KERRY LEIGH

What is your background?

I started working in customer services in various guises, but have always been involved in creative things. I did creative writing and theatre arts at university and have been involved in stand-up and sketch comedy for a long time. I also did a bit of acting.

How did you get involved with Laughology?

I have been involved since the very beginning. I met the founder, Stephanie Davies, doing stand-up comedy. We performed in a sketch show together.

What were your initial thoughts when you first heard about the idea for a humour and psychology based learning and development model?

I distinctly remember being at a gig with Stephanie when I was first getting to know her and she said ‘I am going to save the world with laughter’. She said it quite earnestly. I thought ‘okay, we’ve got one here’. But I also noticed how motivated she was. It sounded fun and although I probably didn’t realise at the time, it fitted my values and continues to do so, therefore it’s a pleasure to do.

The Laughology team have a broad range of learning and development skills to back up their specialisms, what would you say your strengths are?

I read a room and adapt very well because, as all facilitators know, no matter how well you plan, something will get thrown at you at the last minute or something will go wrong. Because of my comedy background, humour adds to how I facilitate. I am very much about positive humour and using it to lift people and make them feel good, as opposed to some comedians who might read a room and think it hilarious to put one person down and get everyone else to join in. I really like using comedy to lift people.

What specific projects have you particularly enjoyed?

I’ve loved doing the Let’s Talk Menopause programme with Midlands Police because I had some creative input in it. I loved it because it made people think differently about an important subject and you could see the change in the room happening as the sessions progressed.

At Laughology, we have spent the last ten years campaigning for happiness and resilience in schools and workplaces to be recognised as an important development tool - do you think views are changing?

They have never been particularly closed, but I have noticed more people placing more importance on wellbeing and mental health. Sometimes it is done to tick a box, but also businesses are starting to realise that people will come to work and stay at work if they are well and happy. The sector values wellbeing more.

If you were Queen for a day, what would you do to make the world happier?

I would make psychology part of the curriculum from primary schools and up, because everyone would benefit from understanding themselves and others more, rather than fumbling through life and then getting therapy to work it all out in their thirties and forties. You understand why situations happen when you can see the bigger picture.