Joy Club; a group of ten chancy-play-testers who will come together for 8 weekly sessions throughout January and February 2025. Through community, participation and co-ordinated action they will form the very first Joy Club.

This group will engage in a series of curated sessions that explore and experiment with different ways one might experience joy. Each of the 8 sessions will have a theme:

1. Connection

2. Play

3. Using the Senses

4. Generosity

5. Destruction

6. Calm and Comfort

7. Spontaneity

8. Achievement

This sequence of curated events will be hosted at The Sustainable Studio, and other locations across Cardiff.

The Joy Club team supports participants to keep a sense of experimentation, creativity, and community (whilst throwing in some wonder-filled surprises along the way) as Joy Club members take part in this adventure and become part of an extraordinary theatre making experiment.

And all in the name of science… sort of. Because as Joy Club you will also be part of a focus group tasked with evaluating the process at end of the project. As a group you will be asked to reflect on your experiences of Joy Club, guided in your discussion by our team Psychologist Annie.

The Joy Club podcast

An audio recording of your conversation will be analysed to pull out any themes that can help us understand your experience and answer the questions: What is Joy? What has brought you Joy? What does Joy feel like for you? What impact can Joy have on you and your life? And ultimately what role has Joy Club played in helping you answer those questions. This evaluation of Joy Club will help us to talk about the project across the disciplines of both Psychology and the Arts, and share any benefits or insights that we hope will come from it.

As a group of theatre makers working in collaboration with a specialist Psychologist we are interested in creating experiences that can help people explore how they find happiness and joy in their own lives, whilst trying to understand what a ‘joyful’ experience can be.

“We know that Joy is an emotion that is linked to health, wellbeing and resilience, and that it can be hard to come by in difficult and challenging times. Joy can be sparked externally, found within us, or come out of our interactions with others. How often we experience Joy can be influenced by who we are as people, or by the world and circumstances that impact on us. However, we don’t know much about how we can help people find, create or experience more Joy. In exploring how theatre, live-art and experiential practice can evoke an emotional response, we hope this is where Joy Club can help”.
Annie Beyers - Specialist Psychologist

Through Joy Club we will be creating a set of unique experiences for a group of curious people who haven’t yet met. Grounded in psychological theory and social science, Joy Club is heavily informed by Justin’s creative practice, guided by a philosophy that explores the usefulness of the artist. Through working in this way we aim to bridge a gap between Psychology and the Arts.

“As a theatre maker I believe in the power of live-experiences, and so I want to explore how the tools we traditionally use to make shows can have other applications, specifically in considering how connection, community and art can improve our mental health and wellbeing. As someone who lives with a bit of a joy-deficit I’m aware of how bleak the world feels right now, so I’m driven to take action and inspire change. I’m also curious to explore some more abstract questions like; Why does winning feel so good? Why are the funniest memes absurd? What happens to us when we play? And why do we connect better when eating food?”
Justin Teddy Cliffe - TEAM Creative Associate

Want to join the club?

We have now started recruiting for this exciting project and are looking to hear from people who’d like to be involved. Joy Club itself will officially start in January 2025 and will run for 8 consecutive weeks.

For the purposes of the project, there are some inclusion and exclusion criteria below:

Who should apply for Joy Club? - (If you have any questions about eligibility please apply and include any questions in your application form.)

You should be:

• Aged between 21 - 85.

• Ideally based within 30 mins travelling distance from Cardiff.

• Fully available for all sessions listed below.

• Ready and willing to be part of a diverse and varied community. This is an inclusive project that is intended to be a welcoming, safe and respectful space for all.

• Willing to give written informed consent prior to your involvement in the project.

• Ready and willing to engage in the evaluation of Joy Club via a focus group as this is an important part of the legacy of the project.

• Interested in exploring what joy means to you, able to maintain a sense of experimentation and curiosity about the process.

• Not aware of any current or ongoing difficulties that would prohibit you from taking part or place you at any increased risk by participating.

Who should NOT apply for Joy Club?

You should not apply if you are:

• Aged 20 or under. Aged 86 and over.

• Applying with a person or group of people that you know well. This project is designed for people who do not yet know each other.

• Please Note: If you have or are experiencing a mild to moderate mental health difficulty you will not be excluding from applying or participating. However, it is important to note that this project is not a therapy, is not an accredited course, and is not being offered as an treatment to anyone with specific ongoing mental health difficulties.If you are experiencing any acute or significant mental health difficulties, are currently experiencing any distress, or are experiencing a current mental health crisis then this project will not be suitable for you.

• Based more than 30 mins travelling distance from Cardiff.

• NOT available for all sessions listed below.

• NOT ready and willing to be part of a diverse and varied community. This is an inclusive project that is intended to be a welcoming, safe and respectful space for all.

• NOT able or willing to give written informed consent prior to your involvement in the project.

• NOT willing to engage in the evaluation of Joy Club via a focus group as this is an important part of the legacy of the project.

• NOT interested in exploring what joy means to you, or able to maintain a sense of experimentation and curiosity about the process.

How do I apply?

Step 1 - To apply individuals will have to fill out an online application form click here

APPLICATIONS CLOSE ON 13th DECEMBER 2024

Step 2 - Once recruitment closes you will be contacted via email to let you know whether or not you have been shortlisted for the project. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to join an online introductory meeting where you will meet the team, will hear all the details of the project and will have the chance to ask any questions that you might have.

MEETING WILL HAPPEN ON 18th DECEMBER 2024

Step 3 - The final 10 members of Joy Club will be confirmed following this online meeting, and be invited to join the project in January.

FIRST SESSION WILL HAPPEN ON 8th JANUARY 2025

Should you be selected to participate, you will be guided through a ten week process that includes: two online sessions and eight in person sessions. Most of our sessions will happen in Cardiff city centre, and regularly on Wednesday nights.

Participants will be reimbursed £30 for each in person session they attend, and will be invited to become part of a core focus group for a future piece of work.

We have funding to support access, and if you require this you can outline your needs in the application form.

We are currently building a peer list of freelancers, actors and creatives to ensure applications, opportunities and relevant events reach the right people. If you would like to stay up to date with all of opportunities, simply fill in your details HERE and you will automatically join our list. Your email will not be shared with anybody outside of NTW TEAM'