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DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260416T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260416T120000
DTSTAMP:20260319T192357Z
CREATED:20260318T153054Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260319T192357Z
UID:16704-1776333600-1776340800@improvisationinstitute.ca
SUMMARY:Cacophonie | Bridge to Terabithia: A Somatic Exploration of Childhood Self—A Creative Workshop with Mark LeRoy
DESCRIPTION:Join us at ImprovLab for a workshop by Mark LeRoy\, PhD student in Critical Studies in Improvisation\, as part of Dr. Sharon D. Engbrecht’s “Cacophonie” series! \nFor this event\, prospective participants should read Bridge to Terabithia. Copies are available through the Guelph Public Library. If you are unable to find a copy\, but would like to participate in the workshop\, please e-mail sharon.engbrecht@uoguelph.ca. A limited number will be available through The Bookshelf at no cost to participants! \nThrough exploration and play guided by sensation\, image\, behaviour\, and affect\, we will explore how parts of us emerge within Terabithia\, as we collectively hold space for embodied knowing and self- and group-coherence. \nTerabithia becomes our imagination’s site of exploration and experimentation\, where we are invited to lay down our certainties to wonder and explore the beauty of our fragile highs. \nWhile reading Bridge to Terabithia prior to attending\, you may consider: \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nHow might ritual support your temporal encounter of reading Bridge to Terabithia?\nAs you immerse yourself in Jesse’s and Leslie’s world\, how does your body emerge as a co-narrator?\nHow might we extend curiosity towards what our 10-year-old selves might be experiencing or want to share?\nThe name of your own magical land.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMark LeRoy (he/him) is a PhD Student in Critical Studies in Improvisation at the University of Guelph\, researching how the liminal spaces of improvisation and negative capability\, emerging from postmemory\, might function as a rite of passage to embodied knowing. As a Registered Social Worker and Psychotherapist\, Mark is a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner and Internal Family Systems Therapist\, supporting those affected by the silencing narrative of trauma.  \nSharon Engbrecht (they/them) comes from a background in theatre\, visual arts\, narrative theory\, and critical studies in gender and sexuality. They have a knack for event planning and facilitating group events focused on storytelling and improvisation. Their research invest igates questions of embodiment\, identity\, and relationality.
URL:https://improvisationinstitute.ca/event/cacophonie-bridge-to-terabithia-a-somatic-exploration-of-childhood-self-a-creative-workshop-with-mark-leroy/
LOCATION:ImprovLab\, MacKinnon Room 108\, 87 Trent Lane\, University of Guelph\, Guelph\, Ontario\, N1G 1Y4\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Community Events,IICSI events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://improvisationinstitute.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Cacophonie.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Sharon D. Engbrecht":MAILTO:sharon.engbrecht@uoguelph.ca
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260410T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260410T120000
DTSTAMP:20260319T192340Z
CREATED:20260319T191339Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260319T192340Z
UID:16722-1775815200-1775822400@improvisationinstitute.ca
SUMMARY:Cacophonie | choreographies of choice with Ms. Georgia Simms
DESCRIPTION:We’ll see you in ImprovLab on April 10th at 10 AM\, when Ms. Georgia Simms (she/her) will lead this creative\, interactive workshop that invites participants to engage in movement research framed by attention\, shape\, and momentum. Language\, music\, and the energy of the ensemble will create an atmosphere for experimentation\, response\, and reflection. This creative workshop is part of the Cacophonie series\, curated by IICSI Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Sharon D. Engbrecht! \nWe invite everyone who is interested in participating to join the creative workshops. We aim to make these events as accessible as possible\, and they are open to everyone regardless of age\, ability\, ethnicity\, religion\, language\, sexual orientation\, gender identity\, political beliefs\, or status. Folks with children are also welcome to bring them along and their participation will not be part of the study. \nTo confirm participation and/or for more information\, including about consent forms\, please email sharon.engbrecht@uoguelph.ca. \nIf you decide to join us spontaneously\, please do. Doors will be open 30 minutes before each event. There will be coffee\, tea\, and light snacks provided. \nMs. Georgia Simms (she/her) is a PhD student in the Critical Studies in Improvisation program at the University of Guelph. She is also an artist-mother who dances\, performs\, choreographs\, facilitates\, and organizes. Her current work investigates ‘ecstatic survival’\, emotions\, play\, and relational repair through the blending of modern and post-modern sensibilities in solo\, collective\, and site-specific improvised movement composition \nDr. Sharon Engbrecht (they/them) comes from a background in theatre and visual arts\, narrative theory\, and critical studies in gender and sexuality. They have a knack for event planning and facilitating group events focused on storytelling and improvisation. Their research investigates questions of embodiment\, identity\, and relationality.
URL:https://improvisationinstitute.ca/event/cacophonie-choreographies-of-choice-with-ms-georgia-simms/
LOCATION:ImprovLab\, MacKinnon Room 108\, 87 Trent Lane\, University of Guelph\, Guelph\, Ontario\, N1G 1Y4\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Community Events,IICSI events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://improvisationinstitute.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Cacophonie.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Sharon D. Engbrecht":MAILTO:sharon.engbrecht@uoguelph.ca
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260401T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260401T210000
DTSTAMP:20260326T161453Z
CREATED:20260326T161453Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260326T161453Z
UID:16736-1775053800-1775077200@improvisationinstitute.ca
SUMMARY:Mini Film Festival / Mini festival de film
DESCRIPTION:Make your way to ImprovLab on April 1st\, for a film festival curated by MA students in French and Francophone Studies at the University of Guelph! The students will present a selection of fiction and documentary films\, spanning shorts and feature-length options\, all of which are in French with English subtitles.  \nThis free event will feature two screenings (afternoon and evening). The afternoon screening will run from 2:30 PM to 5 PM\, with the evening screening running from 6:30 PM to 9 PM.   \nThe afternoon program will feature the following documentary films: \n\nFrom here\, elsewhere (Chadi Bennani\, 2023)\nYour call is important to us (Romy Boutin St-Pierre and Joe Nadeau\, 2023)\nThere’s a star (Julien Cadieux\, 2023)\n\nThe evening program will highlight works of cinematic fiction: \n\nRosie (Gail Maurice\, 2018)\nYou’re sleeping\, Nicole (Stéphane Lafleur\, 2014)\n\nReserve your free spot on EventBrite!
URL:https://improvisationinstitute.ca/event/mini-film-festival-mini-festival-de-film/
LOCATION:ImprovLab\, MacKinnon Room 108\, 87 Trent Lane\, University of Guelph\, Guelph\, Ontario\, N1G 1Y4\, Canada
CATEGORIES:IICSI events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://improvisationinstitute.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Francophone-Film-Festival1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260326T193000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260326T213000
DTSTAMP:20260319T200008Z
CREATED:20260319T195721Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260319T200008Z
UID:16726-1774553400-1774560600@improvisationinstitute.ca
SUMMARY:IBPOC Artists' Network Tour: From Words to Action 2025/2026—Sashar Zarif Dance Theatre and Coco Collective
DESCRIPTION:Make your way to ImprovLab on March 26th for a double-bill presentation of spectacular live dance and music! Coco Collective and Sashar Zarif Dance Theatre will visit Guelph for one night only to perform at the ImprovLab. \nMovement\, voice\, and percussion harmoniously come together for these individually and culturally expressive dance works. \n“Calabash\,” by Coco Collective\, is a dance and live percussion journey exploring how African-diasporic communities cultivate everyday social bonds. This light-hearted narrative follows a woman’s labor of love in local food sovereignty and nurturing community connections. \nIn “Grandmother’s Drum\,” by Sashar Zarif Dance Theatre\, dance and voice fold into each other\, becoming a single river of presence. Within its silence and its pulse\, the past leans forward; the present opens; the body remembers what the mind forgets. \nThis performance is co-presented by IICSI\, Guelph Dance\, and the IBPOC Artists’ Network Tour\, in collaboration with Wind in the Leaves Collective. \nYou can grab your tickets here!
