Big Ideas In Improvisation 2021: Fred Moten and Vijay Iyer in Conversation

On May 28th, 2021, IICSI and Musagetes presented the inaugural Big Ideas in Improvisation lecture, “Fred Moten and Vijay Iyer: in Conversation.” This online event brought these two artistic visionaries, social activists, and MacArthur “Genius” award winners together for an evening of provocative and inspiring dialogue. Iyer and Moten shared their perspectives on the concept of improvisation, in individual presentations as well as during a free-flowing discussion.

The event was recorded in its entirety, and is now available to watch below. You can also download the full transcript of the event (see side bar).

Thank you to the event’s moderator, Marva Wisdom, as well as our sponsors: the ArtsEverywhere Festival; the College of Arts and the School of English and Theatre Studies at the University of Guelph; and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

To learn more about this event’s speakers, visit our event announcement page.

More about the Big Ideas in Improvisation series:

This annual series, presented by IICSI and Musagetes, showcases provocative thinkers and creative practitioners in a public forum as they share ideas and insights about the power, expansive force, and urgency of improvisation. These public lectures, aimed at a general audience, encourage us to consider how the artistic practices of improvisation developed by creative practitioners can translate into broader spheres of influence and action. Improvisational practices can put pressure on unquestioned assumptions, help us discover new ways of being, and put into action potential solutions to some of our most pressing contemporary global challenges. The Big Ideas in Improvisation lecture series is free and open to all.