What is it?

'Sketch noting' is a term for having artwork created live during an event. It has other names like visual minutes, sketch noting, graphic recording and graphic facilitation. It's the process of capturing a live event as engaging colourful visuals. It's a great way to engage and support individuals and teams.

It can take various forms;

• Capturing a speaker's words as visuals as they deliver their talk at a conference
• Working with a team at a company away day, turning feedback into posters
• Capturing company's core values as spoken notes and turning them into highly polished illustrations
• (90% of information transmitted to the brain is visual.)

Sketch noting is a great way to enhance the impact and takeaways from an event.
With the live art I create for clients, all artwork is owned by the clients once it has been created, and can be reused however they like. Often on office walls or social media.

Sketch noting (Graphic recording) is thinking fast with visuals. Creating engaging illustrations during a talk, conference or event. It has other names like visual minutes, live scribing and graphic facilitation.

Get in touch to book

Connecting what speakers are saying with what images are commonly represented by the subject being spoken about. There's also humour, as I like to add appropriate humour to visuals. Just my opinion, though I think with more serious topics, using a little light humour can help with how people engage with difficult subjects, and some of my clients agree.

Clients I've created sketch notes for include;;

• NHS
• National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)
• National Deaf Society
• UK BCorp Conference
• Willmott Dixon Construction
• Bureau Veritas
• Roche
• Hologic
• North East Combined Authority
• Manchester City Council
• Salford City Council
• Biffa
• Hilton Hotels
• National Fire Chiefs Conference
• Z-Arts
• Digital Manchester
• Unlimited Potential
• Digital Manchester
• Salford CVS
• Pure Insight

Check my availability

FAQs

The post Sketch Noting appeared first on John Cooper.

Whether it's the branding for Salford's Child Friendly City incentive, Q and A's with attendees at a live scribe event or running a session at the opening of Stockport's Stockroom, social engagement has now become a part of my overall offering.
Since joining GRIT studios in late 2023 I've been able to combine these skills much more often, and I thank them for spotting new opportunities for me to do so too.

You see - full disclosure - when I'm not designing and illustrating, I'm performing and teaching. I've performed and taught comedy and improv on and off for almost twenty years. I'm also involved in TEDx Warrington. I consider myself a 'creative generalist' and have for a long time. It's a slow burn to skill up in a few different areas, but the career rewards, I think, are much greater.

Having an eclectic skill set offers a few different ways into a project. My involvement can involve helping to spark curiosity, build trust, and create a space where people feel safe to express themselves. It's not just the 'what' of a projects outcome, but finding the best 'how' to get there, where everyone feels invested.

Art can be a catalyst for change, and I see my role as helping others tap into that potential. Whether it’s sparking joy, raising awareness, or building community, I’m there to make creativity a shared experience—one that lingers long after the workshop ends.

Previous clients for this work include:

Salford City Council
Trafford Council
Stockport Council
Grit Studios
Sickfest
Stockroom
Greater Manchester Youth Network

The post Creative Social Engagement appeared first on John Cooper.

With Co-host, Andrew Thorp, we introduced 18 speakers, 18! I was convinced it was going to over run with that many great talks, and there was some great talks indeed! One in particular that really struck a personal chord (I'll post about that later).

This year was bigger than the last 2 I've bene involved in, had 2 stages and around 300 in the audience at Warrington Youth Zone, converted for the night specially for the red spot.

It's been a long process coming together, and I've had the pleasure of being a part of the whole process, curating the speakers, coaching on humour and hosting. It's an inspiring task, working with Kirsty James and all the other folks that make up small army of volunteers that I've come to know so well since 2022. Several dozen good eggs!

There are so many moving parts on an event like this, and the videos of the talks are still to come!

Can't wait to see the official photos when they come through too. Well done all involved, and much gratitude to be part of it.

Links:
Book John as an event host

The post Co-hosting TEDx Warrington 2025 appeared first on John Cooper.

Talks are usually written and planned, but on this occasion, the speaker wouldn't know the content of the slide deck, or the subject they were going to speak on until they arrived on the stage.

Working with Kyle Soo to make this happen, we'd been chatting about if for over a year. He has an amazing team who have helped him bring great Pecha Kucha events to Manchester, and this was no different. Cultplex, the indie cinema in the Green Quarter was a perfect venue too. (amazing pizza).

