Improvisation skills for researchers - Don't be square. Be there!

Improvisational theatre provides a rich source for the training of social skills, confidence and attentiveness. It can teach you to be more spontaneous, more connected, more in the moment with the people you meet. 

The exercises are carefully selected and aim to
- stay confident when walking into the unknown
- stop planning ahead and trust in the moment
- co-create wonderful dialogues and scenes with your partners
- let go of the “inner judge” from time to time
- overcome stage-fright and even enjoy the attention of others
- be more resilient towards disturbances when presenting something

The training does not require acting experience. All you need is an open mind and a fresh pair of socks.

Researchers need to “be in their heads” most of the time, they strive to avoid mistakes, and they are working on their careers in an academic environment that often highly competitive. The mindset of improvisation is quite the opposite: It stays in the moment without thinking ahead, it celebrates collaboration and it embraces mistakes. Participants will learn to identify their “academic fears” and counterbalance them with an improvisational mindset. They will be able to better deal with unpredictability both in research and in scientific presentations, to make contact more easily and to have more fun in building and maintaining their professional networks." 

RAA-E-30