rainbow at MILE camp Musical Improvisation at Land’s End / Coin-du-Banc en Folie!

In the summer of 2016, the International Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation (IICSI), with support from the Musagetes Foundation and the Chawkers Foundation, mounted the inaugural session of a bilingual improvised music camp entitled Musical Improvisation at Land’s End / Coin-du-Banc en Folie! in Coin-du-Banc, in the Gaspésie region of Québec. From August 6-13th, seven participants engaged in improvisation workshops facilitated by experienced improvising musicians Jesse Stewart, François Houle, and Kathy Kennedy. The camp was co-organized by Ajay Heble (Director of the International Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation) and Alain Chalifour, with Heble taking responsibility for curricular, artistic, and research-related matters, and Chalifour responsible for registration, lodging details, and extra-curricular activities. IICSI staff and students provided significant administrative support.

Research Outcomes

During the course of the week, camp activities were recorded for a forthcoming documentary about the camp and the region of Coin-du-Banc. Kimber Sider and Jeannette Hicks conducted video interviews with participants and community members about their experience of the camp and about Coin-du-Banc and the surrounding region.

Reflections on MILE will also likely result in an article or a book chapter on improvisational pedagogy and art-based community making.

The MILE experience has also formed the basis for a forthcoming essay by Jeannette Hicks on improvisation and deep listening as models for inter-cultural collaboration that will be published on Musagetes’ artseverywhere.ca platform.

The Musical Improvisation at Land’s End / Coin-du-Banc en Folie! (MILE) report is available for download in French and English (the reports are linked under the heading Download).