I'd had far too long to procrastinate over the ins and outs of how to keep it fresh for a whole night, which in the end didn't need overthinking. I also delivered my talk in song.

Thanks to Kyle, his team and the amazing speakers who took part.

Eve Holt
Hannah Cox
Simi Abidakun
Short Supply
Rob Stuart Hudson
Kate McCabe
Max Cross 

More improv

The post Improvised Pecha Kucha Manchester appeared first on John Cooper.

TEDx is a prestigious event. A globally recognized platform for people to share their ideas. It's a live event followed by a video of your talk that can be listened to around the world via the TEDx video channel. It's been known to kickstart speaking opportunities and even careers.

When I tell folks I've done a TEDx I get two responses; "wow, that's amazing" and "What's a TEDx?" It's held in high regard by those who know it, but that's not everyone. I like to think of it as a badge of honour that lets people know you're an informed and interesting person worth knowing.

I did TEDx Warrington (UK) in 2022. It was supposed to take place in 2019 but got postponed due to the pandemic, so I had a lot of time to mull over my idea. What follows is just my advice, my takeaways and knowledge from taking part combined with my years of performance and speaking experience. I was also part of the TEDx Warrington selection team, on the inside looking out, in 2023 and those secrets I'll take to my grave!

If you are successful in making the shortlist it can be very stressful.

If you are successful in making the shortlist it can be still very stressful. My own experience was no cakewalk, I was finalized as a speaker towards the end of the process, after going through the speaker coaching process (and being on the speaker panel the following year I understand why). My advice here is don't place too much pressure on getting what you want, and look after yourself. The selection is governed by a lot of factors. Yes, it's a great event to be part of and a great experience but remember, It's just a talk. In a room in a building somewhere in the world, while outside there is ice cream to eat and pets to hug.

You don't have to be an experienced speaker to do TEDx. I might suggest being comfortable speaking in public and having some stage presentation experience, however in my experience, the strength of the idea comes first and the energy and honesty of the speaker can (I've seen it happen) trump experience.
When I submitted I had 20 years of stand-up comedy under my belt, and once or twice had to put my ego in a box and leave it outside. Too much experience can be a disadvantage.

Your idea.

The TEDx tagline is 'ideas worth sharing', so that's the first question, do you have an interesting idea you really want to share?

• Be original, nothing is too unusual (within reason)
• Avoid bandwagons. If your talk is about something current or in the zeitgeist you'll probably be competing with other people in the same space, make sure your angle is unique
• An idea is not a book or a product, don't try to sell anything in your talk.
• Anything science-based needs to be backed up with facts. If you mentioned it in your talk you'll need to provide evidence that can withstand the scrutiny of a fine-toothed comb.

Every TEDx event will be different at some level. There is a very detailed model provided by TEDx itself, but each event will necessitate some flexibility (venue, location, staffing, etc). Events can be themed, so basing your idea on one of the themes of the event can benefit you too.

Video submission.

At this early stage events can differ, most have a video submission process. This is a 2-minute video of you on camera explaining your idea and getting the organizers excited to discover why it's worth hearing.

• Make the most of being seen, use body language.
• Don't spend 30 seconds telling people who you are, they can read that in your submission text. Just introduce yourself briefly and get straight to your idea.
• Don't waffle, be super clear about your idea.
• If you're uncomfortable watching and listening to yourself on video now is a really good time to get over that.
• Avoid using the word passionate, everybody uses the word passionate.

That first one again, use body language. If you have the space record yourself from the waist up, so we see your whole upper body. If you're using a phone stick it in landscape mode to capture your arms flapping about as you get excited about the subject you're talking about. Rather, think of yourself as a TV presenter in a documentary. Allow yourself to be fully seen. This will give you a little more credibility and give those watching a better idea of you as a person.

Selection process.

Once the event submission deadline has passed, you'll find out if you've been successful in reaching the longlist/shortlist. This is the list of possible candidates for the event. Again just going from experience, the candidates are narrowed down until the final selection are invited to a face-to-face rough run-through, to present their idea in person. it's not a guarantee you'll be on stage, it's an offer to be part of the process.

