"There are people who prefer to say 'Yes', and there are people who prefer to say 'No'. Those who say 'Yes' are rewarded by the adventures they have, and those who say 'No' are rewarded by the safety they attain."Keith Johnstone

Imagine a place where you could go each week to meet strangers and learn how to make each other laugh. A place where no-one is checking their phone because they're having so much fun they forget they even exist. A place where loneliness disappears, anxieties are overcome and friendships forged. A place where people of all ages, races, sexualities, genders, creeds, cultures and identities find common ground and respect for one another in mutual service of one common goal: laughter.

Now imagine a town where any night of the week you can go out and see live comedy in all its forms. A town with a busy, vibrant and empowered community, constantly crafting shows for tours and festivals, refining scripts, recording podcasts, filming sketches, making movies and a host of other creative pursuits. A town whose talent has put it on the map, attracting people from across the globe to watch and perform in its international comedy and fringe festivals, boosting the local economy and bringing a high tide to raise all ships. And at the core of it all? An improv school and theatre, working with local partners to connect, nurture and promote the town's comedic talent through performance events, media production, and other opportunities.

"The rules of improvisation appeal to me not only as a way of creating comedy, but as a worldview. Studying improv literally changed my life."Tina Fey

The Improv Chippy believes that improv is to the soul as exercise is to the body. We believe that improv brings confidence, meaning, and joy. We believe improv builds friendships and communities. We believe improv is at the heart of all creative endeavour, and that where improv goes, entire creative scenes soon follow. We believe that improv has the power to change lives and, through that collective change, transform entire towns. We believe that improv brings back belief.

"You build your world, you build your confidence."Dan Oster

The Improv Chippy exists to fulfil the following missions:

• To teach comedy in all its forms, starting with long-form Chicago style improvisation.
• To offer regular performance opportunities, enabling performers to take creative risks, innovate and push the boundaries of comedic performance.
• To nurture local talent and to grow the communities in which we serve into thriving hubs of comedic activity.
• To explore the potential of comedy as a therapeutic tool.
• To showcase our comedic community across the country and the world.

Its long term objectives:

• To offer full curriculums in improv, sketch, stand-up, clown/physical theatre, character comedy and sitcom writing.
• To acquire a training and performance space enabling us to put on shows week after week.
• To work with local partners to establish a charity and bring a comedy festival to the area for the first time.
• To establish a touring company to showcase our area's best talent across the UK and at the top global comedy festivals.
• To establish a media production company to showcase our comedic talent to the world.

The following five values underpin all our work.

"Doing what you're afraid of, getting out of your comfort zone, taking risks like that- that's what life is."Amy Poehler

We should instil in our students the courage to take risks. We should instil courage in ourselves to put on shows that test the limits of the art form. We should have the courage to do what scares us. We should have the courage to stand up for what we believe in. We should have the courage to think big.

"The absolute worst thing you can do in a scene is be apathetic."Del Close

We care about our physical and mental wellbeing and strive for a balanced and sustainable approach to our work. We care about and support our students so they can thrive, both with and without us. We care about our audience. We care about our communities. We listen, care and support each other on stage. We live, work and die as a team. We have each other's back.

"If we treat each other as if we are geniuses, poets and artists, we have a better chance of becoming that on stage."Del Close

We believe that all voices should be heard and that the benefits of diversity are many. We strive to remove barriers to access and widen opportunity for all. We seek to learn about others and their experiences and how they differ from our own. We believe that most people are good, that there is more that unites us than separate us, and that most conflicts can be resolved through patience, open dialogue and exploration. We recognise that life is a learning curve and seek to forgive one another wherever possible, provided responsibility is taken and amends made. We do not tolerate harassment, discrimination or violence. We set reasonable boundaries and we take protective action if those boundaries are crossed.

"Know that it's a really good thing and that it'll take awhile to get halfway decent at it. That you can't rush it and don't try to rush it. You'll come along at the pace you're supposed to come along at. Don't think of it as math. It's music. It's not a problem to be solved. It's a song to be listened to."TJ Jagodowski

We strive for excellence but recognise that the road to achieving it is mostly a slow and iterative process. We see comedy as a lifelong craft, one where we are continually growing and learning. We take whatever size step we can manage each day to improve and do not get hung up on the failures and obstacles along the way - we dust ourselves off, shake it out, and move foward.

"Spend your days in love with what you're doing as much as fucking possible, and thank the stars for your chance to do that"Will Hines

We want our audiences to have fun, we want our participants to have fun and we want to have fun. Or why else are we doing this?!