"
I really need to bring a 'learn-it-all' culture, not a 'know-it-all' culture.
Satya Nadella
CEO, Microsoft · From Hit Refresh (Harper Business, 2017)
Behaviour Change Consultancy · London · Milan · Berlin
Behaviour Change
Through Immersive
Experiences
Some things cannot be taught, they have to be felt.
Mainstream Doesn't Work
We Are Sidestream
What Sidestream Does
A Behaviour Change Consultancy
For Real Change, Not Slide Decks
Why Sidestream Is Different
Not Like Other Consultancies
Theatre Meets Psychology
Two worlds that almost never meet: organisational-psychology research from UCL, Cambridge and Bocconi, delivered through scripted, professionally-acted experiences.
Behaviour, Not Awareness
We rehearse the real situation with professional actors, so people practise the new behaviour rather than just hear about it.
We Measure What Matters
Kirkpatrick Level 3: observed behaviour back at work, not satisfaction surveys or completion certificates.
Bespoke, Never Off-the-Shelf
Every programme is individually designed and tailored to your specific behaviour and sector. No modules, no e-learning licences.
Recognised, Evidence-Based
CorpComms and Goldsmiths recognition, and a method grounded in behavioural science.
Built for High Stakes
We work where it counts: policing, public service and other regulated, high-pressure settings.
Our Mission
Real Change, In 52 Seconds
Why we built Sidestream the way we did, in 52 seconds. Some things cannot be taught, they have to be felt.
Our Story
Where Science Meets Theatre
Sidestream started with a frustration. We, its founders, had both spent years watching well-meaning training programmes leave no trace. People nodded in the room and forgot by the weekend. The science said one thing, the slide deck said another, and the slide deck always won. We were tired of watching it.
So we built something different. The rigour of organisational psychology and the craft of immersive theatre, in the same room. The result: live, scripted behavioural experiences designed to stay with participants long after the session.
Based in London, Milan and Berlin (hybrid). Working across Europe and globally, from policing and the courts to universities, financial services and creative scale-ups.
Who Is Behind This
The People Behind the Method
Two founders, two traditions. That is not a positioning line, it is the actual reason the work holds up: one of us trained in organisational psychology and in acting, the other in systemic coaching. Every programme we run sits on both.
Co-Founder
Ben Laumann
Co-Founder & Managing Director UK
- PhD in Management, Bocconi University (in progress)
- MPhil in Innovation, Strategy & Organisation, University of Cambridge
- MSc in Industrial, Organisational & Business Psychology, UCL
- MA in Acting, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire
- BSc in Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London
Co-Founder
Sebastian Flack
Co-Founder, Germany & DACH
- Systemic coach, supervisor and consultant
- Leads Sidestream's work across Germany and the wider DACH region
- Brings the systemic tradition: reading people inside the relationships, teams and structures they actually sit in
- Social science, Ruhr University Bochum
The Training Iceberg
Most L&D Only Sees
The Tip
The four levels of training impact (Kirkpatrick, 1959) form an iceberg. Above the waterline sits everything most organisations actually measure: did they enjoy it? and can they pass a quiz? Below sits everything that matters to the business: did anyone change how they behave? and did the result move?
Most L&D programmes never go below the waterline, not because the levels are unknown, but because reaching them is genuinely hard. This is precisely where Sidestream operates.
Level 01 · Reaction
The Biased
Post-Event Survey Smiley sheets that measure mood, not change
Post-Event Survey Smiley sheets that measure mood, not change
Level 02 · Learning
Short-Term
Memory Test Knowledge checks that fade within days
Memory Test Knowledge checks that fade within days
Level 03 · Behaviour, Where We Operate
Behaviour
Change Evidence-based cognitive tools that genuinely shift how people think and act
Change Evidence-based cognitive tools that genuinely shift how people think and act
Level 04 · Results, Where We Excel
Immersive
Simulations Visceral experiences that go under the skin and stay there
Simulations Visceral experiences that go under the skin and stay there
01
The Biased Post-Event SurveySmiley sheets that measure mood, not change
02
Short-Term Memory TestKnowledge checks that fade within days
03
Behaviour ChangeWhere we operate, cognitive tools that shift how people act
04
Immersive SimulationsWhere we excel, experiences that stay under the skin
↓ Most L&D stops at Level 1–2. Sidestream goes deeper. ↓
We Are Sidestream
Real Change
Happens Under
The Skin
Forget questionnaires, tick-box exercises and passive learning. Real change happens through visceral, under-the-skin experiences that create lasting memories. We craft immersive, evidence-based environments that provoke sustainable behavioural shifts.
