Creative Intelligence for Analytical Minds | Matías Avaca

This hands-on workshop is designed for people who naturally think in systems, logic, processes, and structures: engineers, operators, managers, facilitators, auditors, founders, and anyone who spends a lot of time solving complex problems.

Analytical thinking is powerful. This workshop does not ask you to abandon it.

Instead, it asks: "What becomes possible when structure creates freedom rather than limiting it?"

Using techniques from applied improvisation, you'll learn how to:

• Respond when plans change
• Communicate ideas more clearly
• Work with uncertainty, and
• Move from overthinking into action!

The session is active, practical, and genuinely fun.

No performance experience required.

You will not be asked to “be funny” or perform on stage.

This is about using improvisation as a practical tool for thinking, listening, communicating, and collaborating, especially under pressure.

• Analytical thinkers and structured minds
• Software engineers, product people, operators, and technical professionals
• Leaders and managers working with complexity and people
• Facilitators, educators, coaches, and trainers
• Anyone curious about creativity, communication, and decision-making
• People who want the benefits of improv without needing to perform

What You’ll Learn

How to:

• Combine analytical thinking + creative exploration
• Reduce overthinking and move into action with more confidence
• Stay flexible when information is incomplete
• Communicate complex ideas with clarity
• Recognise patterns in conversations, systems, and group dynamics
• Use storytelling and metaphors to make ideas easier to understand
• Use structure, intuition, and adaptability in work and life

Matías Avaca brings together 2 worlds that do not often meet: software engineering and improvisation.

By day, Matías works as a Senior Team Lead in software engineering, where he leads people, delivery, and cross-functional collaboration across complex digital products. His work involves systems thinking, stakeholder alignment, communication, decision-making, and helping teams move through uncertainty with clarity.

Alongside his work in tech, Matías is an Argentinian improviser, director, performer, teacher, and producer based in Auckland, New Zealand.

For over 15 years, he has performed, directed, and taught across more than 15 countries, creating workshops and formats that connect performers and audiences beyond words, borders, and backgrounds.

This workshop draws directly from both sides of his life: the precision of systems thinking and the human intelligence of improvisation.

This is a rare opportunity to work with him in Sydney for one weekend only!
Learn more about Matías at matiasavaca.com

“This was an excellent class. Matías was extremely well prepared, and the teaching structure was very clear. After the class, when you look back, you know exactly what the instructor wanted to teach. In this workshop, I experienced both the rigour of engineering and the freedom of jazz at the same time.”
— Participant, The Engineering of the Scene, Now Improv Festival, Beijing 2025

“It was my first time taking a class with Matías, and wow, a teacher with an engineering background is absolutely amazing. This was the first time I’ve taken such a structured improv class. Every exercise was explained with total clarity, making sure everyone could understand.”
— Participant, Now Improv Festival, Beijing 2025

Join us and learn how to combine analytical and creative thinking to solve problems more dynamically, communicate more effectively, and adapt with confidence under pressure.

Info: Why highly analytical people often get stuck in rigid thinking, and how creativity can improve problem-solving, communication, and adaptability.

Info: Practical exercises designed to improve responsiveness, flexibility, and thinking under pressure in a low-stakes environment.

Info: Interactive group activities exploring lateral thinking, decision-making, innovation, and navigating uncertainty without overcomplicating problems.

Info: Pair and small-group exercises focused on communicating ideas clearly, adapting in real time, and building flexible approaches to complex situations.

Info: Translate workshop experiences into real-world applications for leadership, work, relationships, and everyday decision-making.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

City of Sydney Creative Studios, 119 Bathurst Street, Sydney, Australia

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

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