URL:https://improvisationinstitute.ca/event/16726/
LOCATION:ImprovLab\, MacKinnon Room 108\, 87 Trent Lane\, University of Guelph\, Guelph\, Ontario\, N1G 1Y4\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Community Events,IICSI events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://improvisationinstitute.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Guelph-OnToday_Mar26-3.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260325T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260325T160000
DTSTAMP:20260226T180521Z
CREATED:20260119T192853Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260226T180521Z
UID:16424-1774449000-1774454400@improvisationinstitute.ca
SUMMARY:Thinking Spaces: Kate Story and Ryan Kerr—Death in Reverse: Performance in Precarious Times
DESCRIPTION:Artists Kate Story and Ryan Kerr will share what it means to create meaningful work within conditions of precarity\, and on the unusual\, often improvised ways artists find to stay connected with audiences. They will share experiences from curating a contemporary theatre piece marked by setbacks: limited funding\, collaborative challenges\, shifting resources – while also finding unexpected forms of support through local politics\, partnerships\, and community networks. Reflecting on “Project Baroness” (https://ttok.ca/death–in–reverse-project-baroness/)\, they will also consider festival and DIY theatre\, arts and “non-arts’’ collaborations\, residency models\, and the fragile balance between fundraising and public funding that shapes small-scale performance ecosystems. “As Death in Reverse made its way toward the stage\, our work continually evoked echoes of DADA-era New York: periods of conflict\, displacement\, authoritarian tightening\, censorship\, and the suppression of movements for racial\, gender\, and LGBTQ2IA+ justice. Artists may have been worn down by their circumstances\, yet they continued to create. This conversation invites us to sit with those parallels—and with the quiet insistence of art that persists.” \nRyan Kerr is the founding artistic director of The Theatre on King\, a radical black-box space that\, soon after being established\, became the hub for new and risk-taking performance in Nogojiwanong/Peterborough Ontario. At TTOK\, Kerr oversaw countless original performances as outside eye\, lighting designer\, director\, and mentor\, featuring a wide range of artists – emerging to established\, including theatre artists\, musicians\, writers\, dance artists\, comedy\, and multidisciplinary artists. With Kate Story he co-ran the Precarious Festivals\, four multi-disciplinary\, multi-artist\, multi-week festivals featuring regional artists in collaboration with non-arts groups and initiatives. Kerr is the winner of the Arts Catalyst Award (Peterborough Arts Awards).  \n\nKate Story is a genderqueer writer and performing artist originally from Newfoundland\, now living and working as an uninvited guest in Nogojiwanong/Peterborough\, Ontario. Winner of the Ontario Arts Foundation’s K.M. Hunter Artist Award for theatre\, Kate is a dramaturge/director\, writer\, theatre designer\, and performer. Her one-person shows have been presented in Peterborough\, Toronto\, and St. John’s\, and her climate change story “Animate” was adapted for an international radio drama and virtual reality theatre performance\, performed and broadcast across Europe and as part of MUTEK 2023 in Montréal. They have published 6 novels\, including Governor General’s Literary Award finalist Urchin. She is currently working on a new novel.
URL:https://improvisationinstitute.ca/event/thinking-spaces-ryan-kerr-and-kate-story-death-in-reverse-performance-in-precarious-times/
LOCATION:ImprovLab\, MacKinnon Room 108\, 87 Trent Lane\, University of Guelph\, Guelph\, Ontario\, N1G 1Y4\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Thinking Spaces
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://improvisationinstitute.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-25-at-17-14-03-ThinkingSpacesStoryKerr2.pdf.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260204T133000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260204T150000
DTSTAMP:20260128T184219Z
CREATED:20260119T201615Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260128T184219Z
UID:16434-1770211800-1770217200@improvisationinstitute.ca
SUMMARY:Thinking Spaces: Alex Chesney and Dr. Nathan TeBokkel—Storied Social Practice: Improvisation in Farming and Food
DESCRIPTION:Growing and making food are ancient practices yet also scientifically advanced\, necessary for everyday living yet often inaccessible but to experts\, interdisciplinary yet highly specialized. Considering the role of improvisation in farming and cooking\, especially in our chosen subfields of beekeeping and dietetics\, fruitfully foregrounds these tensions. With improvisation as our watchword\, we bring to bear a syncretic mix of lived experience and literary criticism to develop a concept of storied social practice\, which will allow us to attend to social relations\, embodiment\, sensory perception\, and historicity\, without sacrificing\, as so often seems conventional in the long critical post-enlightenment\, individual agency\, the mind\, cognition\, and contemporaneity. Along the way we engage with our own stories and social practices as well as those of philosophers like Sylvia Winter and Ludwig Wittgenstein\, literary theorists like Anne-Lise François and Lenora Hanson\, and food and farming events like eighteenth-century agricultural improvement\, the contemporary Right to Repair movement\, and Leah Penniman’s Soul Fire Farm. \nAlex Chesney is a dietitian and farmer living and working on her family’s fruit and vegetable farm in Southwestern Ontario. Alex’s dietetic practice and farming work go hand in hand; rooted in food and agriculture education and communication\, she creates spaces for people to experience their food at its source\, and teaches them about agricultural production\, food preparation\, and nutrition. She manages pick-your-own fruits and vegetables\, on-farm workshops and tours\, recipe development\, communications (social media\, newsletters\, blog posts)\, and daily produce-subscription delivery (paired with nutrition tips\, recipes\, and techniques for food storage and preservation). Alex is also the current Chair of the Berry Growers of Ontario and is proud to help represent and promote the thriving Ontario berry industry through research and marketing efforts. \nDr. Nathan TeBokkel is a Banting postdoctoral fellow at Western. He’s writing a book\, Working Feeling\, on labour history and lived experience\, and he has a book in press at Cambridge\, Whistling at the Plough\, on agricultural capitalism and romanticism. Nathan’s also training to be a master beekeeper\, managing 160 hives on his family’s melon farm\, and researching requeening. His recent publications include an essay on food labels and technocratic populism in New Literary History.
URL:https://improvisationinstitute.ca/event/thinking-spaces-alex-chesney-and-dr-nathan-tebokkel-storied-social-practice-improvisation-in-farming-and-food/
LOCATION:ImprovLab\, MacKinnon Room 108\, 87 Trent Lane\, University of Guelph\, Guelph\, Ontario\, N1G 1Y4\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Thinking Spaces
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://improvisationinstitute.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/ThinkingSpacesChesneyTebokkelcopy2.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260128T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260128T143000
DTSTAMP:20260114T185957Z
CREATED:20260114T175633Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260114T185957Z
UID:16395-1769605200-1769610600@improvisationinstitute.ca
SUMMARY:Life After the PhD: What is a Postdoc?
DESCRIPTION:Are you a graduate student wondering what your post-PhD pathway might look like? Join Dr. Sharon D. Engbrecht (IICSI 2025-2026 Postdoctoral Fellow)\, Dr. An Kosurko (Musagetes and MITACS Postdoctoral Fellow)\, and Dr. Jordan Zalis (SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellow) for a discussion of postdoctoral fellowships! \nThese three researchers will discuss the various pathways they took as they continued their research\, how they navigated funding and application processes\, and how they grounded their research projects in improvisation\, community engagement\, and social responsibility! This talk will be of tremendous value for grad students who are curious about the range of opportunities open to them as they complete their degrees. As with all our talks\, this event is free! \n\nSharon D. Engbrecht\, PhD English Literature\, University of British Columbia (they/them)\nIICSI Postdoctoral Fellow\, Improvising Futures SSHRC Partnership Grant: Improvising Identity \nSharon’s research in improvisation focuses on narratives of community and identity making. Their research is particularly focused on improvising intimacies by analyzing cultural narratives of gender and sexuality. Their postdoc project is about community-making and engagement\, in part working with feminist-influenced organizations that actively seek to end gender-based violence and in part with researchers approaching improvisation from multiple streams of inquiry and disciplines of practice. Their work on intimacies and community-making is one piece of their larger project looking at the multiple registers of dwelling as a theoretical and phenomenological concept. \n  \n  \nAn Kosurko\, PhD Social Sciences\, University of Helsinki\, Finland (she/her/they/them)\nMusagetes & IICSI Postdoctoral Fellow supported through Mitacs: Improvisation\, Dementia Care\, & Aging \nAn Kosurko is jointly hosted by Sociology & Anthropology at U of Guelph and IICSI in partnership with the Musagetes Foundation. Her research combines ethnomethodology\, multimodal conversation analysis\, and arts-based\, community-engaged methods to study social inclusion\, creativity\, technology\, and care. Her current project\, Improvising with Dementia\, brings together people living with dementia\, caregivers\, artists\, and researchers to explore everyday spontaneity in caring relationships. \n  \n  \n  \nJordan Zalis\, PhD Ethnomusicology\, Memorial University of Newfoundland (he/him)\nSSHRC Postdoctoral Fellow at IICSI: What Does Basketball Sound Like? \nJordan Zalis is an artist and ethnomusicologist whose work examines the powers of sound in a variety of social contexts. His doctoral research built on five years of ethnographic fieldwork with the Toronto Raptors Basketball Club\, analyzing how professional basketball has become increasingly commercialized and spectacle-oriented\, raising urgent questions about corporate control of transnational sports culture. In response\, his postdoctoral project examines public basketball courts as sites of grassroots cultural expression\, investigating how basketball’s improvisatory practices transcend social and cultural difference. By studying informal norms and improvised communities emerging on public courts\, he explores mechanisms through which small-scale affinity groups can build broader solidarity in everyday life.
