A day of workshops, talks and performances by leading improvisers and researchers exploring innovative collaboration across the boundaries of disciplines.

Afternoon workshops (Debating Hall, Teviot Row House, Bristo Square, Edinburgh EH8 9AJ)

1400 Improvising across disciplines: workshop/debate led by Franziska Schroeder (saxophone)

A group of music improvisers and movement artists will explore several listening and improvisation exercises and strategies, many based on the innovative methods developed by musician John Stevens during the 1970s. Musicians will build small pieces/musical ideas, and discuss with the movement artists and the audience ways in which the musical strategies might be used for the dancers’ own working aesthetics. The workshop will debate themes such as repetition, dynamics, trust, spontaneity, decision-making, projection, contour, themes, consciousness, community, virtuosity, adaptability, flexibility and distributed creativity.

1450 Improvisational expertise beyond traditional art forms: panel discussion led by Adam Linson

In this panel discussion, we will explore improvisation in practices that are not traditionally considered among the arts, such as being a chef (culinary arts), skateboarding, and remote ecological surveying. Panelists from diverse areas of expertise will discuss how improvising enables them to tell stories that have not yet been written. We will learn how, just as in music and dance, experts in fields beyond traditional art forms draw on foundational skills and a dynamic imagination in order to remain responsive and innovative, flexible and open to the unforeseen. Our panelists will be:
Fiona Burrell (chef and founder of the Edinburgh New Town Cookery School, author of numerous cookbooks, judge on competitions including the Mouton Cadet/Times Cook of the Year, and contributor to BBC Radio Scotland's Kitchen Cafe)
Ali Menzies (Edinburgh skateboarder since 1988, Chairman of Skateboard Scotland since 2005, representative of Scotland at World Skateboard Federation summits in Instanbul and South Africa, and father of Santa Cruz semi-pro skater Kieran Menzies)
Alice Eldridge (ecoacoustic explorer of the Amazon Rainforest and UK woodlands, cellist, and lecturer at the University of Sussex, where she headed the Music Informatics programme and is now a Research Fellow at the Sussex Humanities Lab)

1530 BREAK

1600 Overcoming barriers to improvisation in dance & music (Workshop): Peter Lovatt & Tara French

1650 The use of improvisation by therapists (Improvisation & panel discussion): Nicky Haire, Suzi Cunningham, Philippa Derrington, & Vicky Karkou

1730 End of afternoon session

Evening performances from 19.30 (Reid Concert Hall, Bristo Square, Edinburgh EH8 9AG)

New work for multidisciplinary improvisers: Graeme Wilson, Raymond MacDonald, Cath Keay with others

Collective Endeavours: improvised music & dance performance

Collective Endeavours is the name Jer Reid and Solène Weinachter use for their music/ dance duo performances, improvised or choreographed. This performance will feature Jer Reid (guitar, voice etc), dancers Nerea Gurrutxaga and Monica de Ioanni, and Catriona McKay (harp).

Electronics/music/dance networked improvisation: PA Tremblay, Rodrigo Constanzo & collaborators

Concurrent ensembles/group improvisation