Evie Jones recounts her recent experience representing Improv Niagara at DSBN’s Fall Professional Development Day. Teachers, take note!
Many years ago I had the pleasure of meeting a soft, kind, talented man by the name of Jack Wieler. Jack is an actor in St. Catharines, and during my youth, my mother was making lots of independent theatre in our town. She would often bring me to rehearsals and I would get to watch from the distance, with my young, fresh, impressionable child’s mind. One of her colleagues was Jack. They would put on shows together at the old NAC- you know when it was on Bond Street before our friends from Liberty Bikes arrived on the scene. It was through these in-and-out rehearsal halls that I would come to formulate my dreams, by watching people with talent, dedication and a love for the Arts.
Jack is now the Secondary Consultant for the Arts in Education programs with the District School Board of Niagara. He helps to generate social momentum surrounding arts and culture in our city and within our educational system. He works with high school students and educators.
Much of what we do with Improv Niagara- other than performing our monthly “Improv Fallout” each month at Mahtay- and building a lively, fun and interactive comedy presence in Niagara- is outreach to the community. We reach out to groups such as seniors, youth groups, people struggling with anxiety- etc. We do this because improv offers wide variety of activities and games that help relieve stress, build self-confidence, and support team building!
It only made sense to have an afternoon coffee with Mr. Weiler to discuss how Improv Niagara could bring our skills, knowledge and expertise to our local high school teachers.
Each year the District School Board of Niagara hosts a few Professional Development Days. Their purpose is to facilitate new and innovative ways of teaching for educators to bring into their classrooms and help guide their students through their learning journeys. Myself and Brie, Head Instructor and Owner of Improv Niagara had the pleasure of being able to offer what we do in a workshop setting. Teachers participated in games, discussed some improv theory and focused on some basic themes that cover how improv supports learning.
It was an awesome experience for all. We learned so much! We learned that high school students struggle with self-confidence and that can sometimes make or break their openness to a learning environment. It can prevent their cognitive processes and hinder them from getting a full experience of a lesson. We showed teachers how improv can relieve some those issues. Improv is designed to generate “messing up.” It is designed to allow participants to “let go” and have fun. Once those two goals are accomplished, the sky’s the limit!
It was a great opportunity for me to reconnect with Jack. He has inspired me over the years, and now I got to bring something that I am practicing in my own artistic life to the table. Brie and I had a fantastic experience holding such a unique, important workshop. Repping IMPROV NIAGARA in the community is a great feeling, and we hope to keep connecting with Educators and students alike. Let’s keep up that social momentum surrounding arts in St. Catharines and beyond!
– Genevieve (Evie) Jones
Actor, Director, Playwright
Cast Member at Improv Niagara