URL:https://improvisationinstitute.ca/event/life-after-the-phd-what-is-a-postdoc/
LOCATION:ImprovLab\, MacKinnon Room 108\, 87 Trent Lane\, University of Guelph\, Guelph\, Ontario\, N1G 1Y4\, Canada
CATEGORIES:IICSI events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=application/pdf:https://improvisationinstitute.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/PostDoc-Panel-Jan-28-8.5x11.pdf
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251208T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251208T203000
DTSTAMP:20251119T170412Z
CREATED:20251119T170223Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251119T170412Z
UID:16342-1765220400-1765225800@improvisationinstitute.ca
SUMMARY:"Tracing the Life of Violence"— A talk by Dr. Sharon D. Engbrecht\, followed by an open discussion
DESCRIPTION:Be part of Guelph’s “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence” as IICSI 2025-26 Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Sharon D. Engbrecht explores systemic violence in Katherena Vermette’s “The Break.”  \n\n\n\n\n\n\nAs part of Guelph’s iteration of the “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence\,” Dr. Sharon D. Engbrecht will give a talk tracing lines of systemic violence in Katherena Vermette’s “The Break.” Copies of the book can be picked up at the Main Library’s circulation desk starting November 5\, 2025. Copies are limited\, and a library card is required to check these items out. Enjoy light refreshments and snacks! \nThe talk will be followed by an open discussion about the novel’s themes and intersections of violence\, as well as agency and responsibility in the wake of assault and intergenerational trauma.  \nThe event will be held in the Program Room on the second floor of the Library’s Main Branch (100 Norfolk St.). \nKatherena Vermette: is a Métis writer from Treaty One territory\, the heart of the Métis nation\, Winnipeg\, Manitoba\, Canada. Her first book\, “North End Love Songs” (The Muses Company)\, won the Governor General’s Literary Award for Poetry. Her NFB short documentary\, “this river\,” won the Coup de Coeur at the Montreal First Peoples Festival and a Canadian Screen Award. Her first novel\, “The Break\,” is the winner of three Manitoba Book Awards and the Amazon.ca First Novel Award. It was a finalist for the Governor General’s Literary Award for Fiction\, the Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize\, and CBC Canada Reads. \n“The Break”: The novel opens by describing “the break\,” a series of barren lots in a working-class neighbourhood in Winnipeg. In the winter\, there’s hydro lines that buzz “quiet enough that you can ignore it.” The “buzz” acts as a metaphor for various forms of violence in the novel\, including gender-based violence as something “you can just ignore.” It’s “just white noise\,” the narrator tells readers\, “and some people can ignore things like that. Some people can hear it but just get used to it.” Drawing attention to the “white noise” of gender-based violence allows us to reconsider how it plays out in our larger communities and what it means to take a stance to stop it. This activism\, at once very personal and communal\, is a small way we as individuals can take a stand and be a part of ending gender-based violence in all its forms. \nSharon D. Engbrecht: is a postdoctoral researcher at the International Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation (University of Guelph). Their research delves into how narratives by women authors challenge the systems of power that perpetuate gender-based violence and discrimination. They hail from the Canadian prairies and recently completed their PhD at the University of British Columbia. \nBy participating in this program\, you acknowledge and accept the Guelph Public Library’s Code of Conduct. \nIf you have any questions\, please contact Library Programmer Lauren at lcontini@guelphpl.ca. \nAlternative formats are available as per the Accessibility per Ontarians Act by contacting Library Communications at 519-824-6220.
URL:https://improvisationinstitute.ca/event/tracing-the-life-of-violence-a-talk-by-dr-sharon-d-engbrecht-followed-by-an-open-discussion/
LOCATION:Guelph Public Library\, 100 Norfolk St.\, Guelph\, Ontario\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Community Events,IICSI events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://improvisationinstitute.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/thumbnail_image001.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Sharon D. Engbrecht":MAILTO:sharon.engbrecht@uoguelph.ca
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251122T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251122T170000
DTSTAMP:20251119T164637Z
CREATED:20251027T195522Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251119T164637Z
UID:16298-1763823600-1763830800@improvisationinstitute.ca
SUMMARY:Un-Muting Sonic Restitutions: An Afternoon of Afrosonic Explorations and Improvisations with Satch Hoyt
DESCRIPTION:IICSI is thrilled to share an exciting and informative afternoon of conversation and an open improv jam session with internationally-acclaimed visual artist and musician\, Satch Hoyt! Curated by former IICSI postdoctoral research fellow jashen edwards and featuring IMPR students\, this event will offer a glimpse into the ways art and music can be a vehicle for social-political inquiry into injustices sustained by forced migration and xenophobic policies. Join us at ImprovLab from 3-5 PM on Saturday\, November 22nd for this free event! \nFor his Canadian tour\, Hoyt will discuss his project: Un-muting Sonic Restitutions\, in which he collaborates with national galleries and museums across the globe\, including the ROM\, unearthing their African musical instrument collections and breathing new life into the wood\, metal\, beads and cowries that have laid dormant for so long. Hoyt will also share thoughts on the making of his new album\, Un-Muting Beyond Misspelt Borders. \nAt ImprovLab\, Hoyt will be joined by a core septet consisting of Daniel Fischlin\, Matt Brubeck\, Reagan Mitchell\, David Lee\, Mike Hansen\, Hayden Mesnick\, and jashen edwards. \nHoyt is a Jamaican-British Berlin-based visual artist and musician. A believer in ritual and retention\, his diverse and multifaceted body of work – whether sculpture\, sound installation\, painting\, musical performance\, or musical recording – is united in its investigation of the “Eternal Afro-Sonic Signifier” and its movement across and amid the cultures\, peoples\, places\, and times of the African Diaspora. Hoyt is an intimate observer of the sites of convergence where the Diaspora comes together to sing\, shout\, and be\, reflecting itself to itself. Employing the shared tool kit to connect\, express\, and commiserate across centuries and oceans\, Hoyt taps into aural and oral echoes as well as into those retained in the historical and material record (Rujeko Hockley\, for the catalog Prospect 4: The Lotus in Spite of the Swamp\, 2017). \nThis event is co-presented with the College of Arts Interdisciplinary Program and the Art Gallery of Guelph!
URL:https://improvisationinstitute.ca/event/un-muting-sonic-restitutions-an-afternoon-of-afrosonic-explorations-and-improvisations-with-satch-hoyt/
LOCATION:ImprovLab\, MacKinnon Room 108\, 87 Trent Lane\, University of Guelph\, Guelph\, Ontario\, N1G 1Y4\, Canada
CATEGORIES:IICSI events,Live @ImprovLab
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://improvisationinstitute.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SatchHoyt_Poster_Nov251.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251118T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251118T133000
DTSTAMP:20251106T164754Z
CREATED:20251020T142745Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251106T164754Z
UID:16287-1763467200-1763472600@improvisationinstitute.ca
SUMMARY:Thinking Spaces: Steve Sladkowski—"'What Can I Get Away With Here?': Improvisation in Punk Rock Performance and Community Making"
DESCRIPTION:IICSI is pleased to present a Thinking Spaces presentation by Steve Sladkowski—guitarist for renowned punk band PUP\, and U of G alumnus—in ImprovLab at 12 PM on Tuesday\, November 18th! As with all of our Thinking Spaces events\, this presentation is free and open to all. \nHere’s how Steve describes his talk\, and himself: \n“Over the past 15 years of touring the world in a loud and sweaty punk rock band\, I’ve learned a lot about improvising in musical and physical space by asking the question “What can I get away with here?” Some of the lessons gleaned from repeatedly asking this question are profound; some of the lessons are very\, very silly. Through a lively and open-ended discussion with a healthy dose of Q+A\, I’d like to offer insight into the practical uses of improvisation as it relates to onstage performance\, to music venues as safe spaces\, to the art of songwriting and composition\, and the many other parts of my lived experience as a touring musician in the age of streaming and social media.” \nSteve Sladkowski is a guitarist\, improviser\, composer\, and writer best-known for his lead guitar work in the Juno Award-winning and two-time Polaris Prize-shortlisted Toronto punk rock band PUP. He has performed and improvised in 26 countries since graduating from the University of Guelph’s SOFAM in 2010. When not playing the guitar\, he can be found reading\, cooking\, or cheering on the Blue Jays and Raptors. He resides in Toronto with his wife\, dog\, and cat and remains tremendously uncomfortable writing bios.
