"Improv Games 2025" is an international improvisation festival for students, their teachers, lecturers, and mentors, organized by Vilnius University (VU) Culture Centre and VU Improv Studio. The festival will take place in Vilnius on September 26–28, 2025, with international creative workshops and a seminar scheduled for May 29 – June 1.
Want to develop creativity, quick thinking, and reaction skills?
Improv is not only fun but also highly beneficial—it enhances flexibility, problem-solving skills, critical thinking, and communication abilities. These skills are becoming increasingly important not just in the arts but in any professional field.
Thinking about getting more involved in cultural life?
The festival invites students to actively participate in university cultural exchanges—not only by watching performances but also by creating their own improvisations, learning from professionals, and engaging in intercultural experiences. During the festival, students and alumni will have the opportunity to perform at VU Theatre Hall, explore new forms of improvisation, and inspire others with their creativity.
Looking for like-minded people, new experiences, and connections? "Improv Games 2025" is more than just a festival. It is a space for meetings, ideas, and collaboration, where students can learn from one another, share experiences, and develop a new improvisation culture within the academic community.
What’s next?
This festival is not just a one-time event. Its goal is to establish a long-term tradition—encouraging collaboration among university theaters, providing students with a platform for artistic and professional expression, and fostering cultural dialogue between the academic and artistic communities.
Join "Improv Games 2025" and be part of this creative journey!
Structure of the Project
I session – International Applied Improvisation Symposium “IMPROV GAMES 2025”
Date: 29 May – 1 June, 2025
Place: Vilnius University, Old Campus (Universiteto St. 3) and Vilnius University Botanical Garden (Kairėnų Str. 43), Vilnius, Lithuania
II session – International Improvisation Festival “IMPROV GAMES 2025”
Date: 26-28 September, 2025
Place: Vilnius University, Old Campus (Universiteto St. 3), Vilnius, Lithuania
International Applied Improvisation Symposium "IMPROV GAMES 2025"
About the Symposium
Vilnius University Culture Centre together with Vilnius University Improv Studio invite academics, researchers, and practitioners to submit proposals for International Applied Improvisation Symposium (further Symposium), the first session of the International Improvisation Festival “IMPROV GAMES 2025”.
This Symposium serves as a dynamic gathering for applied improvisation/theatre academics, educators, researchers, practitioners, performers, community workers, policymakers, and students to engage in meaningful dialogue, and to share their insights, research, and practical applications. Through this collaborative exchange, we hope to learn from and integrate diverse experiences and ideas, challenge existing frameworks, and expand the possibilities of applied improvisation in various contexts.
We welcome contributions from those eager to engage in discourse, connect with international and regional colleagues, explore new frontiers, and expand the impact of improvisational practices across disciplines and communities.
Symposium Programme
You can dowload the preliminary Symposium Programme by clicking here.
Submission of Proposal
We invite academics, researchers, and practitioners to submit your Proposals for the Symposium.
Submission guidelines of the Proposal
The main theme of Symposium – Improvisation in Practice: Creativity, Adaptability, and Collaboration
Potential sub-themes:
- Storytelling & Spontaneity: Using Improv for Effective Communication
- Embodied Learning: Improv Techniques for Teaching & Training
- Applied Improv for Leadership & Decision-Making
- Improv for Emotional Intelligence: Developing Empathy & Self-Awareness
- Improv for Well-Being: Stress Reduction & Mindfulness Through Play
- The Future of Applied Improvisation: Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities
- Breaking Barriers: Improv for Social Change & Inclusion
- The Science of Improv: What Research Tells Us About Improvisational Thinking
- Improv in the Workplace: From Soft Skills to Culture Shift
- Interdisciplinary Improv: Bridging the Arts, Sciences, and Business
- Improvisation in Healthcare: Enhancing Patient Care & Medical Training
- Digital & Virtual Improvisation: How Tech is Changing the Field
- Improvisation & Neuroplasticity: How the Brain Responds to Spontaneity
- Cultural Perspectives on Improvisation: Global Applications & Insights
- The Ethics of Improvisation: Power, Consent, and Inclusion in Applied Work
- “Yes, And” for Healthcare Professionals: Enhancing Patient Communication & Teamwork
- Resilience Through Improv: Helping Young People Navigate Stress & Anxiety
- Laughter as Medicine: Using Improvisation to Improve Mental Health Outcomes
- Applied Improvisation in Pediatric Care: Reducing Anxiety for Children & Families
- The Role of Play in Cognitive Development & Emotional Regulation
- Using Improvisation to Train Future Educators in Adaptability & Engagement
Proposal categories:
- Presentation
Research-based or practice-driven presentations highlighting findings, case studies, and theories related to applied improvisation
- Workshop
Interactive, experiential sessions where participants actively engage in applied improvisation techniques. Workshops should be designed to provide hands-on learning and practical applications and should be either 75 or 150 minutes
- Performance
Individual or ensemble improvisation performances with a running time of 20 to 60 minutes
Submission of the Proposal:
- Title of the Proposal
- Your name, Surname, Organization, Contact Information, Country of Residence
- Submission Category of Proposal: Presentation, Workshop or Performance
- Abstract (250-500 words) outlining objectives, methodology, and relevance to the Symposium theme
- Any special requirements: access, space, materials, technology needs
- Dates of attendance
SUBMIT PROPOSAL
Important dates:
- Proposal Submission Deadline: 4 April, 2025
- Notification of Acceptance of Proposal: 8 April, 2025
After submitting your proposal, your information will be reviewed by the organizers, and you will be notified of acceptance no later than April 8.
Note 1: Organizers do not cover your travel, accommodation, living costs if your proposal is accepted. Accepted proposals will be granted free participation in the symposium (free of charge).
Note 2: Registration and fees for participants will be announced and open on April 7, 2025.
For further questions, please contact Vytautas Kontrimas, the leader of the Vilnius University Improv Studio, at
We explore how improvisation can drive innovation, enhance collaboration, and transform our work and communities.
Join us!
International Improvisation Festival “IMPROV GAMES 2025”
More information about the festival will be available soon.
