What is NZIF?
About
The New Zealand Improv Festival (NZIF) is an annual celebration of spontaneity in Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington). Founded in 2008 by Merrilee McCoy and Derek Flores under Wellington Improv Troupe, the festival has become a staple of the national and international improv communities.
Improv practitioners from around Aotearoa, Australia and the world gather to share ideas, develop skills, expand horizons, and make rad new friends, with a series of shows, workshops, conference sessions and social events.
NZIF is open to improvisers of all experience levels. If you’ve never done improv at all and are looking for a place to get started, we’d probably recommend a few sessions with your local improv group before attending.
“If you want to laugh till your belly hurts, watch wizards weave worlds out of thin air, and be a part of something special, inimitable, then catch as many NZIF shows as you can.”
Events
The Performance Programme highlights a broad range of world-class improvised theatre and improv comedy shows, featuring expert and emerging ensembles from around the country, debut shows directed by leading practitioners, and mixer shows for exciting new combinations of players.
Participants can also register for our Workshop Programme to discover new approaches to core skills, explore advanced techniques, deep dive into genres and styles, learn a new show or format, and get to grips with improv-adjacent artforms.
In between workshops and shows, participants can nerd out with talks and panel discussions in our Conference Sessions, and relax and meet new people in a low-stakes, friendly Social Calendar.
The festival is preluded by a Youth Programme, training the next generation of improv talent, and a Local Showcase, highlighting the best of Wellington’s rich and dynamic improv community.
“[NZIF] highlights the art form, it allows for community building, and it encourages us to challenge ourselves as individuals and as a collective to continually improve.”
For more information about how the Festival works, check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
NZIF 2017 NZ vs the World Photo by Ali Little
Image: Seven improvisors piled on top of each other as if stuck down a chute, laughing and shrieking.