2018
Practising Behaviour
Change Since
Change Since
57
Participants in Our
2020 UCL Study
2020 UCL Study
d=1.08
Effect Size vs Video
In Our 2020 UCL Study
In Our 2020 UCL Study
600+
Participants Reached
by The Accused
by The Accused
Trusted by
Organisations We Have Worked With
Metropolitan Police
Imperial College London
UCL
Goldsmiths, University of London
The Innocence ProjectForensic Psychology Unit
WISE
Tata Consultancy Services
University of CambridgeMetropolitan PoliceImperial College LondonUCLGoldsmiths, University of LondonThe Innocence ProjectForensic Psychology Unit
WISETata Consultancy ServicesUniversity of CambridgeSectors We Work In
Across Industries, Same Method
Behaviour change is the same science everywhere. The context that surrounds it is never the same twice.
Public Sector & Policing
Met Police · a UK courts and tribunals service
Justice & Equality
Innocence Project · Forensic Psychology Unit
Higher Education
UCL · Imperial · Cambridge · Goldsmiths · Bocconi
Corporate & Tech
TCS · Financial services · Tech scale-ups
Energy & Critical Infrastructure
High-stakes operations · resilience training
Healthcare & Life Sciences
Mental health awareness
Different sector? Tell us your context →
Leaders on Culture, Learning & Behaviour Change
Why the World's Best CEOs
Talk About This
Leaders running the world's most adaptive organisations return to the same idea: culture, behaviour and learning beat strategy decks. Here's how four of them put it. The same argument, followed through the current reports and research, is what we are reading and writing.
"
If you have an honest, transparent culture, you'll have higher engagement, you'll have less turnover, you'll get better business results.
Mary Barra
CEO, General Motors · Fortune Most Powerful Women interview, 2018
"
Lead with context, not control. Tell people what they need to know, then trust them to make the decisions.
Reed Hastings
Co-founder, Netflix · From No Rules Rules (Penguin, 2020)
"
If you don't have a strong culture, your company will eventually slip. You really have to define what you stand for, and then defend it relentlessly.
Brian Chesky
CEO, Airbnb · Stanford GSB View From The Top, 2014
These are the operators we agree with, and the science behind their intuition is the same science we build into every Sidestream programme. See the six research frameworks we use.
What Participants Say
After the Room Empties
What sticks after the room empties, in their own words.
"
An 80s punk gig as a masterclass in leadership and reputation management? Pure genius.
"
When else can you have an honest talk with someone living with a serious mental health condition, except through immersive theatre?
"
A gripping and thought-provoking experience that made me reflect on how much, or how little, has changed for women in the workplace and beyond.
"
The judges loved the creative approach to building awareness, well executed and an excellent mix of theatre and immersive work.
"
The closest thing to real-world business diplomacy I've ever experienced.
"
We finally heard what investors weren't telling us. The actors were brutal, and that's exactly what we needed.
What We Offer
Our Services
From a half-day workshop to two or three days, and simulations of up to a week. Six ways we get behaviour to actually move.
01
Up to 100 people
Workshops & Training
Hands-on sessions for close-knit teams. Real situations, useful tools, observable behaviour change, not slide-clicks.
See workshop formats02
Up to 300 participants
Immersive Events
Theatre-based experiences for large audiences: The Death of Jane Doe and The Accused (both award-recognised), plus Top of the Cops. Lessons that stick.
See the events03
Up to a week · Leadership team
Simulations
Multi-day strategic simulations where leadership teams live a transformation, crisis or restructure first, then launch with confidence.
Inside the Nuclear Site Simulation04
1:1 · Small cohort
Coaching
Behavioural coaching for leaders and managers. Real-time feedback, deliberate practice, sustained reinforcement, not pep talks.
How coaching works05
Diagnostic · Weeks 1 to 3
Consulting
Validated diagnostics, leader interviews, climate data. A measurable baseline before any intervention, so we know what actually moved. The method behind it is set out in our high performance culture guide; for one team, see high-performance team training in London.
What the diagnostic uncovers06
Fully tailor-made
Bespoke Interventions
For bespoke interventions, get in touch and we'll tailor-make exactly what you're looking for around your sector and goals.
Tell us what you needOur Model
We Go Deeper
Than The Rest
01
The Biased Post-Event Survey
Did you enjoy the training on a scale from 1–5? (And most importantly, were the sandwiches any good?)
02
The Short-Term Memory Test
Back to school. The dreaded multiple-choice test that you immediately forget. (How many questions can you guess off the bat?)
