Introduction Have you ever seen or experienced any of the following in your life?: You are in a meeting. You try to offer something, and no one notices. It feels like you are invisible. It feels like you cannot do anything right. You present an idea, and it is criticized immediately. You feel like youContinue reading “Status, Power, Behavior and Inclusion”
Author Archives: bradfortier
Inclusive Leadership for the 21st Century
We need to have a critical conversation about what it is to lead and what kind of leaders our world needs to engage the very real, very serious problems facing humanity. The issues our world faces are global in scale. Our oceans are filled with trash and toxins. We are experiencing the hottest year everContinue reading “Inclusive Leadership for the 21st Century”
Impro, Politics, and the “Egg Test”
Here it is, Easter Sunday. A week ago today, I was walking off of a plane from Europe back into Portland, Oregon (where I live). From March 11th through March 19th, the Berlin International Impro Festival created one of the most moving and thought-provoking festivals that I have ever been privileged to be a partContinue reading “Impro, Politics, and the “Egg Test””
Berlin International Improv Festival 2016
Since 2001, Die Gorillas has been hosting an international Improv (Impro) festival. Unlike many improv festivals, this one gathers performers from across the globe to make multi-national casts that do rotations of different themed and formatted performances. It has been a distinct honor to be a part of these amazing festivals. It was my participationContinue reading “Berlin International Improv Festival 2016”
The Impact of Improv on People: a rant (or a fable)
Once upon a time, people sat in circles; living and working together in small groups to take care of the necessities of life and living. This worked really well for over 1 million years of hominid evolution. There were good times and bad. Not everyone got along all of the time, but we found non-violentContinue reading “The Impact of Improv on People: a rant (or a fable)”
Building a Spontaneous Village
Background The Field Innovation Team deployment is done. The foundation for the first “Spontaneous Village” has been built. The heat of San Antonio has been replaced by the verdure of a Portland summer. Laughter, clapping, snapping, and made up stories in Spanish from the game of ‘Slide Show’ are still echoing in my head. The “SpontaneousContinue reading “Building a Spontaneous Village”
Sweat & Metaphors
The time has gone quickly since Tuesday when the Field Innovation Team had its orientation at St. PJ’s Children’s Home‘s campus. Mary Tyszkiewicz from Heroic Improv and myself have joined forces to create one of four content areas of an innovative curriculum. This curriculum is designed to help ground and focus people of all ages in disasters and crises. WeContinue reading “Sweat & Metaphors”
Connect, Collaborate, Envision: Refugees Creating Spontaneous Villages
The world has become a far more dangerous and dynamic place. Due to violence and natural disasters, people are being displaced, and the global population of refugees is steadily climbing. Today, I’m embarking on an assignment with the Field Innovation Team, a non-profit spin off from FEMA that focuses on novel approaches to managing andContinue reading “Connect, Collaborate, Envision: Refugees Creating Spontaneous Villages”
Disconnection, Doubt, and Hope
Many of us are reflecting on the death of Robin Williams. It’s a fresh wound for any of us who were fans. The man was an inspiration, a hero of free play. The past few days have been filled with friends and family recounting their favorite characters, bits, movies, and jokes that are his legacy.Continue reading “Disconnection, Doubt, and Hope”
Improv and Disaster Relief
http://anc.yahoo.com/video/heroic-improvisation-having-fun-while-040204960.html Sometimes in life, you get to see the rewards of a collaboration unfold. In 2012 at the Applied Improvisation Network conference in San Francisco, I sat next to the wonderful Dr. Mary Tysczkiewicz on our way to a day long symposium on science and improv. We had one of the most engaging conversations thatContinue reading “Improv and Disaster Relief”
Brad Fortier 