Is improv an art form?

We practice our craft, ie: the skills and techniques we learn and then in performance by way of creative expression, we turn it into art. Whether it’s good art or not will depend on a few subjective factors including how it received by the viewer and how it seen by experts in the domain. Good art will connect, inspire, and/or move people emotionally in some way.

There is a difference between entertainment and art. Entertainment is about amusing people whereas art needs to transform an audience in some way for it be considered an art form. You might say that all improv performance is a form of entertainment but you wouldn’t necessarily say all improv performance is art.

Artists are constantly honing their craft, looking to get better, and are engaged in the constant pursuit of mastery of their art form.

In the world of improvisation; there are improvisers and there are improv actors. Not all improvisers can act but all improv actors can improvise. There are many improvisers who are great entertainers but would never get an acting role in a theatre company. Improv can be a performance art when done by improv actors but most of the time improv is a form of entertainment. That isn’t to be pejorative of entertainment in any way, simply a classification.  

There is space for everyone; entertainers and artists alike. If you want to jump on stage at a bar and play some improv games or scenes because it’s fun and social then great. If you want to connect with an audience and move them in some way then that is also great. We can have both.

Improv can be but is not usually dramatic, so it can wrongly be thought of as not being theatre or a legitimate art form by itself. In some quarters improv is seen as a poor cousin to both comedy and theatre as it sits in between, or improv is only a tool to be used in rehearsals or training. This is to misunderstand improv.

Improv is a legitimate form of theatre when performed by improv actors. And because improvisation is an art form, it is a life-long journey of exploration and discovery. Although it is not something you ever master, its riches are constantly being unfolded as a reward for committing and persevering to the art form.