URL:https://improvisationinstitute.ca/event/thinking-spaces-steve-sladkowski-what-can-i-get-away-with-here-improvisation-in-punk-rock-performance-and-community-making/
LOCATION:ImprovLab\, MacKinnon Room 108\, 87 Trent Lane\, University of Guelph\, Guelph\, Ontario\, N1G 1Y4\, Canada
CATEGORIES:IICSI events,Thinking Spaces
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://improvisationinstitute.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Thinking-Spaces_Sladkowski-Square-Nov-2025_Dark-Blue-2.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Jordan Zalis":MAILTO:jzalis@uoguelph.ca
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251027T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251027T110000
DTSTAMP:20251020T192601Z
CREATED:20251008T173341Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251020T192601Z
UID:16237-1761559200-1761562800@improvisationinstitute.ca
SUMMARY:Sharon D. Engbrecht: "World-Building: Improvisation and Narrativity" Public Lecture
DESCRIPTION:We are pleased to announce that IICSI Postdoctoral Fellow Sharon D. Engbrecht will be delivering a public lecture in ImprovLab at 10 AM on October 27. This event is free and open to all! \nDr. Engbrecht’s lecture will explore the dynamic between improvisation and narrativity. Both share elements of world-building or of negotiating how the world around us is perceived\, but world-building is bound by unspoken rules\, agreements\, and expectations—does the same go for improvisation? What are the limits of co-creation? How might aspects of narrative theory challenge the way we think about improvisation? \nHaving recently finished their PhD at the University of British Columbia in English Literature\, Sharon D. Engbrecht is the 2025-2026 Postdoctoral Fellow at the International Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation (IICSI). Their research into narratives of gender and sexuality investigates broader questions of embodiment\, dwelling\, and queer love. Their forthcoming articles include the theorization of “difficulty” in the post-secondary educational context and the “gloriously ugly” in Marian Engel’s No Clouds of Glory (Sarah Bastard’s Notebook).
URL:https://improvisationinstitute.ca/event/sharon-engbrecht-world-building-improvisation-and-narrativity-public-lecture/
LOCATION:ImprovLab\, MacKinnon Room 108\, 87 Trent Lane\, University of Guelph\, Guelph\, Ontario\, N1G 1Y4\, Canada
CATEGORIES:IICSI events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://improvisationinstitute.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Sharon-D.-Engbrecht-World-Building-Improvisation-and-Narrativity-Public-Lecture-IICSI.png
ORGANIZER;CN="IICSI Guelph":MAILTO:ahadmin [at] uoguelph.ca
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251021T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251021T170000
DTSTAMP:20251016T171015Z
CREATED:20251016T160352Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251016T171015Z
UID:16276-1761058800-1761066000@improvisationinstitute.ca
SUMMARY:IMPR Student Colloquium: Mike Hansen—"The First Experience: A Noise…"
DESCRIPTION:Mike Hansen will present his IMPR PhD Student Colloquium at 3 PM in ImprovLab on October 21. This hybrid presentation is titled “The First Experience: A Noise…” and will be accessible via Zoom: \n\nTopic: Mike Hansen Colloquium\nhttps://zoom.us/j/98711610640?pwd=25OxLubk1xSbpeVE7bCylfFV79HD0a.1 \nMeeting ID: 987 1161 0640\nPasscode: 130913 \n\nThis paper will examine a common first point of exposure to sound poetry for children\, by which an epistemological understanding of sound and noise is created in a performative setting. This occurs when a parent or guardian reads a children’s picture board book to a toddler\, thereby developing an ontology of learning.  \nThis paper will argue that the improvised performative poetic presentation—or sound poetry—of these children’s texts functions as an oral tool for learning\, comprehension\, and agency building. \nThis paper will examine how noises are presented in various picture books\, such as Dr. Seuss’ Mr. Brown Can Moo! The paper’s primary focus is the noise-to-sound paradigm developed through the improvisational performance of children’s texts like The Noisy Book\, by famed children’s author and poet Margaret Wise-Brown (best known for Goodnight Moon). These seminal texts are about the relationship of noise\, improvisation and poetry in the ears of toddlers. The inclusion of onomatopoeic words creates the flow of written noises\, and their presented function—via improvisational\, performative actions—emphasizes comprehension. This paper will dissect noise and the context in which it is perceived in toddler’s poetic literature\, where its purpose is to be orally performed. These board books are sonic-poetic presentations that form the recipient’s thinking while also developing agency in the presenter. These texts move past read poems or stories to onomatopoeic presentations\, creating an ontology of performative acts which stress actions of understanding and definition\, building the foundation of an epistemology towards future thinking. This is the first experience of language and improvisation for toddlers\, and possibly for the presenter or performer as well.  \nMike Hansen is a sound artist\, visual artist and experimental musician who uses noise through acts of improvisation as a tool to create social constructs. He is a PhD student in Critical Studies in Improvisation (IMPR) at the University of Guelph.  His research seeks to develop an understanding of when noise becomes a sound\, both through how it is defined and its evolution. He completed his Masters of Fine Arts at York University in 2008 and has been exhibiting paintings\, sculptures and installations since 1984. For 22 years\, he hosted a radio program of experimental and improvised music in Toronto. He has published a number of papers on noise and experimental turntablism. 
URL:https://improvisationinstitute.ca/event/impr-student-colloquium-mike-hansen-the-first-experience-a-noise/
LOCATION:ImprovLab\, MacKinnon Room 108\, 87 Trent Lane\, University of Guelph\, Guelph\, Ontario\, N1G 1Y4\, Canada
CATEGORIES:IICSI events,Student Colloquium
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://improvisationinstitute.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/CIMG1881.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251018T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251018T210000
DTSTAMP:20251014T201308Z
CREATED:20251009T150415Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251014T201308Z
UID:16252-1760814000-1760821200@improvisationinstitute.ca
SUMMARY:IICSI 2025 Improviser-in-Residence Marilyn Crispell in Concert at the ImprovLab
DESCRIPTION:IICSI is thrilled to announce that a free night of performances by renowned pianist Marilyn Crispell will take place in ImprovLab on Saturday\, October 18th. \nThese performances will be the culmination of a week of workshops and collaborative sessions Crispell will lead as IICSI’s 2025 Improviser-in-Residence. \nIn her first performance of the evening\, at 7 PM\, Crispell will collaborate with Guelph’s new and as-yet-unnamed Creative Music Orchestra. Having gathered a few times in recent months to explore the compositions and ideas of some of its many members\, the orchestra is beyond excited to work with Marilyn Crispell. For this performance\, the orchestra members will be: \nConnor Bennett – saxophones\nMatt Brubeck – cello\nMatt Endahl – piano\, fender rhodes\nJonathan Kay – saxophones\, esraj\nKayla Milmine – soprano saxophone\nPatrick O’Reilly – guitar\nHeather Saumer – trombone\nJoe Sorbara – drums\, percussion\nTyler Wagler – bass\nClaire Whitehead – violin\nEm Wright – objects\nMark Zurawinski – drums\, percussion \nThe second set\, at 8 PM\, will see Crispell perform in a trio with Joe Sorbara and Jonathan Kay. Sorbara and Kay’s duo project\, The Rest\, invokes the emergence of compelling sound worlds that draw upon memory in different ways: intriguing and transformative sounds\, noises\, spaces\, places\, images\, and affects are made present in the moment alongside intentionally cultivated memories including the musics of Don Cherry\, Ornette Coleman\, Marilyn Crispell\, and Jimmy Lyons\, in addition to original pieces by Kay and Sorbara themselves. All of this means that Kay and Sorbara are as likely to be exploring a sound constellation tripped over in a moment of free improvisation as they are a pre-composed melody\, groove\, or playful rhythmic puzzle. \nAnyone wishing to see what Crispell is working on during her time in residency is free to listen in on her trio workshop session with Sorbara and Kay from 1-3 PM on Tuesday\, October 14th. Crispell will also give an open improvisation workshop for community members and students from 1-3 PM on Thursday\, October 16th. Please reach out to IICSI Project Manager Julia Busatto if you would like to participate! \nMarilyn Crispell has been a composer and performer of contemporary improvised music since 1978. For ten years\, she was a member of the Anthony Braxton Quartet and the Reggie Workman Ensemble. She has performed and recorded extensively as a soloist and with players on the American and international jazz scenes. She has worked with dancers\, poets\, filmmakers\, and visual artists. She also teaches workshops in improvisation. She has been the recipient of three New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship grants\, a Guggenheim Fellowship\, a Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust composition commission\, and a 2025 NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship award. \nInternationally celebrated for her skill as an improvising pianist\, Marilyn Crispell is not to be missed. In the words of The New York Times’ Jon Pareles\, “Hearing Marilyn Crispell play solo piano is like monitoring an active volcano. She is one of a very few pianists who rise to the challenge of free jazz.”
