Safety First! 3 safety rules to improve every improv class or theater workshop!

We learn better when we’re safe, so here are 3 simple safety rules you can use to create a safer learning environment for your improv workshops and theater classes!

They can be applied by teachers, students or theater groups regardless of experience and they’re super easy:

Rule #1: Take care of yourself!

Rule #2: Take care of your partner!

Rule #3: Have fun!

Rule number one: Take care of yourself!

Please be considerate of any injuries or physical limitations you might have, such as a bad back or injured knee. It’s easy to get carried away but your health is more important than any exercise.

Also, you have my permission to say no to any exercise you don’t want to do, for whatever reason and without any justification. NO is a complete sentence, always. You also have my permission to walk away if someone puts you in a situation where you’re not comfortable.

Improv is all about consent and you’re always free to not give yours at any given moment or take it back if you change your mind.

Rule number two: Take care of your partner!

Respect their personal boundaries, so no lifting, pushing, pulling, kissing or inappropriate touching, unless you’ve been given consent. And don’t take someone’s glasses, they need those to see. Avoid offensive words or gestures.

Also, show respect if you get a no from your partner by thanking her/him/them for taking care of themselves and letting you know their boundaries. This takes courage and you should support them for being brave instead of asking why or trying to persuade them into saying yes.

Rule number three: Have fun!

Because improv should be fun! And if it’s not, it might be because we‘re not taking care of ourselves and each other as much as we need to do to be safe.

Those are the 3 safety rules, plain and simple.

I’ve added a few FAQ’s below in case you’d like to read more.

When do I do this?

I’ve found it useful to set safety rules and expectations at the beginning of a workshop or class. I introduce myself (name, background), the workshop (name, goal), practical stuff (bathroom, breaks, fire exits, phones, notes, etc.) and then the 3 safety rules.

Every time?

I use the 3 safety rules almost every time I teach. Exceptions are usually when I’m working with a team that knows each other.

How do I say it?

I’ve gotten good feedback from saying the 3safety rules with a firm but light-hearted attitude. Try different ways and find the one that works for you.

It feels incomplete!

It is. This is just the beginning of the conversation, not the end of it, as Anděl Sudik so beautifully put it.

But what about Yes And’ing everything?

Yes And is very powerful and has many interpretations but it’s not dogma. You never have to unconditionally accept anything.

Just say no, got it!

Almost. Having permission to say no is very different from actually doing it. And we’re not used to it because we’re mostly nice, friendly and pleasing people. So then we don’t when perhaps we should.

This is why I think it’s vital to let students practice saying no, instead of just asking them to do it. Put the practice into an exercise or just take 5 seconds having everyone say no repeatedly.

Now having done that together it is now slightly safer to do it by ourselves in a live setting, and more likely to happen because you’ve already done it.

Check also out Keith Johnstone’s cheerful or high-pitched ‘nope’ or hire me for my Yes And Fuck No workshop ;)

Do I need to practice this script?

If you need to, and please adapt the 3 safety rules to your community and make them your own. Practicing it makes for more efficient workshops.

I feel weird or awkward doing this!

Fair enough and very understandable. Just like improv it will get less weird and awkward with experience.

A piece of useful teaching advice I got was this: While class is in session you’re their teacher, not their friend. This allows you to behave differently than you normally would because it’s teacher-you, not you-you. If you’re uncomfortable with this you can consider making a deal with your student that 1) outside the classroom I’m your friend but 2) inside the classroom I’m your teacher and sometimes required to be ‘strict’.

There are many ways to do this. I had a theater mask teacher who would put his glasses on upside down to let us know when he was the ‘strict’ teacher. It was scary and fun at the same time.

Thank you for reading!

Terje Brevik is the founder of Tøyen Impro and the former director of Impro Neuf, Norway’s biggest and most inclusive improv community. He’s a teacher and performer of improvised theater on and off stage and he loves to travel. Check out his stuff and connect at terjebrevik.com