youth

Youth Services
Comedy & Drama
Laughter Yoga
Issue Based
Young Women
Young Men
Film
Public Speaking
Residentials
Multi Arts
Past Projects
Testimonials

YOUTH SERVICES

Big Comedy Shop has a vast experience working with youth services and organisations making us specialists in working with young people and providing training for youth workers.

Big Comedy Shop excels in being adaptable in our work with youth services. Our experience gives us an understanding of how important it is to be flexible whilst working with young people and we pride ourselves on our success in this regard. Our non-patronising, fun approach engages young people and we like to think our high energy and enthusiasm is infectious!

Our aims are for young people to have a positive and fun experience whilst learning about the themes we explore. Our work is all about developing confidence and self esteem and so we focus on personal development in all that we provide.

Our workshops involve participants working as part of a team, gaining leadership and team building skills and having a voice. Big Comedy Shop is passionate about promoting equal opportunities and democracy.

Our approach in working with young people is all about embracing their views and observations of the world using creativity and in ways that develop self expression, creativity and imagination.

COMEDY AND DRAMA

Big Comedy Shop provides comedy and drama workshops that cover the basics in being able to laugh at ourselves and allows participants to let go of their inhibitions. Our workshop focuses on building confidence and enhancing communication and team work skills. Oh and fun. Lots of fun!

Comedy and drama courses

Whether you require a one off workshop, a few sessions to run over a number of weeks or a more intensive 2 day course, Big Comedy Shop can provide a comedy and drama course.

Big Comedy Shop courses can result in a comedy show in front of an invited audience. These shows can be in the form of a live show, filmed sketches or a comedy short film.

Comedy workshops can be based on any theme you may be exploring with your young people or alternatively use comedy as a theme itself!

LAUGHTER YOGA

Sun demands no reason to shine;
Water demands no reason to flow;
A child demands no reason to be happy;
Why do we need a reason to laugh?

Laughter Yoga was started by a medical doctor, Dr.Madan Kataria from India with just five people from a Mumbai Park in 1995. Today there are thousands of laughter yoga clubs in more than 65 countries.

At Big Comedy shop we have our very own fully certified laughter yoga Leader, Eddie Capli to deliver a fun energising laughter session for you.

Laughter yoga has many physiological and psychological benefits to offer.
Laughter itself is proven to boost the immune system, release endorphins, combat stress, provide more oxygen to the brain , helps with depression ,improves social lives-the list goes on...

So Laughter Yoga is about using the scientific fact that the human body cannot differentiate between real or fake laughter if done with willingness.

We initiate laughter as an exercise in a group, but with eye contact and childlike playfulness, it soon turns into real and contagious laughter.

Laughter Yoga can be a great way to improve exam results develop children’s emotional intelligence, develop young people’s self confidence and improve motivation and energy levels.

ISSUE BASED

· Healthy minds healthy body
· Sexual exploitation
· Motivation and assertiveness
· Deal with it! (Dealing with difficult situations and understanding anger)
· Being resourceful and resilient
· Confidence building
· Team building
· Communication skills
· Stereo types
· Public speaking skills
· Sex and sexuality and relationships
· Sexual health
· Sexual exploitation (for young women)
· Healthy living– drink, drugs, respecting our bodies
· Body Image
· Feminism
· Aspirations
· Alternative to violence

YOUNG WOMEN

Big Comedy Shop‘s company director Ali Kahn has been involved in many projects working with young women’s groups, something in which she has a particular interest and passion for. Ali uses her larger than life personality and ability to make people laugh in dealing with more sensitive and serious issues that affect young women.

We live in a time where young women are receiving mixed messages about what it is to be a woman. Examine the idols young women find in today’s media and music industry and it is obvious why these girls feel under pressure and lack in confidence and self esteem.

Big Comedy Shop’s workshops for young women are designed to encourage participants to find their own voice and be expressive about who they are, the life they want and how they feel about the world they live in.

Our aim through the workshops is for young women to feel positive about themselves and be aware of how women are just as important and just as funny as boys and men.

Themes we cover vary from being assertive to sexual exploitation and everything in between.

YOUNG MEN

Big Comedy Shop is passionate about our work with young men. Our aim is to engage and challenge participants in fun but focused comedy and drama based workshops.

Previous projetcs includes working with a group of young men at BMAG (Burnage Multi-Agency Group) where we held 2 days of comedy workshops. Other projects have involved introducing a group of young men , based at the Salvation Army Hall via Wigan PAYP, to the topic of sexual exploitation.

The themes we explore with young men are relevant to the issues they deal with on a daily basis and include exploring their own identity, alternatives to violence, motivational workshops examining the young men's behaviour in relationships. Our workshops are easily adapted to suit the specific needs of your group.

FILM

Produce, direct and act in your own funny film. Make a documentary (or mockumentary) about your school or community. Film is also a great way to explore issue based learning.

CLICK HERE to view our Film/Theatre Media page to find out more.

PUBLIC SPEAKING

Being a company that comprises of comedians, actors, writers and training and development specialists, Big Comedy Shop has an abundance of experience when it comes to public speaking.

Our tutors have firsthand experience with individually crafted practical techniques which allows us to tailor make a public speaking workshop specifically to suit you.

