24 - hour Improv Festival

IF is a 24-hour celebration of off-the-cuff art-making showcasing new, improvised works.

Founded by Dr. Ajay Heble (Founder and former Artistic Director, Guelph Jazz Festival) and presented by the International Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation, IF (Improvisation Festival) is a 24-hour celebration of creative art-making showcasing new, improvised works. Created in response to the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, this annual Festival is dedicated to showcasing an incredible array of new, original performances by improvising artists of all disciplines, for audiences residing around our home in Guelph, Ontario, as well as digital attendees from all around the world.

Since the Festival’s inception in 2020, IF has featured 400+ artists of all artistic disciplines hailing from over 25 countries. Through digital video livestreams and simultaneous international radio broadcasts, IF has reached thousands of attendees from 55+ countries.

IF 2023
Our fourth annual 24-hour improvisation festival returns October 20–21, 2023! IF 2023 will feature robust, in-person programming inside Guelph’s new state-of-the-art performance space, ImprovLab, and in other venues across the University of Guelph campus. Our international audiences will be able to tune in online for a stream of digital events.

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. We hope that the eclectic range of artistic works we curate will inspire attendees to create, experience, and share art in new ways as we navigate our collective futures.

The full IF 2023 line-up will be revealed soon—stay tuned!