IMPROVISATION LABORATORY

Bodyweather Workshop, Dartmoor, UK, 2010. Led by Marnie McKee & Rachel Sweeney. Image by Michelle Outram & Manuel Vason

includes

BODYWEATHER TRAINING (led by Marnie McKee)

IMPROVISATION RESEARCH (facilitated by Michelle Outram)

WHEN
BLOCK 1: Friday 19 to Monday 22 November

BLOCK 2: Wednesday 1 December to Wednesday 8 December

WHERE

Fremantle Arts Centre

BACKGROUND

This laboratory is being offered as part of Michelle Outram's residency at Fremantle Arts Centre. Michelle is currently researching methodologies for developing large-scale improvised performance installation environments and would like to share this research (and associated practice and training) with other practitioners from a variety of backgrounds and levels of experience.

STRUCTURE

The lab is structured as a series of non-compulsory sessions (three per day – see next page for times and descriptions) so that artists can choose how much to be involved, work around other commitments and/or to be able to focus on areas of interest within what is offered. Full (or significant) participation is encouraged as Michelle is interested in the notion of working 'at capacity' and exploring the paradoxical relationship between exhaustion and energy in the creative process, however, all levels of participation will be supported.

REGISTRATION

Please email Michelle (details below) clearly stating which sessions you would like to attend. This will help us plan the laboratory. Places for morning training are limited. Please also very briefly state your relationship (if any) to improvisation and to Bodyweather.

COST

The artists are offering this laboratory at no cost in a collegiate and skill-sharing spirit, but if you'd like to make a financial contribution, that can also be arranged.
CONTACT
MICHELLE OUTRAM via email, phone, skype, fb etc
email: michelle at michelleoutram dot com (you know the deal)

DESCRIPTION OF SESSIONS


MORNING SESSIONS: 1000 TO 1300 (arrive by 0945)

NB. There will be no morning sessions on 20 and 21 Nov.

BODYWEATHER – MB – led by Marnie McKee (nee Orr)

     

MB (which stands for Mind Body, Muscle Bone) is a workout session based on the walking, working body. MB is designed to develop individuals' strength, flexibility, coordination, balance, agility, stamina, and relationship to gravity, space, time and the working group. MB provides physical and verbal tools for generating dynamic space. It forms the foundation of Bodyweather training and philosophy. Bodyweather is a broadbased, comprehensive physical training which cultivates a conscious relation to the state of constant change inside and outside the body. Founded in Japan by butoh dancer Min Tanaka and his Mai-Juku performance group in the 1970's, Bodyweather is an open investigation that can be relevant for anyone interested in extending their physical practice, and creative practice generally. (Description provided by Marnie McKee.)

AFTERNOON SESSIONS: 1400 to 1700

IMPROVISATION PRACTICE – EXERCISES AND EXPLORATIONS – facilitated by Michelle and guests

     

Research in Real Time Composition with João Fiadeiro, Lisbon 2010: A series from session in the studio with João Fiadeiro, Vera Sofia Mota, Carlos Oliviera, Francisco Macias, Isabel Simões and Mariana Santos

These sessions will combine exploration of a variety of techniques and approaches to improvisation with the opportunity to practice performing for a group of peers. Sessions will be focussed around areas of interest and could include working from attention to texture and sensation, investigating memory/imagination or the role of 'fiction' in protecting the performer. Please contact Michelle if you have a particular interest and would like to lead a session.

EVENING SESSIONS: 1830 to 2130

RESEARCH – IMPROVISATION FOR FILM INSTALLATION ENVIRONMENTS – facilitated by Michelle

Research undertaken in March 2010 at Fremantle Arts Centre: Michelle Outram, Adelina Larsson, Simon Wise, Daniel Portelli, Hayley Bahr, Mia Holton, Maitland Schnaars, Carly Armstrong and Sarah Neviille

The evening sessions will focus on Michelle's current research project – methodological investigations toward the creation of The PNG Work which will examine Australia's relationship with Papua New Guinea through the development a continually shifting (improvised) film and performance installation environment. Michelle's use of improvised choreographic scores allows performers to respond in the present to memory, place, film elements, other performers and audiences. These sessions are open to anyone who is interested (as there's plenty to do) – no 'experience' of any particular kind necessary. Participation in this research may lead to involvement in the final work.

    

BIOGRAPHIES
MARNIE MCKEE

     

Image of Marnie by Carla Vendramin, Dartmoor, Devon, 2010

MARNIE (Perth, Australia) is a cross-media artist and live researcher working collaboratively with artists and scientists. McKee investigates place and identity through dance, technology and site utilising physical, verbal and visual languages. McKee is an endorsed Bodyweather practitioner, training with Tess de Quincey (Sydney, 1998-2001), as well as Stuart Lynch (Copenhagen) and Frank van de Ven (Amsterdam). McKee facilitates immersive research and training, and produces site works in consultation with local knowledge holders and geography/ecological field professionals.

MICHELLE OUTRAM

Image of Michelle by Marnie Orr, Bridgetown, 2010

MICHELLE recently returned to Perth from five months in Europe and the UK where she intensively investigated a range of approaches to improvisation, participating in research across a range of practices including Bodyweather with Marnie McKee & Rachel Sweeney (Dartmoor, UK); Real Time Composition with João Fiadiero (Lisbon, Portugal); and with practitioners Andrew Morrish and Rosalind Crisp. She is also collaborating with Manuel Vason (UK/Italy) in developing a practice using improvisation for the creation of performance images (photographs) and with Carla Vendramin (UK/Brazil) on projects in public places in London. Michelle trained as an improvisor with Andrew Morrish, Tony Osborne, Jo Pollitt, Nikki Heywood and Martin del Amo (amongst others) and has performed in Australia at Rushing for the Sloth (Sydney), Precipice (Canberra), Boiler Room (Hobart), Blind Date (Sydney) and Whip It (Sydney) which she also co-founded and co-curated.

