Humour for wellbeing group gives people in Kettering something to smile about thanks to lottery fund

BrightSparks Arts in Mental Health CIO has been running comedy based project, the Comedy Asylum, in Leicester for over 15 years, and thanks to a grant from the National Lottery Community Fund, the organisation is able to bring weekly workshops to Kettering Arts Centre from October 1.

The sessions will be led by the Comedy Asylum lead artist, Rob Gee, who is a stand-up poet and former mental health nurse.

The group in Leicester comes together to create sketches, songs and shows which they perform at various venues and events throughout the year, including Leicester’s Comedy Festival.

Above all, participants socialise and have a lot of fun together.

Rob said: “I’m really excited about these workshops. A lot of people assume comedy is just Live at the Apollo, whereas it’s more like football: anyone can do it and have a good time. We get together once a week, make up stories, tell jokes and laugh a lot.

"You don’t need any experience and you don’t need to bring anything with you, except a smile.”

The project is now aiming to establish a group in Kettering to support anyone experiencing poor wellbeing by offering a welcoming space to play word games, explore different types of creative and humorous writing and enjoy each other’s company.

People are invited to join the free sessions, which will take place on Tuesday afternoons at Kettering Arts Centre, and everyone is welcome.

The sessions are designed to be uplifting and inclusive and will be particularly beneficial to anyone in need of a wellbeing lift. For full details, please email [email protected].