Hi !

We, the friendly (see above) heretics (read on), are a group of artists and theatre enthusiasts who believe in the power of art to benefit the health of our community at every scale. Our group centres around the medium of theatre, and especially improvisation with a tendency toward comedy. Our goals are to make the study and play of improv available and accessible to everyone whose curiosity it sparks, and to contribute to the fueling and stitching together of the beautiful Guelph theatre community.

Our members share an excitement for the ways that improv brings us out - out of our habitual ways of showing up, out of our shells, and outdoors since most of our classes are run in a backyard. For us, improv serves as an elegant artform for practicing listening, for growing resilience, for learning to treat surprises as discoveries and opportunities, and, for being as part of a greater whole.

Our most heretic-leaning tendency is the pursuit of artistic sovereignty ie. creating art - that you believe in and that you want to use as a vehicle for discovery, expression and/or connection - as freely as can be from any of the contemporary ways of thinking that reinforce reliance on specific systems and authority. Free from any "right" ways. Free from anyone's arts council profile trying to tell you what art is. Art is a journey of self discovery, self acceptance and of connection to others. Oh and while we're making big statements, fun is absolutely essential.

We live and operate in Guelph where we organize no cost and pay-what-you-can improv workshops, improv shows, sketch shows and other theatre performances. We love hearing from folks who want to learn about, nerd about, and experience more about improv, or who have ideas for collaborations. Perhaps you have an idea that seems unrelated to all of the gibberish above and you just want some help manifesting the dang thing. If you (yes, you!) feel at all inspired, do reach out to us. Let's make something heretical.