Taking time out to reboot!

I can’t believe it’s already August – where does the time go?!?

July was a blur of ‘end of term’ activities here at Funny Women CIC and I really enjoyed some amazing events with organisations including Sister Snog and Savvitas , attending MAD//FEST with The Comedy Crowd , taking part in the WEConnect International European conference and fulfilling my duties as North Kent lead for the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) . ?

I now need a serious lie down! Many of us will take time out during this month to pick up on our personal lives, spend time with family and catch up with ourselves. I can’t wait.

I’ve found the last two months very challenging and no longer want to ‘gloss over’ the reality that many of us are facing in business. Despite the huge success of amazing shows like ABBA Voyage , ?the live entertainment industry is in crisis. ?

Many of us at the grass roots end of the entertainment and events industry are struggling to sell tickets and I can’t tell you how many shows have been cancelled due to cost of living, train strikes and even ill health. ?It’s rubbish.

That said, I went to see ABBA Voyage at the end of June as a birthday treat from my ‘doctor of music’ husband.?We were both impressed by the amazing use of technology combined with a live show featuring some truly brilliant musicians.?

Like many others we flocked to the purpose-built theatre in the manner of Logan’s Run (iconic 1976 film starring Michael York and Jenny Agutter – yes, I am that old...) to receive the message of eternal youth through the wonders of CGI. ?

No doubt AI will change the future of music, and even comedy – long dead icons will be resurrected virtually to entertain audiences well into the future. ?Let’s hope that there will still be opportunities for people like me to develop and promote emerging talent. Although I wouldn’t mind a bit of CGI on my appearance as the advancing years take their toll!

Meanwhile, even though Funny Women has had its setbacks and funding issues, our 2023 Funny Women Awards are ongoing. ?Like ABBA we’re taking advantage of technology.

The top 150 Stage Award showreels are now being scrutinised virtually by our panel of industry judges.?It’s a shame we couldn’t run these as live events this year as planned but we must mitigate financial risk if Funny Women is going to survive another 20 years.

Watch this space on the semi-finals and the Grand Final promises to be a fantastic live event taking place on Thursday 28th September at The Bloomsbury Theatre in London. If you want to see what the future of comedy looks like, please book ahead and tickets are already on sale here.

If you’ve always been fascinated by the art and skill of comedy, then why not join me for our Stand Up to Stand Out one day in person Summer School on Saturday 19th August? It all takes place in the fabulous surroundings of The Groucho Club Ltd. in London where I’ve been a member since it opened and run my regular workshops.

I will be joined by two special guest facilitators, my colleague Mariana Feijó and award-winning script writer Sian Rowland . We’ll be taking you through the process of creating, writing and performing material in a safe inclusive environment. Finding your funny could be the secret to your future success both at work and play!

All the details are here and if you choose to join Patreon to support the onward development and growth of Funny Women CIC , you can take part in the summer School for half price (‘Amusing’ level and above).?And get a free workshop with me too! Giving it away! ?All the details about how to join Patreon are here.

I’m off now for a reboot and taking a family holiday to catch up with my grown up kids, baby granddaughter and new grand-puppy!?I’m sure it will be as rewarding as it will be exhausting but I can’t wait!?

Enjoy your summer!

All best - LYNNEx

#funnywomen #workshops #summerschool