Workshops
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IMPROVISATION
DAY 27th march 2010 |
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CABARET from 7.30 The evening will allow space for participants to perform short improvisations in smaller groupings plus sets from other invited artists including these two inspiring musicians touring England from Amsterdam. Seamus Cater and Viljam Nybacka are a Rhodes piano and drums song duo based in Amsterdam. As a songwriter, Seamus is writing a growing series of biographical songs of artists and athletes. He works solo and frequently with the Finnish musician Viljam Nybacka, inviting other performers from the improvised music world to add to the sonic tapestry of what are essentially simple pop songs. Nybacka is a multi instrumentalist playing drums and ukelele, as well as being a virtuoso bassist with the Dutch band Brown vs. Brown. Much of this duo's music has a relationship to the British folk music revival of the 1950's, without in any way trying to recreate it; Seamus' father is an English folk singer active since the 1960's. |
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Questions about the workshop. Who is it for ? Anyone interested can attend, though it is aimed at people who have one or some of the following interests; performing music or dance, physical performers such as actors, people who dance for fun, people who like to learn about themselves through expressive activities or play, adult who like to behave like children sometimes, people who have to lead or work in groups and would like to explore creative ways think about group dynamics... What will it involve ? All participants will be asked to try a few shared activities - such as a physical warm-up, some sound explorations and spatial awareness exercises - so musicians will experience some moving around and dancers will make some noise. Then there will be some exercises to bring focus to the idea of improvisation and allow us to observe as well as experience. That means volunteers will play in front of the group - but no one need feel intimidated. No-one will be forced to do anything they don't want to do, or exposed to humiliations or made to feel stupid...my aim is quite opposite to that. Do I need prior training ? No. Some interest is enough. Some willingness to try and to give your attention to the group. Watching is a good way to learn so I encourage mini performances and structured feedback. What will I need to bring ? Comfortable clothes to move in. Anything you need to make the sounds you want to make. (If you need amplification email me as I may have something you can use here. Remember this is about improvisation , spontaneity and communication so it may not be appropriate to bring a whole arsenal of sound equipment, but something you can set up quickly and respond quickly with will be better than something that takes you whole attention. Why do I do these workshops ? My professional work is mostly with contemporary Dance companies - I make music and help to devise shows. I also work with adults with Learning Disabilities making theatre and dance. Recently I have begun studying psychotherapy and want to focus on the therapeutic aspects of working in groups. I am interested in bringing together groups of people from different walks of life who enjoy play - whether for performance or self development. I think a mixed group is best for this as the different attitudes help to keep the work grounded whilst the ambitions of aspiring artsists helps to keep the imagination flexible. Have you done this before ? Yes. I have run workshops for many years with dancers, actors, students, professionals in Britain, Ireland, Israel, Turkey and Germany. I have taught improvisation and stage skills and made shows for international touring. I have also made performances that rely entirely on structured improvisation each night and I have been performing solo improvisations for over 20 years.
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