The International Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation is thrilled to present our fourth annual 24-hour Improvisation Festival this fall! This year’s event will feature amazing performances at Guelph’s new, state-of-the-art performance space, ImprovLab, and across the University of Guelph campus. And anyone can watch the Festival anywhere—with special bonus performances—via our digital stream!

Curated by IICSI Director Dr. Ajay Heble (Founder and former Artistic Director of the Guelph Jazz Festival and 2023 Killam Prize winner), IF 2023 will feature a spectacular range of creators showcasing original, spontaneous works (full lineup announcement forthcoming). Centred on the theme Restless Imagination: Improvising the New Normal, IF 2023 will showcase legendary and emerging improvisational performers mixing skill, vulnerability, and daring to make meaning out of this moment. 

IF 2023 will dovetail with two other events at the University of Guelph: an exhibition showcasing and celebrating 15 years of the Improvisation Institute’s research findings (installed in ImprovLab Massey Hall at the University of Guelph and open to the public, Oct. 16–22) and the Sound Meaning Education academic conference, CONVERSATIONS & improvisations (Oct. 20–22).   

For IF 2023 updates, including our forthcoming lineup announcement, you can follow IICSI’s social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter), subscribe to the Institute’s newsletter, and visit the Festival website. Attendees will be able to secure their free tickets online once the festival lineup is announced. 

IF 2023 is presented by IICSI, with support from Musagetes, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), the Art Gallery of Guelph, CFRU 93.3FM, the College of Arts at the University of Guelph, and Lost Aviator Coffee.