Screening:
Each potential student undergoes a screening interview to make sure he or she
meets the criteria for participation in Stand Up For Mental Health. Participants
must
• Have a mental health illness or mental health issues
• Have stable housing
• A support system of both peers and professionals
• Be stable on any medication they are taking
• Have a reasonable command of written and spoken English
• Have the motivation and desire to create healthy change
• And above all else, have a desire to do stand up comedy.
Initial Three Month Course And Showcases
Classes:
Classes take place once a week on Tuesday afternoons from 1-4 p.m. Students learn how to write, perform, structure and edit a comedy act of between 3-6 minutes.
Coaching:
Each student receives one-to-one coaching with the instructor as needed.
Materials:
Each student receives the Stand-Up Comedy Clinic workbook and CDs. This workbook is adapted from the Stand-Up Comedy Clinic course David Granirer has taught at Langara College for the past nine years.
Warm Up Shows:
After approximately three months of classes, the students do their first shows. We choose venues where we know the audience will be super supportive.
SMH is proud to partner with VIHA, the Vancouver Island Health Authority, to bring our new SMH Victoria Program to the Island. VIHA donated the Eric Martin Pavilion Boardroom for our classes. Our thanks to Alan Campbell, Cara Emery, Don and Hazel Tufford of the VIHA Team.
Thanks also to Michael Walsh and Lori Ferguson of Victoria Cool Aid Society and Hazel Meredith and Tara Timmers of Victoria BCSS- BC Schizophrenia Society.