URL:https://improvisationinstitute.ca/event/iicsi-improviser-in-residence-marilyn-crispell-in-concert-at-the-improvlab/
LOCATION:ImprovLab\, MacKinnon Room 108\, 87 Trent Lane\, University of Guelph\, Guelph\, Ontario\, N1G 1Y4\, Canada
CATEGORIES:IICSI events,Live @ImprovLab
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://improvisationinstitute.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Improviser-in-Residence-2025_dark-blue-Background-Draft_Updated-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251007T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251007T133000
DTSTAMP:20251002T204006Z
CREATED:20250310T145319Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251002T204006Z
UID:15465-1759838400-1759843800@improvisationinstitute.ca
SUMMARY:Thinking Spaces: Lucy Rupert\, Lisa Hirmer\, and Christina Kingsbury "Interdisciplinary Improvisation & Ultrasonic Moth Songs"
DESCRIPTION:Please join us on Tuesday\, October 7 at 12:00 PM (ET) for Thinking Spaces: “Interdisciplinary Improvisation & Ultrasonic Moth Songs” with Lucy Rupert\, Lisa Hirmer\, and Christina Kingsbury.\n \n\nThis presentation will take place in person at ImprovLab\, MCKN 108 at the University of Guelph. As always\, our Thinking Spaces events are free and open to all! \nMore About this Workshop:\nIn August 2024\, dancer Lucy Rupert and musician Ben Finley\, along with artists Christina Kingsbury and Lisa Hirmer\, collaborated on the interdisciplinary performance Ultra-sonic Moth Songs. Audiences present on that magical summer evening experienced improvised music and movement among the moths at the Moth Garden! Join us as Lucy\, Christina\, and Lisa reflect on the environmentally inspired multi-disciplinary performance\, and the role of improvisation in creating their evocative work.  \nMore About the Presenters:\nLucy Rupert is a dancer\, choreographer\, art-science researcher\, and artistic director of Blue Ceiling dance (founded 2004)\, through which she has created and produced over three dozen works of contemporary dance and multidisciplinary performance. For the last decade\, Lucy has researched and explored the intimate connection between scientific and artistic processes through interviews\, artistic creations\, and collaborations with scientists. \n“heartless”\, Lucy’s most recent solo production delving into the moral philosophy of robots\, was honoured with three Dora Mavor Moore Award nominations\, including Outstanding performance by an individual and Outstanding original choreogprahy. \nLucy’s work has been presented by dance: made in Canada/fait au Canada festival\, the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics\, Dusk Dances\, Guelph Dance Festival\, the Stuttgart International Solo Tanz-Theatre Festival and in unconventional spaces throughout Ontario. \nLucy has performed with noted companies such as Fujiwara Dance Inventions (2010-present)\, Theatre Rusticle (2001-2017)\, Nova Dance\, Theatre Passe Muraille\, Puppetmongers Theatre\, Circus Orange\, Chartier Danse\, Anandam Dance\, Sashar Zarif Dance\, Free Flow Dance Theatre Company (1995-1999)\, and many other independent choreographers and creators. \nWith a Joint Honours BA in Dance and Music from the University of Waterloo\, an MA in History from the University of Toronto\, Lucy is a lifelong learner\, currently studying philosophy through Oxford University’s Continuing Education Department. \nLucy is a mom\, a birdwatcher\, a citizen scientist\, a singer-songwriter and a writer on creative process and dance history. She lives in Toronto with her husband\, her son\, and a feral cat\, in a neighbourhood full of coyotes and old trees. \nLisa Hirmer is an interdisciplinary artist who works in visual media\, especially photography; social practice; community collaboration\, and sometimes writing. Her work is focussed on collective relationships both in human communities and in human relationships with the more-than-human world. A lot of her recent work wrestles with what it means to be living inside the climate emergency and on the edge of planetary collapse. Her work finds home both in traditional gallery contexts and an expanded field of other public and semi-public spaces and is always created with a keen awareness that multiple realities exist alongside one another. \nShe has shown her work across Canada and internationally including at Art Gallery of Ontario\, Art Gallery of Guelph\, University of Lethbridge Art Gallery\, Cambridge Art Galleries\, Art Gallery of Mississauga\, Tom Thomson Gallery\, Art Windsor-Essex\, Doris McCarthy Gallery\, Peninsula Arts\, CAFKA\, Queens Museum\, and Flux Factory\, among others. She has done artist residencies with Arts House Melbourne\, the Santa Fe Art Institute\, the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation\, the Centre for Contemporary Art and the Natural World\, KIAC and Camargo Foundation\, and was the 2022 Waterfront Toronto Artist in Residence. She has received numerous grants including from the Ontario Arts Council and Canada Council for the Arts and has a Master of Architecture from the University of Waterloo. \nChristina Kingsbury’s (she/her) interdisciplinary art practice is inspired by histories of care and explores themes of place\, ecology and inter-species relationships. Her work takes the form of performance\, installation and social practice. Christina collaborates regularly with poets\, ecologists\, artists\, choreographers and the public-including ecological public – to create relational works that offer a quiet and radical challenge to the commodification of life. Her work is rooted (often literally) in the Grand River watershed and treaty lands of the Mississauga’s of the Credit and part of her practice works through relationships with land as a settler person. Her solo and collaborative work has been shown as public interventions and in curated exhibitions both locally and internationally.
URL:https://improvisationinstitute.ca/event/thinking-spaces-interdisciplinary-improvisation-ultrasonic-moth-songs/
LOCATION:ImprovLab\, MacKinnon Room 108\, 87 Trent Lane\, University of Guelph\, Guelph\, Ontario\, N1G 1Y4\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Thinking Spaces
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://improvisationinstitute.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Thinking-Spaces-Moth-Songs-Poster_Oct-2025.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250911T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250913T110000
DTSTAMP:20250826T161103Z
CREATED:20250822T143959Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250826T161103Z
UID:16135-1757595600-1757761200@improvisationinstitute.ca
SUMMARY:Guelph Jazz Festival Colloquium 2025: "Dance with the Music: Movement in the Improvised Arts"
DESCRIPTION:The 2025 Guelph Jazz Festival Colloquium will take place in the ImprovLab at the University of Guelph from September 11-13\, 2025. Presented by the International Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation (IICSI) and curated by its Director\, Dr. Eric Fillion\, this year’s colloquium is titled “Dance with the Music: Movement in the Improvised Arts.” \nFocused on the interplay of improvised music and dance\, this edition of the Guelph Jazz Festival Colloquium provides attendees with a great opportunity to engage with world-class academics\, dancers\, and musicians from Canada and the US\, including Heather Cornell\, Patricia Nicholson\, Julie Richard\, and many more. Discussions\, performances\, artist interventions\, and films will all be showcased in IICSI’s state-of-the-art ImprovLab research and performance space. \nThe colloquium program will also highlight two special sessions by US-based artists Ravish Momin\, Val Jeanty\, and Ivvy\, as part of their week-long residency at the ImprovLab\, which will culminate with a performance at the Guelph Jazz Festival. The first of these sessions\, by Momin and Jeanty\, will feature a discussion and examples of their unique take on global music\, an approach that is characterized by the notable absence of traditional instruments and a vision of cultures as dynamic and continuously adaptive. A two-part session\, it will address both Haitian culture and Mumbai street bands. The second session will see Ivvy speaking about the aesthetics of FlexDance\, demonstrating this artform’s interdependence with music while reflecting on the communities that developed around it as an outgrowth of Black urban/working class culture in Brooklyn. \nThis catered event is free and open to all\, with RSVP via Eventbrite.  \n\nFor more about this year’s colloquium\, including artist bios and headshots\, please visit the colloquium page. 
