Expect lots of aha moments, inspiration, fresh ideas, and practical support, so you can move forward in your career in a way that works for you and your family.
This podcast is hosted by our social enterprise Leaders Plus. We believe that no parent should have to choose between progressing the career they love and enjoying their young children.
Through the Big Careers, Small Children podcast and our award-winning Fellowship Programme, we have supported thousands of Leaders with young children to make brave decisions about their future. We unapologetically help more mums (and dads with significant caring responsibilities) to get to senior leadership positions, because only by helping parents to progress their career can we have true gender equality at the top and address the gender pay gap.
January
20jan(jan 20)12:0024(jan 24)14:00Funny Women | Comedy Crash Course
20/01/2025 12:00 - 24/01/2025 14:00(GMT+00:00)
Funny Women’s courses and workshops have helped launch some incredible comedy careers and inspired some great public speakers. They also
We’re committed to building the next generation of comedic talent and our brilliant Comedy Crash Course is an accessible and inclusive fast-track towards performing, writing and creating comedy.
Featuring an hour a day of expert coaching and guidance from brilliant industry experts and an opportunity to perform in an online showcase at the end of the week.
Lynne Parker Founder & CEO, Funny Women CIC, TEDX Speaker, Writer & Facilitator, Comedy Coach and podcast host. Lynne will kickstart the week with a workshop that connects you, builds your confidence and gets your creativity flowing.
Mariana Feijó is a queer, Portuguese multidisciplinary artist, comedian, writer, photographer, content producer and podcaster, with international practice, based in London. Her practice started from a necessity to learn how to communicate and create community. She believes in pushing the boundaries of conventional comedic performance through collaboration and the combining of different art forms.
Emma Boddy is a Personal Performance Coach, Improv Teacher, and Performer with a background in NLP and Solution-Focused Hypnotherapy. Drawing from her own lived experience, she empowers individuals to become their best selves. Known for her innovative approach to personal growth, Emma combines her passion for improv with effective coaching techniques, helping individuals boost their confidence, think on their feet, and embrace playfulness.
Ella Woods is a Development Producer at BBC Studios Audio, Comedy and Entertainment, working across podcasts and radio shows for BBC Radio 4, Audible and more. As a comedy writer and performer she was twice shortlisted for the BBC New Comedy Awards, and featured on Radio 1, 2 and 4.
Daily workshops are held on Zoom, from 12.00pm to 1.00pm Monday to Thursday and recorded should you miss a day. All times, UK times!
Culminating in a live online showcase on Friday, where you’ll perform or present your pitch and receive invaluable feedback from facilitators and peers. This is split into two parts with an hour interval 11.30am to 12.30pm & 1.00pm to 2.00pm. All times, UK times!
“I needed to prepare for my first official standup gig and this course was perfect. Packed with information, tips and encouragement. Lovely atmosphere, even on Zoom! The course leaders and speakers were true experts and their feedback was extremely helpful. Brilliant!”
“This course was absolutely exceptional. I was a little scared of it when I signed up but it’s such a brilliant safe space that I didn’t feel out of my comfort zone. The advice was fantastically helpful and the live showcases were exciting and motivating. I really enjoyed every second thank you and am now going to start working on material for a live show!”
“Feels like being on an adventurous playground with your favourite mates.”
“It was a brilliantly diverse line-up of talented industry professionals who gave us great techniques to try out new ideas while giving constructive and helpful feedback.”
“All the guest speakers were excellent. They were kind and non-judgemental and gave us the confidence to try things without filtering ourselves. I would especially recommend this course to people who are starting out in comedy and in need of an extra boost!”
Full price £75 (+ VAT) plus booking fee.
Patreon rate £50 (+VAT) plus booking fee. To find out how to join Patreon all the details are here
28jan18:0020:00Women Pivoting to Digital | Explore What’s Possible for Your Career
28/01/2025 18:00 - 20:00(GMT+00:00)
Lloyds Banking Group ,
Wellington Place Office 11 & 12 Wellington Place Leeds LS1 4AP
Hosted by the Women Pivoting to Digital Taskforce in collaboration with Lloyds Banking Group, this event is for women based
Hosted by the Women Pivoting to Digital Taskforce in collaboration with Lloyds Banking Group, this event is for women based in Leeds who are considering a move into tech or digital roles and are interested in learning more about how to transition.Career changing, coming back to work after an illness or long-term unemployment, or returning after a career break can be daunting, in this session our panellists will talk about barriers and how to overcome them. There will also be a chance to network with women working in tech or women who are also trying to career change.
We encourage women who may not have technical expertise but are still interested in making the switch to a digital role to join us – no prior experience is required!
When: Thursday 28th January from 6-8pm
Where: Lloyds Banking Group, Wellington Place Office, Leeds
Register Here: Event registration
Whether you’re feeling unsure about where to start or curious to explore what’s possible, this event offers a supportive environment to ask questions, seek guidance, and start imagining your next steps.
