Applied Improvisation
Late 1990s-present
Also known as Applied Improv, AI
The practice of using improv principles, tools, and mindsets for non-performance purposes — business training, education, therapy, healthcare, community work.
Known for
- Emerged in the late 1990s alongside the 'performative turn' in social science.
- Umbrella term — includes medical improv, business improv, improv for educators, improv for therapists, and community-based forms like Playback Theatre.
- Core principle: the skills that make improv work on stage (listening, accepting offers, building on ideas, committing to uncertainty) transfer to any collaborative setting.
- Now taught inside MBA programs (Duke Fuqua, Columbia, Stanford GSB), medical schools (Northwestern, UCLA), and law firms.
Connected to
Schools & Theaters
second city works
Sources
Referenced by
Concepts
Applied Improvisation Network (AIN)Business ImprovEducational Improv / Improv in SchoolsImprov for Engineers / Improv for InnovationImprov for LeadershipImprov for Public SpeakingImprov for Tech Interviews / Whiteboard BehaviorImprov for Therapists / Therapeutic ImprovMedical ImprovSecond City Works Methodology