This is by no means what your final talk will look or sound like, it's an opportunity to share the first draft of your talk in full. At the face-to-face event you'll meet the team who are putting the event together.

Most events provide TEDx coaching, a very experienced speaker who is assigned to you to help you develop and refine your talk. Listen to them, take on board their feedback and prepare to do the hard work. My TEDx coach was Catherine Sandland and she was ace.

My Talk went through six revisions, and talking to other speakers they likewise went through a similar number of revisions from the initial idea to the final script. This can be a tough part of the process as you can also be limited for time.

• Less is more. Even if you're offered longer stick to 10 minutes. It's not just a live event it's the video too and short-form content often gets more clicks.
• Don't get precious at this stage, edit your talk mercilessly.
• Remember to use body language, and find something to do with your hands.
• Plant your feet and stand firm whilst speaking.

Work with your coach, edit your talk, and help the other speakers, be a team player in the lead up to the event. That's really as much as can be asked of you at this stage.

The TEDx event day.

Some of this is common sense. Have an early night the day before, eat healthily and drink plenty of water. The event day can be hectic, with a lot of moving parts and people, which is easy to get caught up in. Add to that your own stresses and excitement and it's important to give yourself a moment. Look for quite a space, if you're fortunate like our event there was a quiet space designated for speakers before going on stage.

Another wonderful thing done at TEDx Warrington was speakers who came offstage were taken to a different space to those who had not yet been on stage. This meant relieved and elated speakers who had delivered their talks already didn't interfere with the nervous excitement of those yet to go up.

Once you're on stage.

Too late. No advice I can give you as it's happening now, just enjoy it.

Feedback

It's not the end of the world if you don't make the selection process. Events can use understudies or stand bys. What you can do is politely ask for feedback from the organizers. If you're willing to ask for good honest constructive criticism and let yourself take it on board, you can always have another crack at it next year with a new idea.

Are you thinking of doing a talk? Need some TEDx coaching? I can't promise you'll make the shortlist, but I can give you everything you need to make a great impression.

The post So you want to do TEDx? appeared first on John Cooper.

I'm not a caricaturist, I don't draw people with massive ears and big noses, but what I do like is to give them a special moment. It's not just about the picture, it's also about making folks feel comfortable who want to sit for a portrait but don't like being stared at. Tricky thing, and that's where I use my comedy voice, chat and put folks at ease.

The questions I get asked most often from events folks is "how many people can you draw?" or "Can you draw everyone at our event?"

Well, it depends on who is in the room. Five bald men take less time to draw than 5 people with beards, flowing locks and headwear, but I generally get through everyone who wants to be drawn. Some folks don't. There's a balance between creating a good quality portrait fast and rushing to get everyone done, and that's unique to each event.

These photos were taken at the Liverpool Museum, Art Battle Manchester and other events around the UK. I'll be doing speed portraits at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2024

The post Live art at Liverpool Museum appeared first on John Cooper.

I really enjoyed chatting with Darren, and think it's probably the clearest I've been in an interview. Explaining just how useful improv skills can be to build relationships and help our clients get the best out of us if we spend more time listening than thinking about sales opportunities.

In this chat we talk about WordPress, Comedy, Presentation skills, TEDx talks,improv and many other things in between.

Booking a talk to find out how improv skills
can increase your team's performance.

The engaging marketeer podcast

Apple podcasts link

The post Improv Skills for Sales - Podcast Interview. appeared first on John Cooper.

I mentioned improv in the discovery meeting with the training coordinator, and having known and seen how effective it is from their time in the USA, they were up for it. I learned they are a very skill-focused company and were intrigued by my offering of comedy for presenting skills. Something a bit different.

The teams I worked with were highly motivated and many already did regular presenting in development and sales. What can a comedian, teach them?

I'm always ready for a little bit of resistance when I introduce improv into a workshop, it's understandable why highly focused people would question what presentation skills has to do with playing a game called 'I'm a tree'?

I really enjoyed this course although it pushed me out of my comfort zone…it has definitely benefited my confidence and skills.

- Jenny

As much as my ego makes me assume everyone has seen my TEDx, not everyone has. I put across the idea that like any muscle in the body, the brain needs regular exercise. Explained in running terms, it's similar to a couch to 5K. Exercising our leg muscles improves running skills, and exercising brain muscles develops our ability to think fast, and perform more confidently.

