The Brisbane Improv Festival is excited to be hosting 22 Improvisation Workshops as part of the 2023 Festival with facilitators from all over Australia and New Zealand.

Carousel: a collective creation
Facilitated by Matias Avaca (Mendoza, Argentina / Auckland, NZ)

Explore the versatility of “Carousel”, a format that gets inspiration from images provided by the audience to tell unique stories.

Immerse yourself in a more naturalistic and organic style of improv, where emotional truth takes center stage over comedic relief. Master editing techniques, play with different levels of reality, and experience scenes with a wide range of colors and tones.

For Brisbane Improv Festival, this workshop will also be a casting opportunity for Carousel. People asked to perform will hopefully be available for a rehearsal between the workshop and the show, as our focus at the workshop will be more on the skills than on the format.

Please note that any Festival shows cast from workshops is at the discretion of the show's director and is not guaranteed. Please go into workshops with a view to learning new improv skills and having fun. Any performance opportunity is a bonus.

About Matias

Matias is an Argentinian improviser residing in New Zealand with a global perspective, having performed and coached in over 15 countries, including Argentina, Chile, New Zealand, Australia, Spain, Austria, Switzerland, Hungary, Russia and Japan. As the co-founder and artistic director of "Mabel Impro", the first Spanish-speaking Improv group in Australasia, and the founder and director of the Auckland Improv Marathon and co-founder and director of the Auckland Improv Festival, Matias is heavily involved in the improv community. He is also a director, performer, instructor, and producer at the Covert Theatre in Auckland, where he continues to hone his craft and inspire others.

Matias is the co-founder and co-director of “Laenye Productions” a performing arts production company based in Auckland (New Zealand); which goals are to create opportunities for Spanish speakers to express their artform and to promote Spanish and Latin American culture, art and languages. He is known for his unique approach to improvisation, utilizing different languages and the absence of them to create a universal language on stage. He is also a creator of innovative improv theatre formats, traveling the world to coach theatre ensembles in them. His popular formats "Livin' La Impro Loca" and "Perfect Strangers" have been performed by improv groups in several countries. One of Matias’ most successful projects is “Comedy World League”, a multilingual Improv show that includes performers from more than 10 countries residing in New Zealand.

In addition to his work in the improv community, Matias also works as a Team Lead for Serato, a world-leading DJ software/hardware company, bringing his unique perspective to the tech industry. 

The Brisbane Improv Festival will be following all current COVID-19 safety guidelines.