URL:https://improvisationinstitute.ca/event/guelph-jazz-festival-colloquium-2025-dance-with-the-music-movement-in-the-improvised-arts/
LOCATION:ImprovLab\, MacKinnon Room 108\, 87 Trent Lane\, University of Guelph\, Guelph\, Ontario\, N1G 1Y4\, Canada
CATEGORIES:IICSI events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://improvisationinstitute.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Screenshot-2025-08-05-at-2.01.41 PM.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250815T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250815T160000
DTSTAMP:20250710T174722Z
CREATED:20250710T173133Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250710T174722Z
UID:15907-1755273600-1755273600@improvisationinstitute.ca
SUMMARY:MILE Camp Concert: D.D. Jackson + MILE Camp Participants
DESCRIPTION:(Le français suit) \nOn Friday\, August 15th\, at 4:00 PM\, D.D. Jackson will be joined by MILE Camp participants at the Musée culturel de Coin-du-Banc / Corner of the Beach Cultural Museum (294 route 132 East in Coin-du-Banc) for our third and final MILE Camp concert of the year! This performance—a Grand Finale group improvisation—will reflect the collaborative learning and musical exploration that MILE Camp participants have engaged in over the course of their weeklong retreat. \nCome and see a renowned bandleader work with a cohesive unit of gifted improvisers who have come together in the beautiful setting of Coin-du-Banc for a week of close contact and shared experiences! \nAs with all of our public MILE Camp concerts\, this event is free and open to all! \n\nLe vendredi 15 août\, à 16h00\, D.D. Jackson sera rejoint par les participants du camp Coin-du-Banc en folie au Musée culturel de Coin-du-Banc / Corner of the Beach Cultural Museum (294 route 132 Est à Coin-du-Banc) pour notre troisième et dernier concert de l’année ! Cette performance — une grande finale d’improvisation de groupe — reflétera l’apprentissage collaboratif et l’exploration musicale auxquels se sont livrés les participants de Coin-du-Banc en folie au cours de leur retraite d’une semaine. \nVenez voir un chef d’orchestre renommé travailler avec une unité cohérente d’improvisateurs doués qui se sont réunis dans le cadre magnifique de Coin-du-Banc pour une semaine de contact étroit et d’expériences partagées ! \nComme tous les concerts publics du Camp Coin-du-Banc en folie\, cet événement est gratuit et ouvert à tous !
URL:https://improvisationinstitute.ca/event/mile-camp-concert-d-d-jackson-mile-camp-participants/
LOCATION:Corner of the Beach Cultural Museum\, 294 route 132 est\, Coin-du-Banc\, Quebec\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Community Events,IICSI events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://improvisationinstitute.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Camp-MILE-August-2025-Draft-E-2-MILE-Camp-Insta-Story.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250811T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250811T200000
DTSTAMP:20250710T174644Z
CREATED:20250710T172820Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250710T174644Z
UID:15901-1754942400-1754942400@improvisationinstitute.ca
SUMMARY:MILE Camp Concert: D. D. Jackson Solo Piano Improvisation
DESCRIPTION:(Le français suit) \nOn Monday\, August 11th\, at 8:00 PM\, audiences will have a unique opportunity to see an intimate improvised solo piano performance by D.D. Jackson at the Musée culturel de Coin-du-Banc / Corner of the Beach Cultural Museum (294 route 132 East in Coin-du-Banc). \nJackson\, who has played with such jazz luminaries as Little Jimmy Scott\, Laila Biali\, Sammy Jackson\, David Murray\, Dewey Redman\, Oliver Lake\, James Carter\, Milford Graves\, Andrew Cyrille\, Jack DeJohnette\, Hamid Drake\, Larnell Lewis\, Pheeroan Aklaff\, Billy Bang\, William Parker\, Ugonna Okegwo\, James Newton\, Jane Bunnett\, Mino Cinelu\, Mor Thiam\, and Kahil el’Zabar\, will have space to demonstrate the individual skills that make him a gifted and sought-after collaborator by some of the biggest names in improvised music. \nAs with all of our public MILE Camp concerts\, this event is free and open to all! \n\nLe lundi 11 août\, à 20 h\, le public aura l’occasion unique d’assister à un spectacle intime de piano solo improvisé par D.D. Jackson au Musée culturel de Coin-du-Banc / Corner of the Beach Cultural Museum (294\, route 132 Est à Coin-du-Banc). \nJackson\, qui a joué avec des sommités du jazz telles que Little Jimmy Scott\, Laila Biali\, Sammy Jackson\, David Murray\, Dewey Redman\, Oliver Lake\, James Carter\, Milford Graves\, Andrew Cyrille\, Jack DeJohnette\, Hamid Drake\, Larnell Lewis\, Pheeroan Aklaff\, Billy Bang\, William Parker\, Ugonna Okegwo\, James Newton\, Jane Bunnett\, Mino Cinelu\, Mor Thiam et Kahil el’Zabar\, aura l’occasion de démontrer les compétences individuelles qui font de lui un collaborateur doué et recherché par certains des plus grands noms de la musique improvisée. \nComme tous les concerts publics du camp Coin-du-Banc en folie\, cet événement est gratuit et ouvert à tous !
URL:https://improvisationinstitute.ca/event/mile-camp-concert-d-d-jackson-solo/
LOCATION:Corner of the Beach Cultural Museum\, 294 route 132 est\, Coin-du-Banc\, Quebec\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Community Events,IICSI events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://improvisationinstitute.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Camp-MILE-August-2025-Draft-E-2-MILE-Camp-Insta-Story.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250810T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250810T190000
DTSTAMP:20250721T180119Z
CREATED:20250624T195026Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250721T180119Z
UID:15872-1754852400-1754852400@improvisationinstitute.ca
SUMMARY:MILE Camp Concert: Musique du Moment @ Bell House
DESCRIPTION:(Le français suit) \nAs part of this year’s MILE Camp\, a free public concert will be held at the historic Bell House in Percé.  \nOn Sunday\, August 10th\, at 7:00 PM (EDT)\, camp facilitator and multi-Emmy-winning improvising pianist D.D. Jackson will perform in a duo with singer Zoé Jean-Deslauriers. Currently based in New Jersey\, Jackson is a celebrated improviser and composer with numerous awards and nominations on both sides of the border for his work on jazz albums and television scores. \nZoé Jean-Deslauriers is a graduate of McGill University’s Jazz Performance program. The singer and songwriter divides her time between Montreal and the Gaspésie. \nAlso performing will be Montreal harpist Sarah Pagé. A phenomenal solo performer renowned for her skill in going beyond the conventional tonal palette of the harp\, Pagé has also worked in collaboration with musicians spanning several genres\, including Lhasa De Sela\, Nadah El Shazly\, Esmerine\, the Barr Brothers\, and Land of Kush. \nClick here to view the full artist bios! \nAs with all of our public MILE Camp concerts\, this event is free and open to all! \n\nLe dimanche 10 août\, à 19h00\, à l’historique Bell House (167 Route 132 Ouest à Percé)\, D.D. Jackson\, animateur du Camp Coin-du-Banc en folie et pianiste improvisateur plusieurs fois primé aux Emmy Awards\, se produira en duo avec la chanteuse Zoé Jean-Deslauriers. \nActuellement installé dans le New Jersey\, D.D. Jackson est un célèbre improvisateur et compositeur qui a reçu de nombreux prix et nominations des deux côtés de la frontière pour son travail sur des albums de jazz et des musiques de télévision. \nZoé Jean-Deslauriers est diplômé du programme d’interprétation jazz de l’Université McGill. La chanteuse et auteure-compositrice partage son temps entre Montréal et la Gaspésie. \nLa harpiste montréalaise Sarah Pagé se produira également ce soir-là. Interprète solo phénoménale reconnue pour son habileté à aller au-delà de la palette tonale conventionnelle de la harpe\, Sarah Pagé a également travaillé en collaboration avec des musiciens de plusieurs genres\, dont Lhasa De Sela\, Nadah El Shazly\, Esmerine\, les Barr Brothers et Land of Kush. \nCliquez ici pour voir les biographies complètes des artistes ! \nComme tous les concerts publics du camp Coin-du-Banc en folie\, cet événement est gratuit et ouvert à tous ! \n 
URL:https://improvisationinstitute.ca/event/musique-du-moment-bell-house/
LOCATION:Bell House\, 167 Route 132 Ouest\, Percé\, QC\, G0C 2L0\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Community Events,IICSI events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://improvisationinstitute.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-24-at-15-16-39-IICSI_MusiqueduMoment_2025-2-1.pdf.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250624T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250624T183000
DTSTAMP:20250612T173836Z
CREATED:20250605T142923Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250612T173836Z
UID:15807-1750789800-1750789800@improvisationinstitute.ca
SUMMARY:SOUNDTRACK TO THE REVOLUTION Book Launch (+ Film Screening)
DESCRIPTION:Mark the date! You are invited to The Bookshelf Cinema on June 24th for the launch of Soundtrack to the Revolution by Eric Fillion. This scintillating book tells the story of Quebec’s Jazz Libre\, a radical experiment in musical activism that reveals the meaningful role that the art of spontaneity played in the turbulent 1960s and 1970s. \nThe book launch\, which will include a discussion with writer David Lee (6:30-7:30 p.m.)\, will be followed by a screening of The Cat in The Bag (1964) [in French with subtitles]\, one of the founding films of Quebec national cinema with an original score by John Coltrane’s classic quartet. \nThis event is free and open to all. \nCo-presented by The Bookshelf\, Véhicule Press\, and the International Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation. \n* Eric Fillion is director of the International Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation and assistant professor at the School of Languages and Literatures at the University of Guelph. He is the author of Distant Stage: Quebec\, Brazil\, and the Making of Canada’s Cultural Diplomacy. With Sean Mills and Désirée Rochat\, he co-edited Statesman of the Piano: Jazz\, Race\, and History in the Life of Lou Hooper. He lives in Guelph\, Ontario. \n*Hamilton-based writer David Lee wrote his 2017 University of Guelph dissertation on Toronto improvised music. His other writings include The Battle of the Five Spot: Ornette Coleman and the New York Jazz Field\, and with the late pianist Paul Bley\, Stopping Time.
