GII SYMPOSIUM 2026

About GII Symposium 2026

​

A four-day unscripted, unforgettable adventure exploring improvisation and its power to build community and to activate new possibilities on stage and off! ​

 

The GII Symposium 2026 will take place in Portland, Oregon, and will be hosted by Portland State University’s School of Music & Theater. It will launch with The Un-Keynote delivered by Anthony Veneziale — conceiver and co-creator of the acclaimed Freestyle Love Supreme — followed by an exciting lineup of improvisation sessions and performances centered on this year's theme: Activate the Possible. 

​

Inspired by William Ury, co-founder of Harvard’s Program on Negotiation and coauthor of Getting to Yes, our theme this year draws from Ury's recent book, Possible, which frames “possible” as a mindset rooted in gradual transformation and "creating little breakthroughs that can build into bigger breakthroughs over time." 

 

This perspective aligns closely with theatrical improvisation. A good improviser is a possibilist: someone who finds and acts on opportunities for change in the present. Someone who sees obstacles as openings for creative, collaborative solutions, and practices humble audacity, that is, self-awareness, openness to new ideas, and the courage to act decisively when called upon. Someone who believes transformation - of a scene, relationship, idea, or worldview - is essential to the journey. 

 

In this moment of global uncertainty, transformation requires more than resolution. It demands building bridges across differences. Portland, affectionately known as Bridge City, offers a fitting setting for our 2026 gathering. 

 

Join us for 4 days of programming* (workshops, performances, panels, round-tables, plenaries, and more) harnessing theatrical improvisation as a catalyst for transformation, building bridges, and activating possibility! 

​

*Most programming curated from submissions received in response to our CALL FOR PROPOSALS posted in the Fall of 2025

​