GII Symposium 2026

Conversation with Phelim McDermott, Lee Simpson & Matilda Leyser (UK)

From trauma recovery with veterans in Ukraine to AI-driven collaboration and boundary-pushing performance, this panel explores how improvisation is activating new possibilities around the world—for resilience, connection, creativity, and transformation.

The history of theatre and comedy is extensive, while excluding people from the global majority, especially contributions from Black women. Predominantly white institutions within the arts and entertainment industry reinforce implicit biases and anti-Blackness through a lack of representation of Black women as performers and teachers. This is why the Black Improv Anthology Project (B.A.P.) was created: to uplift Black artistry and improvisation through documenting stories from Black improvisers around the world. B.A.P. was founded by Mary C. Parker, Blue Cavell-Allette, and Tashika Campbell, who connected through their shared experiences of being Black women performing Improv in predominantly white-led theater spaces. With a combined 21 years of performing experience, this multi-faceted group of movement builders has performed in over 500 in-person shows across 20+ cities in 6 countries, and has produced several independently produced shows with over 50k online streams. In this session, B.A.P. will share their three-pronged approach to partnering with local theaters to produce weekends of learning that offer high-energy, high-quality improv shows and expert teaching through workshops led by Black women veteran improvisers. In the session, participants will watch interviews and participate in in-session dialogue and reflection about identities in improv, drawing on research from B.A.P.’s 25+ interviews with Black improvisers in the PNW and the East Coast. Participants will leave better informed about the possibility and impact of intentionally creating more inclusive theater spaces.