WHAT

A 4-day intensive in composing and paying attention, through the frameworks of movement improvisation, writing, working with objects and installation, ensemble research and site-specific explorations. Facilitated by Katherine Ferrier and Kathy Couch.

 

Through kinetic/poetic/somatic and spatial research, we cultivate new kinds of logic and syntax, and apply what we find to our various artistic practices. By expanding our attentional endurance we hone our ability to access and explore what hovers just beyond the reach of our knowing. We locate and turn on the faucet, inviting a flood of movement, unleashing a flood of words, and practice ways of making space for the two to inform and inspire each other. We simultaneously use language to generate possibilities for moving, and invite our physical research to open unexplored pathways to language. Participants will have the option of sharing their written and/or movement work in an informal performance on Saturday night.

 

WHERE

Tucson, AZ at the spacious and gracious Rhythm Industry Studio, as well as various locations downtown and in the desert. Out of town participants fly into Tucson International Airport. (Rides to and from airport provided.)

 

WHEN

Thursday, January 2, 2014 through Sunday, January 5, 2014. 

Each day consists of three sessions. (9am-Noon | 2-5pm | 7-9pm), with ample time to eat, rest, visit and integrate in between.

 

WHY

To immerse ourselves in making; to hone our practice of paying attention; to find, meet and push the edges of what we know and do not yet know; to tug at the threads of meaning in our work; to find connections between what we are making and the world around us; to cultivate a relationship to our own creative process that is simultaneously disciplined, rigorous and full of delight. To engage deeply in this work in the company of others, and know that doing so is a radical act of courage and a powerful act of positive change.

 

YOU ARE

A mover who writes, or wants to write. A writer who moves, or has always dreamed of dancing. An artist with a hand in more than one medium, looking to connect the common and disparate threads that weave through what you make. A maker longing for ways to create community on both micro and macro levels. A creative wanting to gift yourself the time and space to tend to what feels most vital and necessary to your artistic evolution.

 

WE ARE

Katherine Ferrier is an independent dance artist/educator, poet, visual artist and curator, who has been immersed in making since the late 80’s. A co-founder of The Architects, an improvisational quartet with a collaborative performance history spanning nearly 20 years, she teaches and performs regularly throughout the US and abroad. Katherine founded and directs Cultivate, a festival designed to nourish community through contemporary dance in Northern New Hampshire, and organizes artist residencies at her home studio in Bethlehem. Collaboration is a cornerstone of her work, and she thrives on the exciting alchemy of working with a variety of artists. Recent collaborators include: The Architects, TC Tolbert, Kathy Couch, George Manupelli, Miguel Gutierrez, Marcus Godwyn (England/Russia), Sini Haapalinna (Finland), Cinzia Fiaschi (Italy) and Nina Gasteva/Iguan Dance Theatre (Russia). You can see more of her work, and find links to her writing at katherineferrier.net. 

 

Kathy Couch has been designing and creating visual landscapes in performance and installation works. for more than17 years. Primarily working in the mediums of light and space, Couch has designed over 300 performances in New York, Boston, Washington D.C., Australia, Armenia, Russia, Latvia, Serbia and throughout New England. Kathy has continuing collaborations with a canary torsi/Yanira Castro, Mollye Maxner, Adele Myers and Dancers, Candice Salyers, and The Architects. She is a founding board member of the Northampton Community Arts Trust that seeks innovative ways to preserve arts space in Northampton, MA. She currently teaches Lighting Design at Amherst College.:: 

 

HOW MUCH

Tuition for 4 full days of workshops is $300. ($250 if paid in full by December 1st)Limited scholarships may be available. Please inquire for details.Application and non-refundable deposit of $150 due by Dec. 6, 2013.Balance is due by December 20, 2013.::

 

APPLICATION

Please provide a short resumé of relevant experience and respond briefly to the following questions:

1. What do you find most challenging about improvisation and/or writing?

2. How do you imagine this workshop might support your work as a mover, writer, maker or thinker? 

 

Send deposit of $150 by December 6th, 2013 to:

Kimi Eisele

c/o New Articulations

PO Box 43423

Tucson, AZ 85733

 

E-mail application to Katherine Ferrier | katherine@katherineferrier.net

 

FAQ’s 

Where will I stay? What will I eat?

Housing and food are not included, but we’ll help you make your way in both departments. Out of town participants have lots of options for comfy and affordable digs. There is a hip hostel near by, with both shared or private rooms, a plethora of hotels and house rentals, plenty of couch surfing options, Air b-n-b, and more all within walking distance to downtown and the lively 4th Ave neighborhood, home to many cafes, restaurants, bars and boutiques.

 

Do I need to be a professional or advanced dancer or published writer to take this workshop? 

Nope. You do, however, need to be willing to move into the unknown with courage, curiosity and compassion. 

 

Why do I need to apply? Is there a possibility I won’t be accepted?

The few application questions help us assess if the work we offer and the participant’s needs and curiosities are a good match. The answers also help us shape the material we try to cover to best meet the collective needs and experience of the group. It’s rare that we turn someone away, though in order to keep the group a manageable size, we do set a limit of 25 participants.

 

What about drop-ins?

While the workshop is shaped to be taken in its entirety, with material from each session building into the next, it is possible to drop-in to a single or several sessions. Drop-in rates are as follows: Morning or Afternoon Session: $40 | Evening Session: $25