did mean leaving a lot of people I&#8217;d known for a long time behind. T<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">hen a lot of events that I used to go to didn&#8217;t survive the pandemic. Then I went to a festival and tried improv and eventually ventured out to a church basement near King&#8217;s Cross in the cold and the dark and found a whole new world where you can be silly and playful and meet the best people. I realized I could step onto stage and be anyone. There were no preconceptions about who could or could not act, no gatekeepers, no blocking or remembering lines or rehearsals, none of the barriers that get in the way. If you told me 5 years ago I&#8217;d be stepping onto stage and initiating scenes on a semi regular basis I&#8217;d have thought you were crazy. Just being able to\u00a0 step up and weave a story or scene is so magical, to work as a team to create a new reality in the moment is so amazing. Improv gave me permission to step onto stage and no longer be forgotten or overlooked but to make people laugh and to shine and while doing that to discover a warm and friendly community. It added a bit of magic and sparkle into my life. Improv, particularly how Hoopla does it, is very liberating. Steve works so hard to break down barriers to access. In improv you&#8217;re not going to be stopped from going on stage because you&#8217;re too old or too young or too fat or too thin or not pretty enough or the wrong skin colour\u00a0 and that&#8217;s amazing in itself. I was in the car on way to work and Chappel Roan&#8217;s Pink Pony Club came on and the lyrics got stuck in my head and I was thinking about them and suddenly was changing it to Hoopla&#8217;s Miller Pub as I realised how the story behind the song fits Hoopla in its own way. Much like in the song Hoopla have created a safe space where people can come and express themselves in a way they might not be able to do elsewhere and built an amazing community.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner equal_height=&#8221;yes&#8221; gap=&#8221;2&#8243; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1719273227416{margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column_inner el_class=&#8221;padder padder-left quote-text&#8221;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]But don&#8217;t just take our word for it! Here&#8217;s some handy links to some additional information about how improv can help with real life including scientific articles, newspaper articles and blog posts.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hooplaimpro.com\/5-ways-to-bring-improv-magic-into-everyday-life\/.html\">&gt;&gt; 5 ways to bring improv magic into everyday life<\/a>, blog post by Phoebe Kozinets.<\/p>\n<p>&gt;&gt; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/councils\/forbesbusinesscouncil\/2023\/11\/28\/more-than-laughs-improv-for-leadership-and-listening\/\">More than laughs, improv for leadership and listening<\/a>, article by Forbes<\/p>\n<p>&gt;&gt; <a href=\"https:\/\/pdfs.semanticscholar.org\/036d\/106386e2a11a9f9acbce0b9e7fa8c125167d.pdf\">What improv teaches us about collaboration<\/a>, by Kate Dohe and Erin Pappas<\/p>\n<p>&gt;&gt; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/robasghar\/2015\/08\/12\/four-reasons-you-need-to-take-an-improv-class\/\">Four reasons to take an improv class<\/a>, by Rob Asghar for Forbes<\/p>\n<p>&gt;&gt; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tandfonline.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1080\/15401383.2020.1856016\">Percieved effects of improv on psycological wellbeing<\/a>, research article by Zakiya Reid-Wisdom and Ramesh Perera-Delcourt<\/p>\n<p>&gt;&gt; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/dougsundheim\/2020\/05\/21\/four-lessons-leaders-can-learn-from-improv-right-now\/\">Four lessons leaders can learn from improv right now<\/a>, by Doug Sundheim for Forbes<\/p>\n<p>&gt;&gt; <span class=\"title-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/S1871187119302470\">Improv experience promotes divergent thinking, uncertainty tolerance, and affective well-being,<\/a> paper from Science Direct<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row el_class=&#8221;sub&#8211;header butt-style&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1526581539289{padding-bottom: 40px !important;background-color: #f6f6f6 !important;}&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;3\/4&#8243; offset=&#8221;vc_col-sm-offset-2&#8243;]<div class=\"btn-container inline-btn-container\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hooplaimpro.com\/\" class=\"btn btn-color-out\"  >hoopla improv home<\/a><\/div><div class=\"btn-container inline-btn-container\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hooplaimpro.com\/improv-classes-london.html\" class=\"btn btn-color-out\"  >improv classes<\/a><\/div><div class=\"btn-container inline-btn-container\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hooplaimpro.com\/improv-comedy-club-london-bridge.html\" class=\"btn btn-color-out\"  >improv shows<\/a><\/div><div class=\"btn-container