Improv builds mental resilience, it's also our way into using humour. To be ourselves and become the focus of the message we're delivering.

Some of the key takeaways during these sessions were;

• Giving yourself permission to use humour
• Putting a slide deck together that can be talked around not read from
• Presenting without a slide deck

Testimonials

It was very good!

- Alexander

Overall it was a real pleasure and I learned a lot.

- Manuel

I loved it!

- Katja

Links:

• New Balance
• My TEDx talk

The post Getting the Right Balance. appeared first on John Cooper.

It's given me a newfound affection for Musicals. The last musical comedy I saw live was The Book of Mormon and before that probably Little Shop of Horrors.
The improvised musical is of course different every time. If you're a fan of the Edinburgh festival or live in London, you might have been lucky enough to see Showstopper or Baby Wants Candy. Both are amazing, and the industry benchmark for just how good these shows can be. I saw Showstopper for the first time in Edinburgh this year, with a full house and a standing ovation.

As they say, this is Manchester and 'we do things differently here'. It's great to be putting on our own Manchester Musical every month in the centre of town.

Links

• Comedysportz
• A view on live gigs
• Manchester Theatres
• Totally Improvised Musical at Sale Waterside

The post Improvising a Musical appeared first on John Cooper.

I chose to speak about my near 20 years in comedy and try and condense it right down. My relocating to Manchester years ago to make a go of stand-up. Getting a comedy agent, taking up improv, performing at the Edinburgh festival and going on tour support around the country with comedians far more well-known than myself!

It was a liberating talk to give. I'd not given it much thought before suggesting the idea and it was a nice way to reaffirm my personal history. I'm often so busy thinking about my next project that perhaps I don't always acknowledge the skill of my experience that I should give myself credit for.

Pecha Kucha is a global format which takes place all over the world. The event I attended had scientists, engineers, clothing manufacturers, climate change specialists and me, I might have felt a little out of place, but on refl,ection I wasn't. Stand-up comedy is a very niche career choice.

I was also challenged by Kyle the organiser to give a second talk completely improvised, without any knowledge of the slides. Of course I relished it, as to me that's a 'no pressure gig'.

One of the other speakers commented on how terrifying the idea of an improvised talk was. From my perspective, it's just fun.
I think it's still very much an issue that some folks aren't comfortable speaking in public. PechaKutcha was really supportive and a great platform for that.

I hope to change that perception in the training I do, I'm currently promoting a talk on improvisation.

Building on my TEDx Talk in July, I go to teams and companies who are perhaps a little intimidated by improv. Instead of a workshop with participants, the talk, explains the benefits of improv, for work andfor fun, in a way I hope will understand and encourage teams to try improve themselves and build the brain muscle skills that I now take for granted. Just saying 'Yes, and'.

The post Speaking at PechaKucha Manchester appeared first on John Cooper.

https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Interview-with-John-Cooper-Comedy-meets-corporate-Ep-65-Podcast/B08PYSJLR9

The post Supercharged Entrepreneur interview appeared first on John Cooper.

You're reading this in the future, right now for me it's mid-February 2020. As I move my life in boxes from one location to another I feel a sense of vulnerability. A raised awareness of my environment and the big stuff over which I have no control right now. From flooding in the UK, to political shifts, climate change and a possible pandemic to counter. It has all resonated a little louder as the safe space I call home is in flux. Fortunately, I know my improvisation training. The ability to stay focused in the moment. Dealing with new things as they present themselves, not getting caught in trying to plan for what might happen as I move the boxes. The improvisers mantra is Yes And, not what if - and improv is a great skill for dealing with change.

Yes And, not what if.

Dealing with change is inevitable. When life presents a new challenge and changes our status quo in ways we don't like, it's natural to shy away from or try to control it. In my day to day work, I strive to implement the tenets of improv to the best of my ability to be my best self.

• Yes, and. Accept and build.
• Being present and focussed.
• Actively listening to what is being said during conversations.
• Slowing down to process information effectively.
• Make clear decisions based on what I now understand.

