It’s funny how a person you’ve never met can have a profound effect on your life.

The theatre-maker Keith Johnstone passed away on the 11th of March 2023 leaving behind a legacy of profound and brilliant theatre-making and education.

One of his most famous writings is “Impro: Improvisation and Theatre” in which he sets out principles and exercises for improvised performance and the development of narratives through improvisation.

Like all great works, its resonance goes far beyond the original subject matter.

Status

At Aspire Leadership the first chapter (Status) has informed a lot of our thinking in how we support a welcoming and inclusive training environment.

Spontaneity

In the training world many people have encountered ideas he discussed in Chapter 2 (Spontaneity) where he discusses how we can inhibit creativity in each other and how we can block each other through fear:

The motto of scared improvisers is ‘when in doubt, say NO’. We use this in life as a way of blocking action.

Instead, Johnstone encourages us to accept and build on the offer. Rather than saying “No”, saying “Yes, and…”

Once you learn to accept offers then accidents can no longer interrupt the action.

Accept and Build

Accept and build is the cornerstone of Aspire Leadership’s training style and the work we do with our clients when generating ideas, dealing with conflict and working with instability.

A Tribute

So we pay tribute to this man we never met but who has had a profound impact on the way we think, work and create.

Thank you, Keith.

Here’s Keith Johnstone discussing authenticity and questioning. https://youtu.be/bz9mo4qW9bc