the real meaning of improvisation

When we sent out a survey earlier this summer asking, “How has your time at SPARK been?”, we expected comments about logistics, location, or some well-sandwiched feedback points. Instead, we discovered something deeper. Their experience of improv wasn’t just about picking up a hobby or filling the blank spaces in one’s schedule — it was about community, belonging, presence, and fun.

Our weekly classes, monthly shows, and regular activities had become spaces for genuine connection. It turned out that, just like in every cheesy movie ending:

🌈 Maybe the real treasure was the friends we made along the way 🌈

The ever-increasing pace of existence has us constantly focused our next appointment, next deadline, next big milestone. Our thoughts always somewhere in the future while our poor little bodies and hearts go through the motions of daily life.

“Improv turned out to be a bunch of games where you laugh until your stomach hurts, feel safe to be silly, and somehow end up making real friends along the way. It helped me reconnect with parts of myself I had forgotten, and gave me so much more confidence in everyday life. We often think of theatre as performing or putting on a mask, but improv is the exact opposite. It’s about taking all the masks off and just being fully present. And that’s where the magic is.” - Anonymous but lovely student

SPARK started off as a passion project, focused on a micro-objective of bringing improv to Rotterdam. Over the years, it grew into much more than that. What we do on stage or in the classroom is the means and the end. We love improvisation because it makes us laugh, feel, take risks and marvel at others doing so. It is a medium with the rare ability to connect us to ourselves and to others, to get us out of our busy heads and into our bodies, and to ultimately make us feel more alive.

“I came with no other expectation than learning about improv. What I got is far beyond expectations: a caring, kind and welcoming community, like-minded friends, a lot of fun, positive and energetic vibes, another look at myself.” - Another excellent human being

It is clearer than ever to us that this is our direction for SPARK: a physical space where people can have tangible, meaningful and collective experiences. Where fun & play are not merely distractions, but rather the essential ingredients of a fulfilling and connected life.

And where we can - despite our hectic lives, troubled times, and existential uncertainties - have a good, old, belly laugh.