We are launching a small initiative around improvised music and experimental performance (extending right through to areas such as dance, moving image, sound art, live art) called Afternoon Shift at Shirley’s. We hope this will be a bit different from anything else around and will compliment, support and extend the already established improvisation networks in Sheffield.
Our aim is to seed and grow a kind of ‘community of friends’ (players, possible players and those who just enjoy) around spontaneous improvisation, which will involve a series of afternoon sessions taking place at Shirley House, Psalter Lane in Sheffield on the second Monday of the month, starting on Monday 14th September at 2pm -3.30pm (subsequent sessions will aim to be 3pm-4.30pm).
Each session will include a freely improvised quartet performance followed by a very informal discussion around the nature of improvisation and questions arising from the specific performance. Each quartet will always include an out-of-town player and, wherever possible, a player from the wider Sheffield area, plus ourselves, Gill and Geoff (or others who may stand in).
Booked so far…
Monday 14 September Johnny Hunter + Gayle Brogan 2pm – 3.30pm
Monday 12 October Dave Birchall + Lyn Hodnett 3pm-4.30pm
Monday 9 November Alistair Zaldua & Lauren Redhead + Rob Gawthrop 3pm-4.30pm
Monday 14 December Phil Morton + Mick Beck. 3pm-4.30pm
Other players are lined up for the new year but not finalised yet so check back on this page later.
We know you are probably busy with all sorts of things in the daytime – work, kids and so on – but if you are a player, a potential player or simply a listener/fan of spontaneously improvised musics and related artforms, we hope you might support this project in whatever way you can as it grows.
It might sound a bit formal but due to restrictions of our booking arrangements with Shirley House, numbers have to be limited so we have to formally invite you. It’s important to our project that no charge will be made. If we haven’t contacted you already and you would like to come to one or any of these free enjoyable sessions to listen or to play, even if only occasionally, please contact us as you would be welcome!
Gillian Whiteley & Geoff Bright
Also see http://www.bricolagekitchen.com
polimprov 