Collaborators can now post to the blog

I've just changed the settings so Adelina, Chris, Simon, Heidrun and Jo can create posts, rather than only respond.

Back at FAC!

Hello all

I am back in residency at Fremantle Arts Centre as of yesterday to continue with the research and development process for The PNG Work as well as giving myself the time and space to continue practicing as an artist.

The past few months have been really really great as I have been pretty much only practicing as an artist, but not here in Australia. It has been so amazing to have been 'on' all the time and to meet amazing, supportive and inspiring people wherever I went. I feel very privileged and ready to continue and continue and continue...

I would now like to open this blog to everyone, not only to the team. This is in the interest of sharing some process and also increasing the visibility of the work as it develops.

Welcome back to the team and welcome to anyone else who cares to read along also!

Editing

Hi all
I'm in London and have found a place to edit on a fast computer with the latest FinalCut - the studio of a photographer, Manuel Vason.
I have been editing for an application over the last few days and am learning the material yet again. For now I have a couple of very rough cuts, but can continue to go back and work on things.
The news from the end of the residency was that they'd like to have us back at FAC - so pending funding, the project will be rolling.
It's now half-past two in the morning, so I won't hang around. Hope any who are following this are well.
Mich

Apple Intermediate Codec

Today I have finished logging and capturing footage, or perhaps it should be called timeage or something as digital tape is not really measured in feet which relates to the length of film - the 'real' kind. I video, log, capture, edit and produce something serious like this not more than every few years. It's not quite like learning it all again, but can be frustrating as things change.

Now the new Final Cut, iMovie and Quicktime are using a codec called Apple Intermediate Code, which doesn't appear to be backwards compatible with the versions of Final Cut and Quicktime I am using on the ppc machine. So, I've captured HD with the new codec and DVCam with the old... (for those who don't understand this, it doesn't matter - more of a rant than anything else).

I have a few options to make it possible to continue to edit after leaving the country. The first is to get some new RAM for this poor old MacBook to make it compatible with Final Cut Express (which will cost me about $450 all up); struggle through using iMovie (I've already lost all the useful timecodes for the HD anyway); or purchase a new MacBook Pro (now under $2000 or cheaper still if I get it in the UK on a good AUD day).

In any case, I need to make a decision to go with something or other so I can at least move forward over the next few days. Lots to do. Leaving the country in less than a week now. Managed to get superglue on my fingers, but thankfully not on anything else at the same time.

In the meantime, it is interval at the concert at Fremantle Arts Centre. I decided to take up the free ticket tonight as it's a good program of 20th Century classical music. As a former musician I appreciate it and it also gives me a little time out of my own head.

Hire car goes back tomorrow. I'll be back to the laptop on the train gig...

Tonight - final shoot

I decided we needed some longer shots, so took some from the road outside during the late afternoon and into the evening. It looked enticing, so I jumped in...

Support Material Structure

During our first few days here we filled twelve boxes on a large sheet of paper with things we thought we needed to demonstrate or explain through the support material. This initially helped us decide what we needed to do (in such a short time). It also helped me make the sort of plans that constantly change. It is still difficult to know how far things might go, given they are things we haven't necessarily done before (and certainly not as a group).

Time was our main constraint which meant we could not wallow in the fun stuff - getting mucky in doing and thinking. We had to make quick decisions and constantly (and almost literally) be ahead of ourselves. The sun only goes down once a day after all and we had decided to mostly work with the facades of the buildings in the evenings (when the projections are visible). It's been rather fast and furious - though we did get into the good habit of stopping for a meal at sunset (a beautiful time of day to be eating outdoors overlooking the docks).

Today I have gone back to the sheet of paper with the twelve boxes and done some thinking about all the things people have said over the past few weeks and have come up with a little bit more of a plan (I inch closer to the goal).

The below list is something I hope you might comment on from your own perspective. For those who were here, please let me know if there are holes or things you think should be included (or not).

1. Voiceover of how I came to be working with archival materials. A 'story' illustrated by slides of prior works.
2. Voiceover - Introduction to the PNG Work. Text to be transcribed and edited from my explanation of the project to Mia Halton. Unsure about what visual material I should use here.
3. Example of process. Simon has suggested I put the following together to demonstrate the process. This may work with a voiceover which includes point 4. a) Hayley Bahr being introduced to the 'stuck' score; b) Adelina enacting a more complex score in Jo Harrison's studio (with projections); c) Both Adelina and Hayley enacting scores within a projection environment on the grass.
4. Voiceover explanation of what improvisation is in this context and why it is important.
5. Example of a group score highlighting how we can use these methods to work with historic buildings and film footage. Video footage from both Thursday and Saturday nights will be used. There are a few strong examples. This footage could also be combined with point 6.
6. Where to from here - an explanation of how the research will proceed and why a research process is necessary.

As you can see, this is possible a more linear structure than I had first imagined. It almost feels like a very short documentary. I'm not sure though if it's going to be possible to show that much in five minutes. I'd be happy to have your opinion on this and if you think it's too long, what I could cut out or curtail.