Improvised Performing Arts
<aside> <img src="/icons/home_gray.svg" alt="/icons/home_gray.svg" width="40px" /> instructor of my own improvised performing arts group in Charlottenburg
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<aside> <img src="/icons/friends_gray.svg" alt="/icons/friends_gray.svg" width="40px" /> instructor at bimonthly improv course with Andreas Schult in Friedrichshain (German & English)
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Improv is theatrical performance art made for everyone, including your most introverted and shy friends. It's accessible by virtue of using no equipment (props) or preparation (scripts), both of which deplete finite resources not everyone can put into their hobby.
This is performance art without pressure to perform. Sounds wild? That's because it is. Scenes can be anything you want them to be, with only a few exceptions. Neither do they need to be particularly funny or meaningful. Playing is the priority.
There are simple rules which are prominently visible throughout a session. Primary guidelines are short and memorable, all prefaced by a normative instinct most people living in a capitalist society have adopted. This builds bridges, synapses, in our brains. You will go “ah, my brain led me here, let's do this other—more fun—thing instead!”
All of these guidelines can be applied in some way or another to everyday social interactions. This is why improv can be especially helpful for folks who want to improve their mental well-being. We're in a safe play room. You came here for a reason, remember? Use the space!
→ don't
→ do