People People is a UK communication and leadership development company, founded in 2017 with support from The King’s Trust. We blend techniques from theatre, behavioural psychology and executive coaching to help teams communicate more skilfully, confidently and humanly at work.

Robert Kirby, a professionally trained actor (National Youth Theatre, Rose Bruford College) who later trained as an executive coach at Henley Business School. He founded People People to bring the insights of acting and behavioural science into working life.

We think our work is universal and applicable to any industry and sector. That being said, we’ve noticed that we tend to work more regularly across arts & culture, healthcare, insurance, hospitality, law, higher education and the public sector. Clients include the Royal Shakespeare Company, the NHS and Burger King UK, through to NorthStandard, the Crown Prosecution Service, the University of East London and the Electoral Commission.

Yes. We work with people in all roles, and offer sessions and programmes designed exclusively for managers and leaders. Our Presentation Skills, Communication Skills and Mindset Management courses, as well as one-to-one executive coaching, can be tailored to managers and leaders to build the skills they need to communicate, influence and lead with more presence and confidence. We also design fully bespoke leadership development programmes, built around your organisation’s specific context and needs, from a single standalone session through to a multi-module programme delivered over time.

Drama-based training is an experiential form of learning that uses a suite of techniques from acting and theatre such as forum theatre, improvisation, role play to rehearse conversations, storytelling concepts, body-language and vocal presence to build embodied workplace skills across communication, leadership and confidence, rather than teaching them through slides and lectures alone.

Rather than lecture-style, slide-based training, we draw on techniques taught in drama school combined with behavioural psychology and executive coaching in the same room, rather than treated as separate services. This creates a dynamic, practical, and engaging learning environment.

We tailor our exact use of acting tools to each client, with no one being asked to perform in front of an audience or put on a show. Sessions are built to feel psychologically safe, starting gently and building gradually, with an invitation for people to stretch and challenge themselves at their own pace, with a supportive facilitator team, so that their learning sticks. It’s not unusual to hear from participants who admit they’d been dreading the day as soon as they heard the word ‘acting’, only to tell us by the end that it was some of the best training they’ve ever had

Our training sessions in groups gives everyone the same practical vocabulary and techniques, which, depending on the topic includes how to structure a message, listen actively, read a room, influence others etc, so they can use it with each other immediately and embed learning together after the course, rather than relying on one person’s individual coaching to change how a whole team communicates. There are other mechanisms we use with our clients to ensure that learning is applied in the workplace, too.

Session sizes typically range from around 12 people up to full programmes of 100 or more, with extra facilitators and breakout groups brought in to keep larger sessions just as tailored as smaller ones. We also offer one-to-one executive coaching for individuals who’d prefer that to a group session.

In-person sessions run as half-day, full-day or multi-session programmes, with shorter masterclass formats also available. Virtual sessions typically run for two hours.

People People delivers both live virtual sessions and face-to-face training.

Half-day, full-day and virtual sessions are priced per session at a set rate, which includes tailoring the content to your organisation’s needs. Travel and VAT are charged separately, and arranging the venue is typically the client’s responsibility. For Made to Measure programmes or larger groups, we build a quote from these base rates, adjusted for team size, participant numbers, duration and format. Get in touch with your brief and we’ll start with a conversation, then come back with a proposal and costs where appropriate.

Yes. Alongside group workshops, People People and its associate coaches deliver one-to-one executive coaching, drawing on the same blend of behavioural psychology and arts training. Most of our clients who work 1-2-1 with us are looking for help in how they communicate and present across their businesses.

An entirely bespoke course, learning journey or coaching programme built entirely around your organisation’s specific brief, combining any of our presentation, communication and mindset methods in whatever mix suits the outcome you need.

Get in touch via hello@people-people.uk or 020 3239 2843, or the contact form at people-people.uk/contact and we’ll set up a call to understand your needs and organisation before proposing an approach.

You’ll start with a conversation about your brief, followed by a discovery process to understand exactly what your team needs. From there, we either talk through how we’ll tailor the content and deliver the session or, for larger projects, consult with you on the design. We then agree the details, confirm dates, put a contract in place, and deliver the work. Afterwards, we provide post-course resources and follow up with you.

Yes, half-day, full-day and virtual sessions can each be booked as one-off standalone sessions. Longer, multi-part programmes are also available if that suits your goals better

We recommend at least four weeks’ notice to secure your preferred dates. That said, we’ve accommodated bookings with as little as a week’s notice when needed.