03
Behaviours
Without behaviours any training is a "tick-box" exercise. Change happens through action, that's why we use evidence-based cognitive tools and practice-based techniques from the world of immersive theatre.
04
Simulations
Any training that aims to spark behaviour change has to be oriented on real-world applications. That's why we use our recognised expertise in crafting visceral, realistic and fun simulations that create lasting impact and memories.
The vocabulary behind the model, from COM-B to Kirkpatrick Level 3, is defined in the behaviour change glossary.
Award-
Recognised
Expertise
Recognised
Expertise
Case Studies
Our Work
Public Sector & Policing
The Death of Jane Doe
Diversity & Inclusion
The Accused
Leadership & Crisis
Top of the Cops
Creativity & Innovation
MARVELous Ideas
Resilience & Strategy
The Nuclear Site Simulation
AI & Future Strategy
Future-Proofing Entertainment
Watch the Trailer · 3 min
Three Minutes Inside
a Sidestream Session
No passive lectures. Just engaging, surprising and playful learning that gets under the skin, because we remember what makes us feel alive.
Sidestream · Behaviour Change in Action
Recognised Excellence
The Death of Jane Doe:
recognised
recognised
CorpComms Awards
Public Engagement
Awards 2018: commended
Awards 2018: commended
Any organisation looking for high-impact training that truly changes behaviour, that's who we work with. But if you're only looking for training or e-learning to tick off your employees' yearly compliance record, or if a certificate is all you want, we're not the right company for you. If that's not the case, and you're ready to go beyond the basics, whether you're in tech, finance, healthcare, public services, or any other sector, we're here to create something extraordinary for you.
Simple. Book a call, and let's explore how we can drive change together.
No. Everything we do is tailored to your needs. If you want a pre-packaged solution, e-learning platform, video-library, AI-bot badly simulating humans, survey, or branded certificate, there'll be other training providers that can help you.
Something no AI platform can ever give you, a truly human experience, led by skilled professionals. An immersive simulation is a hands-on, interactive way to learn by doing. It places people in realistic, high-pressure situations where they must think fast, solve problems, and make smart decisions. We draw inspiration from theatre and the dramatic arts to design experiences that are engaging, emotional and unforgettable. These simulations help teams build skills that transfer directly to real workplace challenges, and we have the experience and results to prove it.
We can run experiences in-person, online, or hybrid, wherever they'll be most effective.
Our training goes beyond theory, participants take part, experiment and put their learning into action. This leads to better understanding, stronger teamwork, and sharper problem-solving skills that make a real difference across the organisation.
London, Borough by Borough
Where We Work in London
Sidestream is based at 58 Malden Road, NW5 3HG, in the London Borough of Camden (see our guide to behaviour change consultancy in north London). We work across every London borough, with detailed working knowledge of eight specific areas.
HQ Borough
Camden
Creative agencies, the Kings Cross tech cluster, UCL and Bloomsbury, UCLH and Royal Free, Camden Council.
Read the Camden guide →Financial Services
City of London
Banks, Lloyd's market insurance, Magic Circle law firms, Big-4, asset managers, the FCA conduct-and-culture agenda.
Read the City guide →Banking, Big-4 & Tech
Canary Wharf
HSBC, Barclays, Citi, JPM, KPMG, EY, PwC, Reuters, the Wharf tech cluster, the Elizabeth Line effect.
Read the Canary Wharf guide →Civil Service
Westminster
UK Civil Service, Whitehall departments, the Metropolitan Police.
Read the Westminster guide →Eight area guides across London, from our base in Camden.
Schematic drawing by Sidestream, not to scale. No map data used.
Further Reading
Sector-Specific Behaviour Change
Dedicated Sidestream guides for three sectors: policing, universities and the NHS.
Public sector
Police Forces
UK police-sector behaviour change. The Death of Jane Doe was created with Met Police Lewisham and the Innocence Project. Post-Casey workforce reform, BlueLight Commercial procurement.
Read the police guide →Academic and professional staff
Universities
University leadership development, centred on UK higher education. Clients in this sector include UCL, Cambridge, Bocconi, Goldsmiths and Imperial. Academic leadership, EDI, sexual misconduct response, decolonisation.
Read the university guide →Compassionate leadership
NHS & Healthcare
NHS trusts and ICSs. Michael West compassionate leadership, Francis Report speak-up culture, NHS People Plan, WRES/WDES, NHS Sexual Safety Charter.
Read the NHS guide →London Services, Specific Searches
Looking for Something Specific?
Deep working guides for the most-searched London training procurement questions. Each guide runs to roughly 5,000 words with costs, scope, comparison and process.
