Research at Bridges Academy: How Do We Learn Through Improvisation?
During Bridges Academy 2026, we wanted to explore these questions beyond the artistic experience itself. We invited psychologist and researcher Neža Podlogar to conduct a study examining how participants learn through improvisation, how they experience collaboration across language barriers, and how these experiences might influence their personal and professional development.
The research combined questionnaires completed before and after the Academy, a focus group discussion, and a research diary.
One of the main questions was: can improvisation help us become more confident, open to others, and better at communicating across languages and cultures?
What we discovered
The preliminary results are very encouraging! Participants reported particularly strong learning experiences in collaborating across different languages and cultures, becoming more open to new approaches, and building on each other's ideas.
The study also found a statistically significant increase in participants' self-reported interpersonal confidence, particularly in their willingness to collaborate, tolerance of mistakes, and ability to stay present in the moment.
Next steps
These are only the preliminary findings. Neža is continuing her analysis of the collected data and preparing a scientific article exploring the psychological aspects of learning through improvisation. We hope the article will be published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal in the field of psychology, allowing the insights from Bridges Academy to reach a wider academic and professional audience.
About the researcher
Neža Podlogar, MSc in Psychology, is a researcher at the Faculty of Education, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. Her academic work focuses on psychology and education, with published research exploring learning, psychological development, and educational experiences.
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