Geoff Bright, Anton Hunter and Gill Whiteley performed and presented at this two-day online event exploring the improviser’s experience. Our intention was to problematise, through performance, how ‘power’ in different forms – in this case ‘instructions’ – might influence knowledge produced in improvised performance, and how that process may differ between structured or ‘free’ improvisation settings. ( For full abstracts of presentations at the event see here)
Following the 10 mins performance (5 mins with instructions not known to the other players + 5 mins free improv), we then conducted an in-depth reflective discussion of the subjectively experienced differences in power relations between the two performance phases. Time restrictions at the event meant we were unable to include the discussion in our presentation at the workshop but its available here below.
Velvet bags, heart shaped scones and Bela Tarr’s Damnation…it must be 
Ripping it up, going for the burn and pumping the old chapel harmonium again at Stevenson Road, working on a free improvisation piece towards what Lyn and I hope will be our final lockdown project – apart but together – for 
Click! is an online series of free improvisation sessions started under lockdown and organised by Phil Morton – in each session duos are put (at random) into zoom breakout rooms to play for around 8 mins. Here on the 
Through last year, I have been part of the 50:50 online Blank Canvas Octet – a project exploring free improvisation in music in a large ensemble context. Since last March, we have done over 40 weekly zoom sessions. The ‘system 50:50` uses chess clocks to bring cohesion to the sound field which can often become cluttered. The result is a dynamic and shifting canvas of sound that allows small discreet sounds to be heard and deeper layers to be felt and expressed. Its been an exciting project to participate in.
