Here’s some math about Emma Sanford: she was a CIG player for 3 years, volunteer for 11 years, Head Ref for 9 years, and National Head Ref for 2 years. Originally from Nova Scotia, Emma has volunteered in all Ontario regions except Kingston – but we’ll get her out there one of these days! Emma has worked in film and television/production/research and development/project management. She holds degrees in kinesiology and classical history, worked in childhood education for 14 years, and is a Second City Conservatory grad. She spends her lunch hours searching for beach glass, and she’s a big fan of the teenage mutant ninja turtles and style events. 

 

In your opinion, what makes improv such a valuable tool for youth development, and why is it important to sustain programs like the CIG?

As a society, we value storytelling above all else. Stay with me, and think about it! Storytelling has shaped our communication styles for centuries; from oral histories, cave drawings, the printing press etc. Telling stories is in our bones. 

 

it’s at the core of how we communicate. It’s in the way that Lawyers present cases in court, or how Politicians sway us from one side to the other. It’s in all of our greatest addictions (social media, film and television), and in every successful ads campaign that’s convinced you to purchase something. It’s in math questions, news articles, and boardrooms. Yet we spend so little time learning how to be good storytellers ourselves. 

 

In the CIG, how to tell a successful story is the first thing you learn. Not only that, but you learn how to do it on a stage in front of an audience, with very little preparation, AND with the requirement of trusting, listening, and supporting your teammates in order to be successful doing it. The CIG is the perfect environment through which young people learn how to communicate effectively and efficiently, to listen actively, and to make split second changes and decisions that lead them to the best possible result. That’s more than valuable; it’s INvaluable. 

 

How do you think the CIG impacts young people’s confidence, creativity, and ability to collaborate?

Before becoming a player at the age of 14, I could not speak in front of people. I was incredibly shy, and extremely anxious, and that had a serious impact on my life. Many aspects of success within the work force is our ability to talk, network, and present ourselves. When we struggle with confidence and bravery, sometimes it doesn’t matter how smart we are; if you can’t communicate your thoughts, no one will know you are having them. 

 

In that first year as a player, I learned more about myself and how to present myself than I have learned from two University Degrees and my 12 year long career as a Project Manager. I went from being someone too scared to speak up, to someone who runs an entire stage on a National Level as a referee. I am someone who not only shares her opinions in board rooms, but has the confidence and skills to convince people that my ideas are worth supporting. I am someone who knows when to actively listen to people, how to help them grow, and how to think critically and quickly in high stakes situations to solve problems. And I see those same skills in the players I meet year to year. 

 

The CIG helps shape and create thoughtful, supportive, confident, and successful people, and the students are having fun doing it! To me, thats priceless. 

 

What do you hope students or players take away from their experience in the Canadian Improv Games?

I hope that every student who comes through the games develops a sense of home. 

 

While not every student sticks around after Graduation to become a volunteer, it still stays part of you. I’m getting married this year, and my Maid of Honour is someone I played with ten years ago. In professional theatre, I’ve met successful actors, directors, and writers who graduated years ago, but who light up at the mention of the Games. 

 

Some players parents still donate to the games 20 years later, because they remember what a change it made in their kids. And some players find the first place they’ve truly felt accepted. 

 

While I know everyone experiences the games differently, my hope with the work that I do and the students that I work with, is to foster the best possible environment so that they always feel like they are welcome at the Games. You are already doing the bravest thing possible as a teenage improviser, and that’s putting yourself out there. It’s our job as volunteers to make sure that you feel amazing and supported while doing it. 

 

If you had one message for potential donors considering supporting the CIG, what would it be?

The Games are unique in the sense that you get the joy of seeing how your donations aid students immediately. You can see it when the students get to play on stages instead of in gymnasiums, and how that helps them grow as performers. You see it in the joy and genuine support students have for one another, outside of the confines of their own Schools. In how these students grow to be such amazing community leaders. And you see it in the way these students feel so comfortable and confident in who they are. The CIG provides not just a safe space for exploration, but also an amazing curriculum that volunteers and teachers put so much love and effort into. Donations allow us to bring that education and access to new heights, and to bring Improv to as many people as possible. And I think that’s a pretty incredible mission to be a part of. 

 

 

 

 

This fall, we’re calling on our incredible community to help us reach our goal of gaining 100 monthly donors through the Show Up for Canadian Improv Games campaign. As a registered charity, the CIG relies on your support to keep enriching the lives of youth through improvisational theatre. Your donation, no matter the size, will directly contribute to sustaining this life-changing program. Are you ready to show up for the next generation of improvisers? Click here to become a CIG monthly donor today and help us keep The Games alive!