As of the 1st of January 2024, Perth Improvised Theatre Society Co-op and Only the Human are now two separate, closely linked organisations with a shared mission to grow a sustainable improvisation community in Perth.
What changed?
From 2020 until December 2023, Perth Improvised Theatre Society (PITS) was a co-op community that included both Only the Human (OTH), our public-facing brand where we sold classes and courses, and PITS, a community collective that included social events, classes, self-organised teams and Comedy Underground. PITS was governed by a Board of Directors, elected by the Membership, and the Board employed Aden Date as a General Manager.
As of January 2024, PITS and OTH are now two separate organisations. PITS remains as a co-operative and is responsible for the community collective, and OTH is a social enterprise responsible for classes and courses. They are governed by a shared mission to grow a sustainable improvisation community in Perth and both are signatories to a non-binding MoU.
Why did we change?
Our old model wasn’t working out for us. A thriving improvisation scene requires elements of both business and community. The business needs to be adaptable to customer needs and provide a sustainable source of revenue. The community needs volunteers and an active social scene, and enough income, structure, and support to scaffold those volunteers.
In the new model, these two functions - business and community - are more cleanly divided. Only the Human is the business portion of our mission, and is run by Aden & Don as a social enterprise. The Perth Improvised Theatre Society is the community portion of our mission, and it is run by a Board who function as a Management Committee with support from Don and Aden. We work really closely on some things and more independently on others.
The process of moving to this model was decided jointly by the PITS Board and a Transition Working Group.
How can I help?
We transitioned to this new model because we thought it would help sustain our community and allow us to grow. For us to build a sustainable improv scene in Perth, we need a thriving community (PITS) and a successful business (OTH). There are three broad ways you can help, and all of them are underpinned by our core behaviours.
Be an ally by supporting the work that’s already going on. The easiest way to get involved is to email Don (don@onlythehuman.com) and give him an idea of how you would like to be involved and the skills you can bring. Organising social events, supporting a team by going to their show, and just being a friendly face are all ways of contributing as well.
Be an artist by committing to the craft of improvisation. This means taking classes, joining or forming a team, and discovering your own style as an improviser. It might also mean creating or putting on a show, or doing improv-adjacent projects with other members. For more experienced performers, it might be time for you to try coaching, lead a class, or study improvisation abroad.
Be an advocate what we do in your personal and professional life. Bring a friend to a taster or tell a colleague about improv and what it has done for you. Aden works with teams and speaks at events: Email him (aden@onlythehuman.com) if you are interested or know someone who might be.
Further Reading
This Loomio Thread is the best place to understand the decision, the recommendations of the Transition Working Group (included as an attachment) and the MoU between PITS and OTH (included as an attachment).