We don’t believe that “one size fits all” when it comes to public speaking. Our first priority is to help you to feel relaxed and comfortable rather than present a thesis on the complexities and theory of speech and communication! The fear of standing up and speaking to a group of people - often strangers - is extremely scary for many individuals and can be the major barrier when it comes to delivering a speech they have written with confidence.

Whether it is a group’s first time exploring public speaking or more experienced speakers looking to refresh their skills, Big Comedy Shop can facilitate your requirements. Whether we work with a group of young people or youth workers, each participant’s experience with Big Comedy Shop will be a fun, engaging and inspiring one. Our aim is that you leave a BCS public speaking course feeling equipped to speak eloquently and with confidence to an audience.

Workshops can be booked for one to one sessions, group work shops, one off sessions and full courses.

Testimonial from Ali Hanbury (youth worker)

“The public speaking course with Ali was a delight! Her approach to facilitation and delivery was professional, invested and really encouraging. She helped me develop my individual style of public speaking; rather than give all the participants a generic check-list. It really helped me to develop my confidence and style; and I’m now enjoying the experience more. This training is unlike any I’ve attended before; no powerpoint, no pop psychology, no pretension – fantastic!”

RESIDENTIALS

Big Comedy Shop is at hand to assist you with any residential trip you may be planning. We can provide tailor made workshops to support your residential theme and our selection of entertainment events are on offer to enhance your group’s residential experience.

Please see our Events Page HERE.

Past projects on residential trips include:

Workshops for Barclays Money Skills Residential – Trafford Hall

Voice Weekend for Area Youth Forum Residential – Lindisfarne House, St Helens

Sexual Health Summer Camp - Burwardsley education centre

Salford Youth Service Residential - Brathay Ambleside Cumbria

Young women’s health project with ICA:UK –Castleshaw Centre in Delph

Please check out our page Multi Arts page for more info.

PAST PROJECTS

Aspirations

Motivation and assertiveness

Deal with it! (Dealing with difficult situations and understanding anger)

Being resourceful and resilient

Confidence building

Team building

Communication skills

Stereo types

Public speaking skills

Sex and sexuality and relationships

Sexual health

Sexual exploitation (for young women)

Healthy living– drink, drugs, respecting our bodies

Body Image

Feminism

Youth Parliament

WHO WE HAVE WORKED WITH

Halton Youth Service

Birchwood Crisis Centre (previously West Lancashire Crisis Centre)

LGYM (Lesbian and Gay Youth Manchester)

Zion Arts Centre

ICA:UK

Wigan Youth Service

Salford Youth Service

Stockport Youth Service

Halton Voluntary Action

Tameside Youth Service

Stockport CVS

BMAG

Children in care

Young women’s groups in Wigan

Young people with learning disabilities

Wigan's female netball league

TESTIMONIALS

SALLY CARR - Operations Manager for Halton Youth Service & Manager for LGBT Youth North West

“Big Comedy Shop have consistently delivered high quality arts based interventions; they are easily able to adapt the session plans at the last minute to suit the mood and audience; they are able to utilize both youth work and teaching styles of facilitation.

Young people have always expressed how much they have gained from the sessions, how much they have enjoyed learning and taking part and have often asked for Big Comedy Shop to come again to work with them.

I feel that Big Comedy Shop are different from other drama resource based companies mainly because of their flexible approach and their ability to use youth work and teaching, and because they deliver on time and to a high standard.

Big Comedy Shop are flexible; have a youth work approach; have multi-choice of arts interventions and deliver on time and to a high standard”
Katy Frankland - Project Manager Signpost Young Carers in Stockport
Signpost Stockport Young Carers service works with children and young people who care for someone at home who has an illness or disability. The level of their caring role impacts on all areas of their life for example schooling, accessing social activities and their confidence and self esteem.

Big Comedy Shop has worked with a number of our young carers groups. Young carers have taken part in drama/comedy improvisations, writing scripts and organising performances. The young carers have gained so much from the sessions, the main outcome has been they have grown in confidence and been able to take part in an activity they would normally find difficult to access.

From the moment the sessions start the young people are laughing and the atmosphere that Eddie and Ali create enables them to feel safe, let go and have fun. Eddie and Ali encourage young people at all times to participate and contribute, and whatever their ability they are made to feel valued and safe. All the young people who have taken part have said they have enjoyed the sessions and it made them feel more confident to take part in other activities.
Marie Brookfield - Wigan Youth Service Borough wide Manager CYPS Youth Service
I was first introduced to Big Comedy shop in March 2008. I attended the Girls Work Network Conference and watched their performance ‘Cathy’ a play about sex and sexuality. At that time we had been developing some borough wide girls work provision to raise the issues around sexual exploitation. Our challenge was to provide an interesting and innovating approach while tackling a serious subject.

From our initial meeting in 2008, we have established a professional and committed partnership with Big Comedy Shop. That partnership has delivered some exciting, innovative and educating life changing interventions for all the young people with whom we have worked with over this period.

Big Comedy Shop has been flexible, innovative, reliable, and professional. They have worked in every kind of setting, with both small and large groups. The young people have engaged and respond well to them. We have had very positive feedback in our evaluations from the young people.

To date all the work we have undertaken has mainly been with young woman, but all of the events and sessions would be appropriate for young men. We would not hesitate to engage Big Comedy Shop to undertake such work.

The nature of the work we have been developing has been challenging and hard work but the partnership with Big Comedy Shop has made it supportive and enjoyable.