58½ Ways to Improvise in Training: Improvisation games and activities for workshops, courses and team meetings

Whether you are running a training session, workshop or a team meeting, Paul Jackson's varied collection of games and activities will help you create an environment of improvisation and experiment, of imagination and energy, and of laughter and commitment. What better way to engage anyone in the process of learning. Each of these games and activities generates what Paul Jackson calls 'Impro Energy', a current that runs between participants. You recognize 'Impro Energy' when you see people who are clearly 'in the moment', alert to whatever is going on in the here and now. At its best, it creates an event in which the quality of work is both high and seemingly effortless. At all levels, it is great fun - a rich mixture of preparation and spontaneity. The games in this collection can be used in a variety of ways. A physical activity warms up limbs and might also breakdown barriers between group members. A verbal activity might be an exercise in creativity as well as intellectual dexterity. More than simply icebreakers, they are designed as a vehicle for content. There are always links between the game and the subject of the workshop at a metaphorical level. The Ping-pong process, for example, can be positioned to show how a relaxed attitude to making mistakes often results in fewer errors. In addition, the questions provided in the debriefing section that accompanies each game provide the means for making these connections. The book is organized by topic; group size; physical/verbal/visual components; time involved; and energy level required. This book is an excellent resource for counselors, trainers, facilitators, or workshop leaders.