inline-btn-container\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hooplaimpro.com\/improv-corporate-training.html\" class=\"btn btn-color-out\"  >corporate training<\/a><\/div>[\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[vc_row full_width=&#8221;stretch_row_content_no_spaces&#8221; el_id=&#8221;home&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1510933836001{padding-top: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row full_width=&#8221;stretch_row&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1719273443220{margin-top: 30px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column][vc_row_inner equal_height=&#8221;yes&#8221; gap=&#8221;2&#8243; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1719273227416{margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column_inner el_class=&#8221;padder padder-left quote-text&#8221;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]Improv is an incredibly useful tool for any type of performer as it teaches you to be more confident, spontaneous, human, and free[&#8230;] <\/p>\n<p class=\"mt-15\"><a class=\"small-link upper\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hooplaimpro.com\/how-does-improv-help-in-real-life\"><span>Read More<\/span><i class=\"hc-arrow-right\"><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-35534","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How does improv help in real life? | Hoopla<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hooplaimpro.com\/how-does-improv-help-in-real-life\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How does improv help in real life? | Hoopla\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"[vc_row full_width=&#8221;stretch_row_content_no_spaces&#8221; el_id=&#8221;home&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1510933836001{padding-top: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row full_width=&#8221;stretch_row&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1719273443220{margin-top: 30px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column][vc_row_inner equal_height=&#8221;yes&#8221; gap=&#8221;2&#8243; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1719273227416{margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column_inner el_class=&#8221;padder padder-left quote-text&#8221;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]Improv is an incredibly useful tool for any type of performer as it teaches you to be more confident, spontaneous, human, and free[...] Read More\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.hooplaimpro.com\/how-does-improv-help-in-real-life\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Hoopla\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/hooplaimpro\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-11-28T16:41:13+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.hooplaimpro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/bbdad1cf-ee6f-4294-a5d4-6cff463966ae.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"701\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"451\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@hooplaimpro\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"17 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How does improv help in real life? | Hoopla","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.hooplaimpro.com\/how-does-improv-help-in-real-life","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"How does improv help in real life? | Hoopla","og_description":"[vc_row full_width=&#8221;stretch_row_content_no_spaces&#8221; el_id=&#8221;home&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1510933836001{padding-top: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row full_width=&#8221;stretch_row&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1719273443220{margin-top: 30px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column][vc_row_inner equal_height=&#8221;yes&#8221; gap=&#8221;2&#8243; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1719273227416{margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column_inner el_class=&#8221;padder padder-left quote-text&#8221;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]Improv is an incredibly useful tool for any type of performer as it teaches you to be more confident, spontaneous, human, and free[...] Read More","og_url":"https:\/\/www.hooplaimpro.com\/how-does-improv-help-in-real-life","og_site_name":"Hoopla","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/hooplaimpro\/","article_modified_time":"2025-11-28T16:41:13+00:00","og_image":[{"width":701,"height":451,"url":"https:\/\/www.hooplaimpro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/bbdad1cf-ee6f-4294-a5d4-6cff463966ae.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_site":"@hooplaimpro","twitter_misc":{"Estimated reading time":"17 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.hooplaimpro.com\/how-does-improv-help-in-real-life","url":"https:\/\/www.hooplaimpro.com\/how-does-improv-help-in-real-life","name":"How does improv help in real life? 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