Global Improvisation Initiative Symposium
The Global Improvisation Initiative (GII) Symposium is an international gathering that explores the art and impact of theatrical improvisation, blending academic and practitioner perspectives through workshops, performances, panels, roundtables, and plenaries. The 2026 edition, the fifth symposium, runs July 8-11 at Portland State University in Portland, Oregon, and offers both in-person and remote-online participation tiers.
History
GII was founded in 2016 by Theresa Robbins Dudeck and Joel Veenstra. Symposiums have been held at UC Irvine and Chapman University (2017), in London with Middlesex University and Improbable (2019), online (2021), and at UC Irvine again (2023). The 2026 Portland edition is the first time the symposium has convened in that city.
Significance
The symposium draws international participation through a remote-online registration tier and actively encourages proposals from practitioners, scholars, and applicants representing the global majority and improv communities across North America.
Need current dates or submissions? This is a historical archive. Visit improvfestivals.org for live festival listings.
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Global Improvisation Initiative Symposium. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/festivals/global-improvisation-initiative-symposium
The Improv Archive. "Global Improvisation Initiative Symposium." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/festivals/global-improvisation-initiative-symposium.
The Improv Archive. "Global Improvisation Initiative Symposium." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/festivals/global-improvisation-initiative-symposium. Accessed November 5, 2026.
The Improv Archive is a systemically maintained repository. The archive itself acts as the corporate author.