Sharon D. Engbrecht: “World-Building: Improvisation and Narrativity” Public Lecture

We are pleased to announce that IICSI Postdoctoral Fellow Sharon D. Engbrecht will be delivering a public lecture in ImprovLab at 10 AM on October 27. This event is free and open to all!

Dr. Engbrecht’s lecture will explore the dynamic between improvisation and narrativity. Both share elements of world-building or of negotiating how the world around us is perceived, but world-building is bound by unspoken rules, agreements, and expectations—does the same go for improvisation? What are the limits of co-creation? How might aspects of narrative theory challenge the way we think about improvisation?

Having recently finished their PhD at the University of British Columbia in English Literature, Sharon D. Engbrecht is the 2025-2026 Postdoctoral Fellow at the International Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation (IICSI). Their research into narratives of gender and sexuality investigates broader questions of embodiment, dwelling, and queer love. Their forthcoming articles include the theorization of “difficulty” in the post-secondary educational context and the “gloriously ugly” in Marian Engel’s No Clouds of Glory (Sarah Bastard’s Notebook).