It's easy to get caught up in the 'what if' loop. I used to do this a lot. What if a client doesn't pay? Why did I get passed over for a promotion? How will I cope if a close relative falls ill? There are millions of possible circumstances I could suddenly find myself presented with. What can sound like a negative voice in my head is actually my brain trying to keep me safe. To stop me from taking risks that might put me in danger or out of my comfort zone.

The edge of that comfort zone is where we do our best learning, when we're uncomfortable enough that our awareness becomes heightened. It's common in high stakes situations, like a job interview or buying a new car- or moving house.

A safe space to fail

One of the advantages of improvised learning, where games are played to improve listening skills, memory or communication is that they provide us with a safe space to fail, and a playground for experimentation. Misunderstanding the rules, or simply getting something wrong while playing a game is a small failure without no serious real-world consequences.

Learning how to fail small in improv workshops is positivity encouraged. A student I taught once called it "a healthy level of f&*k it". Meaning that it's not about if you fail, but rather the attitude you adopt to deal with the recovery.

Doing one improv workshop is no quick fix, unfortunately. Improv is skill-based. Working a muscle, not using a tool, think of it more like a couch to five-kilometre run than a can opener. Similar to the process of working up to a 5k, it starts with a little exercise every day. Putting your shoes on at the front door one day, jogging down the street the next and eventually laps of the park.
Regularly working the creative muscles strengthens them and builds resilience. Neurons in the brain begin to fire off down different pathways, that lead to less obvious, more creative thinking.

You don't need to be a performer or even an extrovert to begin building your mental muscles.

Professional improvisers and stand up comedians use these brain muscles all the time on stage, to make fast, smart, decisions that influence and impress those around them. A joke is a problem looking for an original solution, and a good punchline changes the way you see the subject matter.

The ability to think fast spontaneously and robustly can get us out of the mud of the negative 'what if'. You don't need to be a performer or even an extrovert to begin building your mental muscles. Moving house twice in five months, the stress of moving didn't bother me too much, because the mental heavy lifting was well in hand. That's why I believe improv is a valuable way to help us when dealing with change.

The post Can improv help you deal with change? appeared first on John Cooper.

There's nothing in the UK that's really comparable the annual improv championship. It's not really a competition,  more a convention of comedy shows and improv workshops where performers from all over the us - and UK - come together for one week to collaborate and learn new skills.

Improv is on the rise in the UK, but no where near as well established as it is in the US, with it's dedicating schools of improvisation, not just for performance skill, but also as a tool for learning. This annual event attracts some of the worlds best teachers of improvisation. During the week I took workshops in diverse topics such as character types, status, building emotional connections. There was also a brilliant workshop on how to teach improv, weighing up the feedback approach versus side-coaching that It really got into the nuts and bolt of how teachers teach.

The Edinburgh Fringe Festival

A twenty four hour turnaround from landing the Manchester improv gang regrouped and headed to Edinburgh for our twelfth year at the fringe. I've taken up solo comedy shows in the past, and it a lot less stressful to be part of a team.

During my ten days there I was performing in four shows per day including the regular ComedySportz show, guest spots, comparing a couple of night of Salfunny, and a late night improvised true crime show.

Salfunny was a showcase for students studying the comedy degree at Salford University. One of their performers, Erika Ehler, went on to win the Chortle new comedian award.

There were more improvised shows there this year than ever before, and while and that's a good thing for recognition of improv, it's important to keep the quality standard high. With stand up comedy and improv, there is no barrier to entry, to learn the skill is a choice. There are some great places to learn improv best practice around the UK, and hopefully some day soon improv will be as well recognised as a teaching skill as it across the pond.

• CSz Worldwide
• Salford University Comedy Writing and Performance
• Chortle New Comedian of the Year
• Comedy Background

The post American Improv & The Edinburgh Fringe appeared first on John Cooper.

How does that work? After an introductory talk there's a big blank schedule of events board - waiting to be filled.

Those keen to give a talk complete a description card and stick it the board. As this event proved, very quickly there was a diverse and interesting amount of talks to attend across the day.

I've attended similar formatted events in the USA, at the annual ComedySportz improv championship. During a week of workshops and entertainment) there's an 'open space' which is very similar in format. The idea of a full day of this locally piqued my curiosity.

