UK Vocal Improv on Tour 2024
After two exquisite years of the UK Vocal Improv Festival Retreat in the form of a 5-day deep dive retreat in the south-west of England, it is time to shake things up! In 2024, we are spreading our wings and will be touring the country, offering shorter weekend bursts of vocal improvisation, joy and celebration over the year.
Collaborative vocal improvisation is a truly magical experience which can be tapped into by ANYONE! In this country we are lucky enough to have a growing number of facilitators and noisemakers who are passionate about spreading this amazing way of connecting deeply to yourself, your intuition, and to others.
On three different weekends, in three different locations, we invite you to gather together to sing, explore, play, connect, receive, celebrate, co-create, and make music together.
study
Workshops by facilitators - for everyone! From beginners to old hats
be inspired
Performances from facilitators and guest artists
CELEBRATE
Improv DJ Dance After Party - sing, dance, improvise!
connect
Meet, network, discuss, offer a workshop
Sample Programme
There will be a range of ticket options for our mini-festivals; you can book the whole weekend, or just one day. For curious newbies, the Saturday evening ticket includes a beginner-friendly circle sing before enjoying some performances.
Each location will have a personalised schedule, curated to the local circumstances and community, but here is a rough idea!
SATURDAY DAYTIME
10-5pm
Saturday is designed to be a space for learning. Expect a variety of workshops to choose from including introductory sessions for anyone who wants to try out singing together in this way, as well as deeper dives for more experienced improvisers
SATURDAY EVENING
7-11pm
Saturday Evening is designed to entertain and delight; a welcoming introduction for people new to improv or who just want to see a great gig and have a dance
SUNDAY
10-6pm
The Sunday session is designed for more experienced improvisers and will leave room for co-created space: participants can request or lead deep dives into certain games or themes that feel particularly interesting to them
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Workshops
Saturday day
WHAT?
Discover, study, and learn with facilitators from the local area and from further afield
WHO?
Suitable for all! A range of workshops will be available for beginners to advanced singers
Dance Party
Saturday Eve Afterparty
WHAT?
An uplifting and invigorating entirely improvised dance party, (and home for our beauty sleep by midnight!)
Get your boogie on and celebrate! The inimitable Uran Apak will be guiding us through an improvised club night with his excellent looping skills. Sing along or jump on a drum. Not to be missed!
WHO?
Open to everyone
Tea, Cake & Chat
Saturday and/or Sunday - location-dependent
WHAT?
A chance to connect and network over tea and cake. This is about fostering community and getting involved in imagining the future of vocal improv in the UK, woop, The Good Stuff!
WHO?
Everyone is welcome! We want to meet you, we want you to meet each other, we want our voices to join and be strong! Let us become a vocal improv mycelial network!
The BIG SING
Saturday early eve before the performance
WHAT?
A welcoming introduction to vocal improv, we gather and are guided through a gentle warm up and a circlesinging experience
WHO?
Great for everyone, but especially those new to vocal improvisation who want to try it out
Sunday Morning Magic
Sunday morn!
WHAT?
After a long day improvising on Saturday, a soft Sunday morning to warm you up and drop you in. It could be a dance or a stretch, a sing in the outdoors, a meditation or some chanting; come together and connect with yourselves and your fellow improvisers
WHO?
The Sunday ticket is aimed at ‘experienced improvisers’: what do we mean by that? You don't need any certificates (!), or to have been 'doing this for years'. If you have previously taken part in a couple of vocal improv workshops, or you are a confident singer who has joined the Saturday and are curious to dive in more, then you’ll be right at home at the Sunday session too.
Live Performance
Saturday eve
WHAT?
Each festival will also feature a Saturday evening performance by some of the UK’s leading vocal improv performers including Anthropos, Oöm, Randolph Matthews and Cleveland Watkiss, and Briony Greenhill
WHO?
The gig is open to anyone, you don't have to be a participant, so bring your mates!
Improv Bazaar
Sunday afternoon
WHAT?
Over to you! A facilitated self-organisation space where anyone can step in and offer a session or suggest an aspect of vocal improvisation to explore. We want you to take the reins and go for a ride, share ideas, try things out, have a go!
WHO?
The Sunday ticket is aimed at ‘experienced improvisers’: what do we mean by that? You don't need any certificates (!), or to have been 'doing this for years'. If you have previously taken part in a couple of vocal improv workshops, or you are a confident singer who has joined the Saturday and are curious to dive in more, then you’ll be right at home at the Sunday session too
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