IMPRO amsterdam 2027 submissions open 18 July!

Perform your show at IA2027!

Every year, IMPRO Amsterdam accepts 15 groups from around the world to perform their shows on our stage. Here’s what you need to know to apply.

Learn more about our shows in general, as well as previous selections, here.

  • IMPRO Amsterdam 2026 has two blocks for established groups: Mainstage and Late Night. The submission form is for both categories - you select which you think is a better fit for your show.

    Mainstage shows are for groups with a show that they have performed before - it’s practiced, polished, and ready for an audience.

    Late Night shows are a little looser - they can be more experimental, immersive, playful, and silly. You can also pitch a show you haven’t performed yet but have been dying to try, or a collaboration with other improvisers you only see at festivals.

  • IMPRO Amsterdam is all about unscripted theatre. That means we’re looking for something that feels like a show, not just a set. While we love traditional two-chairs-on-a-stage improv, we’re also really drawn to shows with a big vision - props, costumes, sets, fancy tech, we’re in!

    That also means that we like to think broadly in terms of what improv is, and what it can be. We love comedy, but we also love drama, physical theatre, silent shows, and musicals. We believe impro(v) can be anything.

    Ultimately, we’re looking for shows that make even the most jaded improviser in the audience think, “I’ve never seen that before.” And people who’ve never seen improvised theater before say, “I can’t believe that was made up! How can I see more?”

  • Mainstage

    • Mainstage shows are performed in the Theaterzaal at the Zonnehuis, with a max audience of 250 people.

    • Mainstage performers are paid €67 each for their shows, along with a travel allowance of €100 (max €500 for the entire group).

    • Each member also receives 20% off of all workshops they book, a free vegetarian dinner the night of their show, and free tickets to see all of the other shows on their performance night.

    Late Night

    • Late Night shows are performed in the Blauwe Zaal at the Zonnehuis, with a max audience of 80 people.

    • Late Night performers sadly do not get paid for their show (we’re working on it!), but they do still receive 20% off of all workshops they book, a free vegetarian dinner the night of their show, and free tickets to see all of the other shows on their performance night.

Submissions open 18 July

teach a workshop at IA2027!

IMPRO Amsterdam is a great place to learn. Ever year, we program 60 workshops taught by improvisers from all over the world. Submit to be one them!

Learn more about workshops in general, as well as previous selections, here.

  • We like to have an extremely broad range of workshops available, from 3-hour skill-building sessions to 18-hour masterclasses. Here are the different categories of workshops we’re looking for:

    Skill-Building Workshops

    • 3-6 hours long

    • Focus on core improv skill sets: emotion, character, object work, etc.

    • Appropriate for less experienced improvisers, but fun and useful for everyone.

    Discovery Workshops

    • 3-12 hours long

    • Deep dives into more specific topics: a genre, a format, a specific type of theatre.

    • Appropriate for intermediate and above improvisers; students should already be comfortable with the basics of long-form scene work.

    Exploration Workshops

    • Generally 3 hours long, but we’re open-minded!

    • Delve into a skillset outside of what you’d typically see in improv: dance, puppetry, drag, pro wrestling, you name it. After all, improv can be anything!

    • Appropriate for anyone who wants to try something new.

    Masterclasses

    • 12-18 hours long

    • Masterclasses are new this year, at the request of experienced improvisers who want a deep dive into something really challenging, led by an expert.

    • Appropriate for experienced improvisers. Prospective participants will need to apply for acceptance, and the teacher will select from among the applicants.

    Basically, whatever you’re looking to teach, we want to hear about it.

  • When they’re going through submissions, the submission team looks for:

    • Clear learning goals. What is this workshop trying to teach? A broad answer like “build character skills” is less interesting to us than “using animal behavior and physicality to create specific human characters,” for example.

    • Experience in teaching. While we’re open to having you lead a workshop you haven’t taught before, this probably isn’t the place for you to teach improv for the first time ever.

    • Something special. What are you bringing to the table as a teacher and/or with your workshop, that isn’t accessible in standard improv coursework?

    • Workshop teachers are paid €65/hour.

    • If you choose to team-teach, the rate is €97,50/hour to be split between all teachers.

    • Workshop teachers receive 20% off of all workshops they decide to sign up for, as well as a voucher for one free night of shows at the festival.

    • Accessibility is important. If you have mobility differences, we will get you a workshop space that works for you.

Submissions open 18 July.

be a director at IA2027!

Work with the IA Festival Ensemble as a director to bring your vision to improvised life.

Learn more about directing, as well as previous selections, here.

  • IMPRO Amsterdam is proud to have an incredible festival ensemble comprised of 8 international guests and 8 improvisers from the Netherlands. What do they perform? That’s up to you.

    Directors submit pitches for shows they’d like to bring to our ensemble. They can be shows you’ve directed before or brand new ideas. What’s most important is that it’s exciting, has a point of view, and a plan to bring that point of view to life.

    Each director leads a 3-6 hour workshop for a subset of the festival ensemble (usually 8, but we’re flexible) where they teach the format and get it ready to be performed that evening.

    The length of the workshop is directly tied to the complexity of the format. Something relatively simple and comedic will get a 3 hour workshop, whereas a format with a complex structure will get a 6 hour workshop. Additionally, workshops that deal with more sensitive themes that require more trust-building with the director will also get a longer slot.

    • A big idea. We want to see something we’ve never seen before, so we’re less likely to select a riff on an established format than something that makes us think, “We’ve never seen that before… and we really want to.”

    • Experience. We do accept first-time directors, but our preference is for folks who have directed before or at least folks with some teaching experience who have come up with and performed their own formats.

    • A plan. You’ve got a big idea - now how do you bring it to life? Ask yourself these questions: Is it possible to learn this format in 3-6 hours? (If not, how can you simplify the structure?) What resources will really make it shine (from the traditional two chairs to full costuming, sets, and props)? What kind of tech and music will work best? What makes this format special?

    Beyond that, we’re up for anything - dramatic, comedic, physical, musical, genre… impro can be anything.

    • Directed shows are performed in the Theaterzaal at the Zonnehuis, with a max audience of 250.

    • Directors are paid €65/hour for their workshop, and are required to attend tech check.

    • They also receive 20% off of all workshops they book, a free vegetarian dinner the night of their show, and free tickets to see all of the other shows on their performance night.

Submissions open 18 July

host a jam at IA2027!

  • Every year, we host 2-3 jams for the festival community. They’re designed to be fun, playful, and get a lot of people on stage.

    We’ve all been to (and enjoyed) standard short-form jams, so we’re looking for something with a little more personality. Previous jams have been themed after business pitch meetings, Dungeons & Dragons campaigns, multi-lingual audience participation, and many more, so get creative!

  • The Artistic Team asks these questions when going through submissions:

    • Does the jam have a big idea, theme, genre, or something else to make it stand out?

    • Is there an idea for its structure?

    • What sorts of games/scenes will it have people do?

    • Will this jam give a lot of people the opportunity to play?

    • Jams take place in the Blauwe Zaal of the Zonnehuis, with an 80 seat occupancy.

    • Jam hosts receive 20% off of all workshops they decide to sign up for, as well as a voucher for one free night of shows at the festival.

    • The Blauwe Zaal is wheelchair accessible.

IMPRO Amsterdam is filled with talented, hilarious people. Build community and give everyone a chance to get on stage by hosting a jam.

Submissions open 18 July