URL:https://improvisationinstitute.ca/event/soundtrack-to-the-revolution-book-launch-film-screening/
LOCATION:The Bookshelf Cinema\, 41 Quebec Street\, Guelph\, Ontario\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Community Events,IICSI events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://improvisationinstitute.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Fillion-Guelph-Book-Launch.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250610T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250610T160000
DTSTAMP:20250609T141024Z
CREATED:20250609T140843Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250609T141024Z
UID:15832-1749560400-1749571200@improvisationinstitute.ca
SUMMARY:Improvnetics: Post-anthropocentric performance and improvisational modes for human-AI play\, or: What we talk about when we talk about Intersentient empathy. | IMPR Colloquium by Michael Bergmann
DESCRIPTION:Please join us on Zoom or in the ImprovLab for a hybrid presentation of an IMPR Student Colloquium by Michael Bergmann! \nMichael Bergmann is a Canadian artist and scholar. He is a tenured Associate Professor in Performance at Toronto Metropolitan University. His research-creation work explores the integration of AI and robotics into performance and storytelling\, fostering post-humanist and post-anthropocentric thinking through improvisational collaboration with synthetic intelligences. He holds an MFA in Design from the Yale School of Drama\, where he was supervised by Wendall Harrington. \nMichael’s research proposal is called “Improvnetics: Post-anthropocentric performance and improvisational modes for human-AI play\, or: What we talk about when we talk about Intersentient empathy.” It is centred around key questions: How can improvisational practices foster empathy in human-robot and human-AI interactions? What role does performance play in shaping these interactions? And how can we better understand non-human sentience? The primary objectives are to develop a framework for human-robot / human-AI improvised performance that treats each as equals; examine representation of robots beyond language performance; explore potential live interactive performances as mediums for human-robot interaction. \nFull Zoom information: \nMichael Bergmann Colloquium \nTime: Jun 10\, 2025 01:00 PM America/Toronto \nJoin Zoom Meeting \nhttps://zoom.us/j/96432136617?pwd=vEOnvHOEbFXxVxymfnRqf6nLj8si92.1 \nMeeting ID: 964 3213 6617 \nPasscode: 659113 \n— \nOne tap mobile \n+15873281099\,\,96432136617# Canada \n+16473744685\,\,96432136617# Canada \n— \nDial by your location \n• +1 587 328 1099 Canada \n• +1 647 374 4685 Canada \n• +1 647 558 0588 Canada \n• +1 778 907 2071 Canada \n• +1 780 666 0144 Canada \n• +1 204 272 7920 Canada \n• +1 438 809 7799 Canada \nMeeting ID: 964 3213 6617 \nFind your local number: https://zoom.us/u/avLPzK8WY
URL:https://improvisationinstitute.ca/event/improvnetics-post-anthropocentric-performance-and-improvisational-modes-for-human-ai-play-or-what-we-talk-about-when-we-talk-about-intersentient-empathy-impr-colloquium-by-michael-bergmann/
LOCATION:ImprovLab\, MacKinnon Room 108\, 87 Trent Lane\, University of Guelph\, Guelph\, Ontario\, N1G 1Y4\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Thinking Spaces
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250424T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250424T173000
DTSTAMP:20250414T182340Z
CREATED:20250414T182340Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250414T182340Z
UID:15601-1745510400-1745515800@improvisationinstitute.ca
SUMMARY:Why Arts Matter Research Speaker Series: Technology
DESCRIPTION:Please join us on Thursday\, April 24 at 4:00 PM (ET) for Technology\, the third and final event of the Winter 2024 Why Arts Matter Research Speaker Series. \nThis presentation will take place in person at ImprovLab\, MCKN 108 at the University of Guelph. The event is free\, although seating is limited. Reserve your spot here! \n\nMore About the Event\nThis panel will explore the transformative impact of technology on culture\, the arts\, and our understanding of the world. Featuring Dr. Peter Kuling\, Dr. Susan Brown\, Dr. Rozita Dara\, and Dr. Donald Bruce\, this discussion will examine how digital performance\, virtual reality\, and artificial intelligence are reshaping cultural engagement and artistic expression. The panelists will delve into the ethical implications of emerging technologies\, the role of digital humanities in fostering collaboration\, diversity\, and inclusivity\, and the ways science and technology are portrayed in media. \nThis series will be video recorded for later distribution. Following the panel\, audience members can engage in a Q&A session. This series will be video recorded for later distribution. Audience members will not be on camera\, however will be asked to sign a release for their voice to be included in the recording if they choose to ask a question. \nMore About the Series\nThe “Why Arts Matter” research speaker series is hosted by the College of Arts in partnership with the International Institute for Critical Studies and Improvisation (IICSI)\, and explores the intersection of disciplines to address individual experience\, social life\, and culture. This series highlights the importance of the arts in shaping our understanding of the world. \nFor more information\, follow this link.
URL:https://improvisationinstitute.ca/event/why-arts-matter-research-speaker-series-technology/
LOCATION:ImprovLab\, MacKinnon Room 108\, 87 Trent Lane\, University of Guelph\, Guelph\, Ontario\, N1G 1Y4\, Canada
CATEGORIES:IICSI events
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250403T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250403T173000
DTSTAMP:20250401T183535Z
CREATED:20250321T001925Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250401T183535Z
UID:15500-1743670800-1743701400@improvisationinstitute.ca
SUMMARY:Journée d’étude: Improvisation\, Pedagogy\, and Cocreative Worldmaking
DESCRIPTION:—”An adept improviser can find ways forward amid impasse\, agency amid oppression\, and community amid division.”\n– The Improviser’s Classroom \nJoin us on April 3\, 2025 at ImprovLab for a full-day symposium investigating ways to re-imagine pedagogy through the prisms of activism\, reciprocity\, and communal care. This free\, open-to-everyone event is focused around the launch of The Improviser’s Classroom: Pedagogies for Cocreative Worldmaking\, the new collection edited by Daniel Fischlin and Mark Lomanno and published through Temple University Press.\n\nDemonstrating how improvisation can inform scenes of teaching and learning\, The Improviser’s Classroom also outlines how improvisatory techniques offer powerful\, if not vital\, tools for producing connection\, creativity\, accompaniment\, reciprocity\, meaningful revelation\, and lifelong curiosity. This event will explore the ideas brought up in this book through several offerings\, including: \n• presentations by the Critical Studies in Improvisation graduate program’s newest cohort: Simon Flint\, Mark Leroy\, Emma Bortolon-Vettor\, and Georgia Simms \n• the book launch for The Improviser’s Classroom: Pedagogies for Cocreative Worldmaking\, featuring a conversation with jashen edwards\, Daniel Fischlin\, Mark Lomanno\, and Carey West \n• a keynote by David L. Clark\, featuring improvised musical responses by annais linares and Germaine Liu \n• closing reflections by Fred Moten\, professor of performance studies and comparative literature at New York University \nFind the full schedule for the day’s events below:\n9:00-9:30 AM—Coffee and Gathering  \n9:30-9:45 AM—Welcome (IICSI) \n9:45-11:45 AM—IMPR 6010/6410 Student Presentations on Emergent/Embodied Teaching Philosophies and Multidisciplinary Approaches to Improvisation; moderated by jashen edwards and Daniel Fischlin; \n11:45 AM-1:00 PM—Lunch Break   \n1:00-2:30 PM—Book Launch: The Improviser’s Classroom: Pedagogies for Cocreative Worldmaking (“Insubordinate Spaces” series edited by George Lipsitz; Temple UP\, Edited by Daniel Fischlin and Mark Lomanno; featuring contributors Carey West and jashen edwards) \n2:30-2:45 PM—Coffee Break   \n2:45-4:15 PM—Keynote David L. Clark “I do not know how to teach: scenes from a life\, made up” with improvised musical response from annaïs linares and Germaine Liu. Moderated by Daniel Fischlin. \n4:15-4:30 PM—Break  \n4:30-5:15 PM—Fred Moten (Closing Reflections). Moderated by Mark Lomanno. \n6:00 PM—Downtown Gathering for Food and Conversation – TBA \n \n 
URL:https://improvisationinstitute.ca/event/journee-detude-improvisation-pedagogy-and-cocreative-worldmaking/
LOCATION:ImprovLab\, MacKinnon Room 108\, 87 Trent Lane\, University of Guelph\, Guelph\, Ontario\, N1G 1Y4\, Canada
CATEGORIES:IICSI events
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250304T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250304T133000
DTSTAMP:20250225T152551Z
CREATED:20250203T154419Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250225T152551Z
UID:15330-1741089600-1741095000@improvisationinstitute.ca
SUMMARY:Thinking Spaces: Fron Reilly\, “Acoustic Innovation: Is There Anything Left to Invent?”
