Using Stand-Up Comedy to Build Literacy, Confidence & Resilience

Black Liver is an award-winning touring theatre and comedy company with over 20 years’ experience working with children and young people across the UK and Europe. We specialise in using stand-up comedy, storytelling and performance to support:

• Literacy & creative writing

• Oracy & speaking confidence

• Student voice & lived experience

• Resilience & wellbeing

• Engagement of reluctant learners

• Safe discussion of difficult subjects

Our work has been recognised through national awards and nominations, including the BBC Radio Sitcom Award, the Buxton Fringe Award, and nominations for the Leicester Comedy Festival Awards. We have supported award-winning youth programmes with organisations including Blackpool Grand Theatre, and we have toured nationally and internationally, performing at major venues and festivals.

Our CPD is practical, inclusive and outcomes-focused. Staff do not need to be performers or comedians. We train teachers and practitioners in a proven framework for helping young people turn their stories into confident, structured, performable work — safely and effectively.

Our CPD Approach

We don’t train teachers to “be comedians”.

We train staff to facilitate a creative process that uses humour and storytelling to:

• Unlock reluctant writers

• Develop narrative structure

• Build confidence and voice

• Support emotional literacy

• Encourage safe self-expression

• Improve engagement and participation

All CPD is aligned with curriculum priorities and inspection frameworks, including:

• Oracy and speaking & listening

• Literacy and narrative writing

• PSHE and wellbeing

• Cultural capital and enrichment

• Student voice and inclusion

CPD & Training Packages

Foundation Tier

Comedy for Confidence & Literacy

£695 – £895 per day

Best for: Drama, English, pastoral teams, libraries, youth services

A practical introduction to using comedy and storytelling as tools for literacy, confidence and engagement.

Includes:

• How to use humour to unlock reluctant writers

• Story-to-structure frameworks for short creative pieces

• Confidence-building and oracy activities

• Safe use of humour in sensitive contexts

• Classroom-ready exercises

• Digital teacher pack with session plans and resources

Outcomes:

• Increased student confidence

• Improved engagement and participation

• Practical strategies staff can use immediately

• No performance experience required

Practitioner Tier

Story to Stand-Up Toolkit

£1,200 – £1,600 per day (includes digital school licence)

Best for: Lead teachers, arts coordinators, youth leads, colleges

A deeper, structured training in Black Liver’s story-to-comedy methodology.

Includes:

• Advanced story development frameworks

• Narrative shaping and comedic structure for literacy

• Facilitating group performance and sharing safely

• Safeguarding and boundaries in personal storytelling

• How to run a 6–8 week comedy and storytelling project

• Digital resource licence for whole school or organisation

• Recorded training examples and video walkthroughs

Outcomes:

• Staff confident to lead longer creative projects

• Stronger student voice and narrative skills

• Structured approach to performance-based literacy

• Sustainable use across multiple classes or year groups

Flagship Tier

Resilience, Voice & Comedy Programme

£2,500 – £4,000+ (bespoke)

Best for: MATs, councils, colleges, large secondary schools, whole-school priorities

Our premium, award-informed programme for organisations looking to embed creative, resilience-led practice.

Includes:

• Bespoke adaptation to school or trust priorities

• Trauma-aware and safeguarding-led storytelling practice

• Staff training plus student delivery model

• Leadership briefing for SLT

• Evaluation and impact framework (for Ofsted/funders)

• Optional student showcase or performance model

• Digital resources and ongoing support

Outcomes:

• Embedded creative and oracy practice

• Improved confidence, resilience and student voice

• Strong evidence for inspection and funding

• Whole-school or multi-school impact

Digital Teacher Packs & Licences

For schools, libraries and organisations wanting to deliver independently, we also offer:

• Digital Teacher Pack Licence: £149 – £299 per year

• Whole-School Resource Licence: £350 – £750 per year

• Recorded CPD Modules: From £199

• Library & Youth Service Toolkit: From £295

These include lesson plans, video guidance, safeguarding frameworks, worksheets and project templates to support independent delivery.

Why Black Liver?

• 20+ years touring experience

• National and international work

• Award-winning and nominated comedy practice

• Extensive experience with children and young people

• Arts Council supported projects

• Proven track record in literacy, confidence and resilience-led work

• Trusted partners to major venues and education programmes

Book CPD or Request a Quote

We offer training across the UK and internationally.

Travel and accommodation are charged separately where required.

To discuss your needs or request a quote please fill in the form and we’ll get back to you asap