There are a growing number of organisations and projects which use live comedy (& comedians) to positively impact on communities across the UK. Whether the focus is on health & wellbeing, or on a specific topic or subject matter, these activities make a significant impact on the participants and wider communities. Here are a few examples.
If you want us to share information about your project, group or organisation, please drop us an email
Comedy on Referral CIC Comedy as Therapy - Angies Comedy Courses
A ground-breaking and award-winning project that uses the process of writing, performing and understanding stand-up comedy for therapeutic benefit.
They began in 2020 when a pioneering co-produced work with Social Prescription teams in Bristol, was the first of its kind in the world to actively prescribe comedy education by the NHS. It then developed into a platform to help other communities, organisations and people that need a new, exciting and transformative way to look at trauma, mental health and lived experiences.
Comedy on Referral has worked both in the UK and abroad, to show how comedy based interventions can change peoples lives; through a unique combination of psychology, creative writing, body work and comedy theory.
Comedy on Referral was honoured at the 2024 Hague Comedy Project in The Netherlands, given Comedian of Emancipation 2023 for the work delivered for Bristol Social Prescribing Service , and was given a gold award, for Best Mental Health Relationship with the NHS IN 2024, by The Health Services Journal Awards, for the delivery of the world’s first NHS funded co-produced comedy course for men at risk of suicide.
Previous projects have including designing and delivering for: Rethink Mental Illness, BRAVO 22, Mothers on the Mic, Mountview Drama School, Birmingham Repertory Theatre, University of Bristol, Active Recovery, The Primary Head Teacher Association of Bristol, British Association of Drama therapists, The Greenhouse, Allright Mate? CIC, Salisbury NHS Trust,The Cape Project as well as Companies such as Journey Travel, Deutz Bank, Ashurst Law firm, Hologica, and GWR.
The UK Kids’ Comedy Festival Home - UK Kids Comedy FestivalUK Kids Comedy Festival
This festival is a sister festival to Leicester Comedy Festival and has taken place each February since 2019. Based at venues across Leicester & Leicestershire the programme includes performances and activities but also projects such as Loving Laughing (which teaches primary school children how to perform live comedy), Joke Spot (which encourages children to tell their favourite joke on stage) and Laugh Academy (a half term “comedy school” for teenagers). The festival aims to improve the health and wellbeing of young people and is supported by De Montfort University and NHS Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland.
Best In Class ** Best In Class **
Best in Class was founded by comedian Sian Davies, who was fed up of class, money and social status being used as a barrier to performing. In 2018 she was invited to audition for a spot on an Edinburgh Fringe show, if successful she was told she would have to pay £1800 to the promoter by the end of the week to secure her place. She set up a crowdfunding page to help with her costs. Within an hour the promoter called her back and dropped her from the audition. Apparently she was not the sort of person they wanted to work with.
Sian decided to turn the situation into something positive. Realising that the barriers facing working class performers in the arts are systemic, she set up Best in Class. Since then the project has enabled a number of working class comedians to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe. The comedians work tirelessly in the run up to the festival to crowdfund the costs involved with taking a show to the fringe. Crucially, none of the acts pay to participate and they all receive payment for the work they do.
The influence the project has on the wider comedy sector is growing. Alumni have gone on to achieve fantastic successes within their comedy careers. Graduates of the project have had nominations for Best Comedy Show at the Edinburgh Fringe Awards, created shows for BBC Radio 4, signed for agents, gained TV work, created sell out shows and had critically acclaimed work. Best In Class has been represented in the finals of some of the biggest comedy competitions in the UK, including the BBC New Comedy Award, Funny Women Awards, Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year and So You Think You’re Funny?
BrightSparks Comedy Wellbeing Hubs https://www.brightsparksarts.uk/
BrightSparks is a community of mental health service users, volunteers and other interested people that use the arts to promote positive images of mental health and wellbeing.
They exist to support and showcase the creative talent that exists within the mental health community through a growing number of creative groups and projects, including:
a) Wellbeing Hubs https://www.brightsparksarts.uk/ In 2022 they set up their Comedy Wellbeing Hubs - fun and relaxing workshops based around humour where participants are encouraged to make up stories, tell jokes and laugh a lot. The workshops were delivered by a team of comedians who are predominantly mental health service users themselves with the project funded by the Getting Help in Neighbourhoods Grant scheme in partnership with the NHS, Leicestershire County Council, Leicester City Council and Rutland County Council.
b) The Comedy Asylum An annual programme of award-winning comedy workshops and shows that have taken place as part of the Leicester Comedy Festival for the last 15 years.
The Comedy Trust The Comedy Trust | Creating Happier, Healthier People | UK
Since 2002, The Comedy Trust have helped more than ten thousand people use humour to become happier and healthier. They empower participants to harness the positive power of humour in their daily lives to build resilience, create connections, boost confidence and develop alternative coping strategies.
They value a healthy, creative and flexible work environment for staff, which respects diversity.
Cultural Comedy Tours HOME | Cultural Comedy Tours
The team behind the “tours” combine the most exciting comedians on the circuit with favourite cultural sites. They collaborate with cultural institutions across the UK to produce bespoke events that are often funny, sometimes moving, always insightful and shaped by collections, exhibitions and buildings.
They have recently worked with a number of disabled/neurodivergent participants to create their own three to five minute piece of live comedy informed by the Lowry Theatre and Art Gallery in Manchester. This culminated in a public event where audiences were given a guided tour of the art gallery from a professional comedian and each of the participants. The aim of the project was to support neurodivergent and disabled creatives who had little experience in the comedy sector as well as bringing in comedy fans that wouldn’t usually visit a gallery.
Felt Nowt Productions Felt Nowt
Felt Nowt Productions is a comedy company run by a group of passionate comedians who love making people laugh. The company was born during lockdown and quickly found success with Zoom gigs that brought some much-needed humour to people's homes.
Their team is made up of friendly performers who share a genuine love for comedy and a commitment to using their platform to make a positive impact on communities. As a Community Interest Company, all profits are put back into the company to help provide community outreach and events for local communities.
In addition to producing live shows, they offer workshops and training programs to help aspiring comedians develop their skills. They believe that everyone has the potential to be funny, and they will help you unlock your inner comedian.
Comedy In The Community
Funny Women launched its Comedy in the Community initiative in 2023 to bring the local non-profit, charity and business sectors together to improve health, wellbeing and accessibility across the community. Funny Women founder Lynne Parker has tapped into her experience of running Funny Women CIC for 23 years to create a programme, which includes a series of events working with arts-based charities and non-profit organisations, supporting the mental health and wellbeing agenda within the community. This includes in person workshops in friendly, central locations and online courses for accessibility.
Open to all genders, Comedy in the Community, now in its third year, incorporates strategies aimed at developing better communication and local leadership, improving wellbeing, promoting diversity and inclusion and empowering people creatively within their community.