Have You Heard The One About The Teenage Comedian?
FREE COMEDY WORKSHOPS FOR TEENS TO HELP WITH MENTAL HEALTH IN LIVERPOOL
Liverpool charity The Comedy Trust are running a free comedy club for 11 – 18 year olds. The Feeling Funny Youth Club is designed to support young people’s mental health through the use of comedy.
It will provide a fun and creative space for young comedians to hone their craft in the world of comedy through workshops, industry masterclasses and performance opportunities. The club provides young people with a platform to enhance their personal and professional skills whilst ultimately working to improve confidence, self-esteem and support their personal resilience.
Established in 2018 with thanks to funding from the Liverpool One Foundation the programme addresses the alarming rise in poor mental health amongst young people living across the Liverpool City Region as an alternative, creative form of support. The programme works by offering free one-off wellbeing workshops for local schools and communities, longer six week stand-up comedy courses culminating in a performance and the bi-monthly club for young people to continue their journey into the world of comedy. The club acts as a continuation of care for young comedians who have previously taken part in the Trust’s comedy courses but is also open to any young person looking to take part in something fun and light-hearted whilst being surrounded by like-minded people in a non-judgemental, supportive environment. Members of the group are given the opportunity to explore the breadths of the comedy industry from performance to those who make comedy performance possible.
Young people will have the opportunity learn everything from being a stand-up comedian to putting on their very own shows. Sessions take place every first and third Wednesday of the month at the Quaker Meeting House in the Liverpool City Centre, 5 – 7pm.
Freya who is part of the club said: “The Comedy Trust has given me so many new opportunities and opportunities to laugh. You can meet new people, try new experiences and I’ve gone on to stay with such a lovely group of people in the monthly Feeling Funny club just finding my new passion.” Project Manager, Charlene Davies said “It’s important that every young person has the opportunity to express themselves through the arts without facing barriers. The freedom of expression and nurturing of creativity can help them develop personally and also professionally. Comedy helps us create a light-hearted and fun environment for young people to engage, learn and express themselves. Laughter is a universal language, no matter your background, it helps create connections with others, break down difficult to discuss topics and make it easier to talk about things such as mental health. It also reminds us the importance of play and being silly, we lose that as we grow older and I think it’s integral to your resilience and overall wellbeing. Sessions are safe and supportive and give ample opportunities to young people to learn skills that they can then take with them after they leave school. The group currently taking part in the club are absolutely hilarious and have such bright futures ahead of them. We’d love to meet more young comedians wanting to join the Feeling Funny family.”
Whether you’re a seasoned performer or just interested in the world of comedy, everyone is welcome. To enquire please email charlene@thecomedytrust.com or call 0151 702 5893