It was easy to understand the ethos of the event, and MeasureCamp Manchester was well organised. It's not only for those keen to get up and talk, but also to encourage those who've never given a talk. It's an opportunity to to seize the chance to give their first ever bit of public speaking, workshop or discussion.

As I found out, a group of data analytics techy folks set up MeasureCamp in 2012. They  wanted to run a local community event and it took off. MeasureCamps are now held in over a dozen cities, all over Europe plus Hong Kong and Australia.

I think the 'unconference' format is a brilliant concept too. A speaking event with no traditional hierarchy or barrier to entry, encouraging anyone who has an idea they are passionate about.  The presentations do not need to be polished, there's no guarantee of full audience. Attendees will vote with their feet. However as this event proved, with this well curated day, the fear of 'what if no one comes to my talk!' doesn't arise.

Improv for Creative Thinking

MeasureCamp is designed for the digital and analytics community though I thought it felt broader. There was much discussion here about modern work culture. I attended some great talks, including a discussion on freelancing and a talk on impostor syndrome. I also gave two talks on how improvisation skills is  used as a tool for creative thinking. A shortened version my Google Digital Garage in 2018 sessions, and they were well received.

Of course there's a strong element of improvisation to the MeasureCamp Unconference format. When I deliver an improv workshop, I explain how improvisation is about being present and creative within set of constraints of a game.  One of the organiser, Paul  suggested I pinned my session on the board at the beginning of the day, which I did. Improv is great for learning, and it's also a good motivator. By sticking my session at the beginning of the day it could provide a little confidence boost to anyone attending who had an idea for a but not yet committed to it.
It would have been an ideal place to promote my book,  but one of the stipulations is that there is no hard sell by speakers, and rightly so.

MeasureCamp Manchester was a fun learning experience and a great networking opportunity. I've even considered offering to volunteer for next year's event (if I have the time and commitment it requires) I''ll certainly be getting in early for a ticket!

Useful Links

• Event - MeasureCamp Manchester
• Book - Present Yourself!: An illustrated guide to speaking in public and building confidence by John Cooper
• Book - Humor That Works by Andrew Tarvin
• Book- Improv-ing Agile Teams by Paul Goddard
• Podcast - Bring a Brick - using improve in the workplace
• Venue - ETC Venues
• The Candidate
• PRWD
• Usabilla
• Observe Point
• Content Square

The post MeasureCamp Manchester appeared first on John Cooper.

Big shout out to the event organisers. In the pre-event briefing I said 'just put me in the room on the day and I'll do the job', and blimey, though it got a bit stressful on the technical front, it was incredibly rewarding. Doctor Who fans are the best. With loads of guests, interviews and panels crammed in to one day I didn't get a chance to see everything, but I did get the opportunity to meet 'my Doctor' Peter Davison which was a special moment.

I  met Christel Dee, the current online brand manager and host of the Doctor Who fan show on Youtube,  and interviewed Edward Russell who was brand manager during Russell T Davies tenure on the show. When it re-launched in 2005 it was a big gamble by the BBC,  quickly becoming  a big  flagship show, and fascinating to hear how the 'brand manger' role evolved eclectically along side that success, and how licenses were toys, books and merch were granted. Chatting to Edward, and Jamie Hill (monster actor and formerly of the Doctor Who Experience in Cardiff) we discussed the challenges faced by such a passionate fanbase, custodians of the show during it's time off-air and when fan created content strays into copyright infringement.

One thing I wanted to pick up on was Doctor Who branding, as it does a particularly unusual thing. It re-brands every few years, often with the arrival of a new actor as the Doctor, nothing wrong there. However it has two logos (one for the classic show and one for the current show) and the most current 'new' logo is always in use. Meaning that what the 'new' logo is, its used products with older Doctors which looks a bit odd, but is actually 'on brand'.

Doctor Who has a fanbase that crosses age and gender and the convention was a great way to celebrate the show's past and serve as a 'warm up'for the new series with Jodie Whittaker - the excitable topic of discussion on everyone's lips that day. This new convention will hopefully be the first of many. It's not the first time I've hosted a Who con - to meet people in front of and behind the camera - and hopefully it won't the the last.

The post VWORP! - Hosting a Doctor Who Convention appeared first on John Cooper.