BIG: Barcelona's first dedicated improv space

Barcelona deserved a meeting place for improv and all things comedy & theatre.
So we made one.

In Calle Comte Borrell, our beautiful new BIG Headquarters is bringing together amateur and professional improvisers in a space dedicated to connection, learning, fun, and comedy. 

Barcelona Improv Group may be entering its 12th year bringing improvised comedy and theatre to the city, but the leap to open a dedicated venue for rehearsals, classes, professional training and performances represents a huge shift for us, and for the
english-language theatre scene in Barcelona.

We've been in the back of bars, in concrete basements, and all over town, but we're all grown up now, and ready for a place of our own. So when we came across this space in March, we knew it was the perfect place for an improv home base. This is what the place looked like when we found it...


Over the last two months we have drilled, plastered, wired, filled, cemented, sanded, painted, polished, waxed, hung, installed, assembled and fitted out our new home, on our own, and with the help of some dedicated improv lovers. We DIY-ed our hearts out to make the renovation as affordable as possible, but to finish the space to the standard our improv community deserves, we had to call in the big guns for some of the plumbing, electrical and install.

Add to that some big purchases, including a lighting rig with a 16-channel table, 3 fresnels, and 4 colour LEDS, over 320m2 of heavy duty felt theatre curtain for maximum sounds absorption, a beautiful wooden table to seat 14 for meetings and socialising, 50m2 of cosy parquet flooring (installed by yours truly), as well as furniture, wood, decor, lights, appliances to keep your beers cold and your tea hot, and approximately 60 litres of paint to brighten your day.

If you want to see more of that behind-the-scenes fun, you can check out our 3 renovation videos here (before), here (during), and here (home stretch)!


We had a blast transforming this space, and finished the 2 months exhausted & smiling. But it cost... a lot. 
And there's still more to come. The renovation and outfit of the space cost 13.000€ (almost all of which came out of our own pockets) and we still have plans to build a moveable stage in the theatre space. While some helpers spray paint chairs into the late hours, some helpers throw in a few bucks to help make something awesome happen. All helpers are greatly appreciated.

So what's it all for? We're excited to put it to use, so here is the plan!

By day, the entrance serves as a casual office space for the team and creative co-workers looking to work alongside artists and improvisers, and the workshop spaces are available to rent for rehearsals and classes (with special discount prices for BIG community members). In the evenings - it's the improv classes from the BIG Improv School you know and love, with a great hangout area for after-class chat.



Our larger workshop space doubles as an intimate performance venue for audiences of up to 45 people and the sky is the limit in here. We'll be starting with jams, student shows, and performances by visiting & local improv groups, but plan to grow to include all types of performance, whether that be scripted theatre, cabaret, sketch comedy, clown...



We wanted to make a place that was as fun and welcoming as improv is, because we love it so much.
We love doing it, we love teaching and sharing it, and we love the privilege of watching it change lives. 

Thank you for helping us create this special place, now more accessible than ever for any would-be improviser out there.

 

Ella & Kiva xx