Engaging Panel Discussions – Hear from women who’ve successfully transitioned into digital careers.
Networking Opportunity – Connect with peers, mentors, and industry leaders.
Practical Insights – Gain actionable advice on upskilling, mindset, and embracing new challenges in tech.
Free
29/01/2025 12:00 - 13:00(GMT+00:00)
Ever dreamt of stepping into the spotlight at the prestigious Rising
This is your moment to turbocharge your career and leave a lasting impression in your industry. Dr Vanessa Vallely OBE will share insider tips and help you on your path to Rising Star glory.
01feb10:0017:00Funny Women | Stand Up To Stand Out - Winter Warm Up
01/02/2025 10:00 - 17:00(GMT+00:00)
The Groucho Club
W1D 4QB, London
It’s midwinter and the days are short, so ideal for a comedy ‘warm up’ and an opportunity to
We’ve combined elements of our popular Stand Up to Stand Out workshop and the Comedy Crash Course to create a one-day event designed to take you on a comedy journey without it being scary! During the Winter Warm Up you will be introduced to some well know techniques to help you perform, write or create comedy or inject some humour into your everyday interactions, at work or play.
Led by Funny Women founder Lynne Parker with some additional guidance from two incredible guest experts, the day will culminate in a showcase for you to show off what you’ve created.
Lynne Parker, the founder of Funny Women, has been running her comedy workshops since 2009 and has witnessed the genesis of many comedy careers through the Funny Women Awards and our programme of community events. Her initiative and guidance has enabled hundreds of women to gain the confidence to perform on stage and in the boardroom. Now that ‘performances’ have expanded to both in person and online environments, communication and presentation skills are a top priority.
Nic Lamont is an actor, writer and creative producer working in comedy, theatre, television and film. Her work has been featured on BBC, Amazon and Netflix. One half of creepy comedy duo The Twins Macabre, she has toured national and international theatres. Nic’s full length plays dark comedy plays The Darklings, What the Dolls Saw and Mary Shelley: Muthamonster have been produced in venues across London. Specialising in Improvisation and Character Comedy, Nic is also co-director of performing arts company Medway Play Lab CIC and runs regular improvisation workshops in Kent. As part of the Glitter Project, Nic is the Medway Producer for Funny Women, hosting monthly Mentoring Meet-Ups and Open Mic nights.
Anna Coane is a TV series producer with 20 years’ experience of making scripted and unscripted comedy, entertainment and fact/ent shows for all the major broadcasters (including BBC, C4, C5, ITV, Sky, Comedy Central, TLC, and Discovery). She is experienced in the studio, on location, and in the edit, and her credits include The Graham Norton Show, Saturday Kitchen, Live At The Electric, Celebrity Big Brother, Peep Show, and more. Anna has written, script edited, and overseen the script process on numerous series, most recently I Can Do It You Can Too (80 scripts for CBeebies). She has written with/for some of the biggest names in UK comedy and entertainment, including Julian Clary, Josh Widdecombe, Omid Djalili, Alexander Armstrong, Julie Walters, Tom Allen, Suzi Ruffell, Romesh Ranganathan, Rob Lowe, Steph Todd and more…
The Groucho Club is the perfect winter hide away for this event. Tea, coffee, morning pastries, light lunch bites and cookies are included in your ticket price. Common food intolerances and preferences are taken into account.
Testimonials:
‘I recently took part in Stand Up to Stand Out. As a woman who has fought her way through business for many years now, determined in my mission to be ‘me’ – I really enjoyed Lynne’s approach. Being yourself, being ready to tell stories, laugh, amuse yourselves and each other – surely that’s all part of life?’
‘Too often we are restricted by the expectations of others, especially as a woman in business. This session was expertly led by Lynne, who made everyone feel welcome, but also emboldened. Within no time, absolute strangers were giggling hysterically and cheering each other on.’
‘I recently attended the Stand Up to Stand Out Workshop at the Groucho Club. It really pushed me out of my comfort zone but I felt supported by Lynne in this. I will be able to use what I learnt about the power of humour and my increased confidence in storytelling to deliver more compelling client presentations and, who knows, maybe even try stand up!’
‘Lynne is the most knowledgeable person I have met during my comedy career and I would recommend her to anyone/if not everyone; whether you’re starting out in comedy or you would like to be better at public speaking/improving your confidence – Lynne is the person to work with – she is hilarious, empowering and incredibly kind.’
‘I had a wonderful time on the Stand Up to Stand Out workshop. Lynne coached us with skill and humanity, creating a community from a group of strangers. And we were all really funny! To any woman thinking of going on the course, I’d say it’s one of the best investments you can make in yourself.’
Half price for members of The Groucho Club and Funny Women Patreon Members.