Priced per engagement
Team Building Workshop London
Not escape rooms or cooking classes. Bespoke immersive team workshops that produce measurable behaviour change. Six rehearsable team behavioural targets.
Read the team workshop guide →Priced per engagement
Leadership Training London
Five programme formats from half-day to enterprise. Edmondson, Kolb, Ericsson, COM-B, Kirkpatrick foundations. Verified clients including Met Police, UCL, Cambridge.
Read the leadership guide →Priced per engagement
Corporate Training London
Bespoke behaviour-change training across all corporate categories. Comparison with business schools, big consultancies, off-the-shelf franchises, coaching firms, e-learning.
Read the corporate guide →Priced per engagement
Change Management Training London
Bespoke change-leadership programmes. Kotter, Bridges, Lewin anchored. Rehearse the actual change conversations leaders have to lead.
Read the change guide →Priced per engagement
Presentation Skills Training London
Rehearsed with a professional actor ensemble playing the actual audience you face. Ericsson deliberate practice anchored.
Read the presentation guide →Priced per engagement
Immersive Simulation Training London
The Sidestream core method. Scripted scenarios performed by professional actors. Evidence-led.
Read the simulation guide →Priced per engagement
Team Dynamics Workshop London
Edmondson-anchored team behavioural development. Project Aristotle findings applied. Beyond team-bonding.
Read the team dynamics guide →Priced per engagement
Problem Solving Workshop London
Rehearsed decision-making under pressure. Kahneman bias-recognition, Janis groupthink-counter. Eight biases addressed.
Read the problem-solving guide →Priced per engagement
Resilience Training London
Change resilience and team resilience rehearsed. Michael West compassionate leadership, Edmondson psychological safety.
Read the resilience guide →Priced per engagement
Hybrid Team Training London
The behavioural patterns hybrid teams need. The hybrid meeting that prevents two-tier participation, asynchronous coordination, distributed leadership.
Read the hybrid guide →UCL, Cambridge, Bocconi anchor
Organisational Behaviour Training London
The academic-anchored consultancy. Edmondson, Kahneman, Kolb, Michie, Hackman, West applied to workplace behaviour change.
Read the OB guide →100-300 person events
Large-Group Immersive Event London
One shared production for a whole audience: format, cost, procurement and planning timeline.
Read the large-group guide →Priced per engagement
Executive Training London
C-suite, board and senior executive behaviour change. Top of the Cops, built for mid-career leaders, can be adapted for senior cohorts.
Read the executive guide →The Accused anchor
DEI Training London
Bespoke immersive EDI behaviour change. The Accused production, commended at the Goldsmiths Public Engagement Awards 2018. Charter-mark integration (Athena Swan, WRES, WDES, Stonewall).
Read the DEI guide →Edmondson 1999 anchor
Psychological Safety Training London
Edmondson framework operationalised. Validated 7-item scale plus Kirkpatrick Level 3 dual measurement. Six behavioural targets.
Read the psych safety guide →Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023
Harassment Prevention Training London
Designed around the reasonable steps duty and the EHRC guidance. Behavioural evidence trail at Kirkpatrick Level 3.
Read the harassment prevention guide →Manager-as-coach
Coaching Skills Training London
GROW (Whitmore), OSKAR (McKergow and Jackson), CLEAR (Hawkins) frameworks operationalised through professional-actor immersive rehearsal.
Read the coaching guide →Raising concerns early
Speak-Up Culture Training London
Francis Report response, Freedom to Speak Up architecture, NHS Sexual Safety Charter aligned.
Read the speak-up guide →100-300 person events
Immersive Events London
Theatre productions, two of them award-recognised. Annual conferences, all-hands events, away days. Roundhouse, KOKO, Trinity Buoy Wharf venues.
Read the immersive events guide →SPIN, MEDDIC, Sandler, Challenger
Sales Team Training London
Bespoke behavioural training for sales teams. Rehearses the actual sales conversations with professional actors playing buyer roles.
Read the sales team guide →Strategic sales-leadership
Sales Strategy Workshop London
Sales-leadership strategic development through behavioural rehearsal. Go-to-market design, transformation strategy, account strategy.
Read the sales strategy guide →COM-B + EAST frameworks
Behavioural Design Workshop London
Apply COM-B (Michie/van Stralen/West), EAST (Dolan), behavioural economics (Kahneman, Thaler, Sunstein) to organisational behaviour design.
Read the behavioural design guide →Change
Stop talking at people.
Start changing
how they behave
A 30-minute call beats anything we could write here. Get in touch today.