Multidisciplinary Workshop
For musicians / actors / singers / dancers / text artists / performance artist
I have worked in acoustic and electronic music from various genres; jazz, traditional, modern and punk. I have worked in theatre from various genres; acting for play text, musical theatre, mime and modern dance in companies, troupes, as a soloist and ensembles.
I have included text, movement and music in my performances since the 70’s with an ear on how this can integrate musically as well as produce an objectified meaning of events. I have included the use of object in relationship to figure since my early work in Italy in the 80’s.
These experiences are what I use to distinguish a Music Theater platform for interdisciplinary real time performances. I accept artists without prejudice concerning technical skills or aesthetic boundaries.
I guide performers through physical exercises that highlight how the eyes and ears affect movement choices. I set up exercises for the musicians, text artists and vocalist during the physical work to challenge their ability to create “a band” while being aware that space is shifting with bodies involved. Musicians and performers can choose to change roles in these exercises at any given time.
I extend the workshop towards improvisation sessions by setting a fictional front in the studio space and then declare this as a platform to choose pause, flow or exit. I highlight how the limit of these three choices can already provide the frame for a composition to take place, and that misunderstanding, coincidence, real time, interactivity, messiness, emotions, intuition, impulse and inspiration are basic in a creative process.
These raw materials are integrated with the combined fact that everyone in the workshop group can make a choice. The improvisation sessions are given a delegated time frame with an option for the workshop group to shift, drop or lift the space at will. The practice of an individuals development of presence is a critical process in the workshop be it in music, text, movement, figure-object or vocals.
I have created games to set an example for building and dropping the tension in the music theatre space by way of an individuals presence with an emphasis on states of mind in performance, such as vulnerability and expressionism.
Choice is introduced to the workshop group as a composition reality but also how it allows for individuals to elect to participate in the performative or as a viewer and yet remain involved in the process.
The aim is to gather the workshop group to recognise that, in a creative composition process, time is passing in different perceived speeds and that space is shifting in several dimensions at once. This awake fullness can promote individual performance presence, composition alertness and an appetite for creativity.
Every day we will practice and engage with all of the aspects available to us in t music theater platform. I will centre on one area of study in lectures, practice, feedback and reflection each day; sonic – tension – body / music – body – text / music – object – figure