Brown Women Comedy Workshops
An 8-week stand-up comedy course for women of colour culminating in a live showcase performance, delivered by Australian South Asian Centre (ASAC) in Naarm (Melbourne).
Brown Women Comedy Workshops is a 8-week stand-up comedy course for women of colour, created and delivered by Australian South Asian Centre (ASAC).
This isn’t a passive sit-and-watch class. It’s a proper course: you’ll write, workshop, perform, and get feedback. Weekly sessions cover everything you need to go from blank page to stage: joke writing, storytelling, comedic structure, improvisation, stage presence and dealing with nerves.
You’ll also get dedicated script coaching, peer feedback sessions and more. The program culminates in Brown Women Comedy: Up and Comers on Saturday 12 September — a live showcase where you’ll perform your original set to a real audience. Consider it your graduation and entry to the world of comedy. Past participants have gone on to headline their own shows, emcee major events, and appear on screen.
“It’s been pretty life changing, the safe space that ASAC created is nothing like I’ve ever been a part of before. It can be incredibly daunting to get up in front of everyone and be unfunny on your way to becoming funny, and I felt incredibly safe and encouraged to do so every time.” Participants must be 18 years or older to register.
No experience needed & limited places.
2026 Workshop Term Dates
End of Term Showcase
General $395
City of Casey Resident $200
Workshop Fee
Supported By
“It’s been pretty life changing, the safe space that ASAC created is nothing like I’ve ever been a part of before. It can be incredibly daunting to get up in front of everyone and be unfunny on your way to becoming funny, and I felt incredibly safe and encouraged to do so every time”
“If you’re on the fence, just take the plunge and go for it. Stand up comedy never crossed my mind before this but in such a beautiful, safe, fun atmosphere I found that I do have something to say, and hey I’m kinda funny.”
“I ended up emcee-ing a 400 person corporate gig as a result [and found] more confidence with public speaking…”
“To have a space of understanding to learn and execute stand up has been invaluable. These are memories I will remember for a lifetime. I am inspired by the talent and so excited for our futures in this industry!”
“Doing this program has been a huge boost to my confidence. It helped me find my comedic voice and taught me how to connect with an audience. The skills I’ve gained—like thinking quickly, presenting confidently, and handling feedback—are things I can apply in many areas of my life.”
“The workshop exceeded my expectations! These were already pretty high so this was tough to do.”
“I’ve walked away with more than one friend already (one of my goals) and for the first time in a long time, felt like I enjoyed learning something new.”
FAQs
This course is open to women of colour*
Permanent residency is not required.
Please note, you must be aged 18 or over to apply for this course.
For 2026 you simply register. As there are limited places register sooner rather than later. The expression of interest is NOT the registration, that remains open all year and is the mailing list where we announce future workshops (usually every 2 years) .
No prior experience is required but we encourage you to demonstrate your passion and willingness to be an active workshop participant in learning stand-up comedy (both creating and performing it) and building connections with fellow students partaking in the course with you (providing feedback and support).
We don’t have any planned yet, so best to register for these. If you 100% can’t make these, then still fill in the EOI below. If there’s enough interest and demand, we can use this to plan future workshops. Usually every 2 years.
You must be able to attend 7 of the 8 workshops. As there are limited places and due to the way the course is structured (8 weekly workshops) we will need to offer these to applicants that can make all these dates. There is homework between workshops as well, this is not a passive course – we want to help you become a comedian. Any missed workshops can be made up for with a 1-1 session at an additional cost.
Any other questions? Email us at helloasac@gmail.com