DESCRIPTION:Please join us on Tuesday\, March 4 at 12:00 PM (ET) for Thinking Spaces: “Acoustic Innovation: Is There Anything Left to Invent?” with Fron Reilly—“Is there still room for Innovative Design in the field of purely acoustic musical instruments in an age of digitization?”\n \n\nThis presentation will take place in person at ImprovLab\, MCKN 108 at the University of Guelph. As always\, our Thinking Spaces events are free! \nTo attend the talk\, RSVP via our Google Forms. \nMore About this Presentation:\nIn his talk/workshop\, Fron Reilly will showcase his latest musical invention—the fron2\, a ten-string rotating bowed zither—while sharing the story behind its creation. He’ll also explore the acoustics behind its distinctive sound and explain what sets it apart from electronically generated tones. Afterwards\, audience members are invited to join a live improv session. Bring your instrument! \nMore About the Presenter:\n\nFron Reilly is a maker\, designer\, builder\, and inventor living in Guelph. He holds a BSc in physics from the University of Waterloo. Now retired\, he has worked in many fields including teaching\, industrial automation\, and electronic transformer design. In addition\, he has always been and remains busy in his workshop creating things that work\, including wooden sculptural clock mechanisms\, musical instruments\, kinetic sculptures\, stirling engines\, and sundials. You can see many of his innovative instruments in action on his YouTube channel\, @fronreilly4787\, which has garnered over two million views. \n\nTo attend the talk\, RSVP via our Google Forms.
URL:https://improvisationinstitute.ca/event/thinking-spaces-fron-reilly-acoustic-innovation-is-there-anything-left-to-invent/
LOCATION:ImprovLab\, MacKinnon Room 108\, 87 Trent Lane\, University of Guelph\, Guelph\, Ontario\, N1G 1Y4\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Thinking Spaces
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://improvisationinstitute.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Fron-Reilly-Thinking-Spaces-2025-post-1-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250211T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250211T133000
DTSTAMP:20250128T161939Z
CREATED:20250113T143332Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250128T161939Z
UID:15258-1739275200-1739280600@improvisationinstitute.ca
SUMMARY:Thinking Spaces: Andrew Goldman\, "The Cognition of Musical Improvisation: Theories and Experiments"
DESCRIPTION:Please join us on Tuesday\, February 11 at 12:00 PM (ET) for Thinking Spaces: “The Cognition of Musical Improvisation: Theories and Experiments” with Andrew Goldman.\n \n\nThis presentation will take place in person at ImprovLab\, MCKN 108 at the University of Guelph. As always\, our Thinking Spaces events are free! \nTo attend the talk\, RSVP via our Google Forms. \nMore About this Workshop:\nImprovisation is a challenging topic to study using the theories and methods of cognitive science owing to the difficulty of defining it\, and the diversity of improvisatory practices. I share my theoretical frameworks for engaging this challenge as well as the results from some behavioral and neuroscientific studies. Ultimately\, I draw upon improvisation as a case study for exploring the difficulties of using science to understand music more generally. \nMore About the Presenter:\nAndrew Goldman is a music theorist and cognitive scientist\, and is currently Assistant Professor in Music Theory and Cognitive Science at Indiana University\, where he also directs IU’s Music and Mind Lab. He received his PhD in 2015 at the Centre for Music and Science at the University of Cambridge. He was in the inaugural cohort of Presidential Scholars in Society and Neuroscience at Columbia University\, and also held a postdoctoral position with the Music\, Cognition\, and the Brain initiative at Western University before joining the faculty at Indiana University.  \nHis research considers how we can (and cannot) use scientific methods to learn about musical perception and cognition in theory\, and he also designs and conducts behavioral and neuroscientific experiments on music perception and cognition. Goldman’s research has focused on improvisation in music and dance\, and more recent work has addressed the perception of musical form\, melodic contour\, metrical perception\, and embodiment in music. His work has been published in both music and psychology journals\, and has been presented at national and international conferences including the Society for Music Theory\, the International Conference for Music Perception and Cognition\, and the American Psychological Association. Goldman is also a pianist and composer. His original musical\, “Science! The Musical” provides an alternate platform to explore the worlds of music and science. Musical numbers include “The Interdisciplinary Rag\,” “The Real World\,” “Publish or Perish\,” and more!\n \nTo attend the talk\, RSVP via our Google Forms.
URL:https://improvisationinstitute.ca/event/thinking-spaces-andrew-goldman-the-cognition-of-musical-improvisation/
LOCATION:ImprovLab\, MacKinnon Room 108\, 87 Trent Lane\, University of Guelph\, Guelph\, Ontario\, N1G 1Y4\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Thinking Spaces
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250121T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250121T133000
DTSTAMP:20260220T152229Z
CREATED:20250113T142538Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260220T152229Z
UID:15256-1737460800-1737466200@improvisationinstitute.ca
SUMMARY:Thinking Spaces: Justine Woods\, “Re-stitching as Methodology: Garment-making as a Transformative Practice in Research-creation”
DESCRIPTION:Please join us on Tuesday\, January 21 at 12:00 PM (ET) for Thinking Spaces: “Re-stitching as Methodology: Garment-making as a Transformative Practice in Research-creation” with Justine Woods.\n \n\nThis presentation will take place in person at ImprovLab\, MCKN 108 at the University of Guelph. As always\, our Thinking Spaces events are free! \nTo attend the talk\, RSVP via our Google Forms. \nMore About this Workshop:\nIn this combined presentation and workshop\, Justine Woods will discuss garment-making as research-creation with particular focus on the role garments play in resisting settler colonial displacement of Indigenous ontologies and bodies to place. Informed by her PhD dissertation research\, Justine will expand upon the concept of ‘re-stitching’ as both a theoretical framework and embodied practice in exploring how the act of garment-making done by the Indigenous body can regenerate Indigenous ontology and re-stitch new worlds and futurities. \nTo support the workshop component of the talk\, attendees are encouraged to bring an article of clothing that they do not mind making permanent changes and or adjustments to. \nMore About the Presenter:\nJustine Woods is a garment-artist\, creative scholar\, educator\, and curator. Stretching across fields of study\, including but not limited to\, fashion studies\, performance and embodiment\, and research-creation\, Justine’s work passionately situates fashion as a pluriversal phenomenon. Her research centres garment-making as a practice-based method of inquiry toward re-stitching alternative worlds that prioritize Indigenous resurgence and liberation. To learn more about Justine\, please visit her website: www.justinewoods.com\nTo attend the talk\, RSVP via our Google Forms.
URL:https://improvisationinstitute.ca/event/thinking-spaces-justine-woods-re-stitching-as-methodology/
LOCATION:ImprovLab\, MacKinnon Room 108\, 87 Trent Lane\, University of Guelph\, Guelph\, Ontario\, N1G 1Y4\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Thinking Spaces
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20241205T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20241205T203000
DTSTAMP:20241104T195229Z
CREATED:20241016T173803Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241104T195229Z
UID:15038-1733425200-1733430600@improvisationinstitute.ca
SUMMARY:[Postponed until Spring 2025] Thinking Spaces: Eric Fillion\, Sean Mills\, and Désirée Rochat\, "Statesman of the Piano: A Conversation on the Politics of Archiving\, Curating\, and Music Making"
DESCRIPTION:*Postponed until Spring 2025* \nPlease join us for Thinking Spaces: “Statesman of the Piano: A Conversation on the Politics of Archiving\, Curating\, and Music Making” with Eric Fillion\, Sean Mills\, and Désirée Rochat.\n \n\nThis presentation will take place in person at ImprovLab\, MCKN 108 at the University of Guelph\, as well as online via IICSI’s new Twitch Stream. As always\, our Thinking Spaces events are free! \nTo attend the talk in-person or online\, RSVP via our Google Forms. \nMore About the Roundtable Discussion\nPlease join co-editors Eric Fillion\, Sean Mills\, and Désirée Rochat for a conversation around and about Statesman of the Piano: Jazz\, Race\, and History in the Life of Lou Hooper (MQUP\, 2023). The book “sparks new conversations about Hooper’s legacy while shedding light on the cross-border travels and wartime experiences of Black musicians\, the politics of archiving and curating\, and the connections between race and music in the twentieth century.” \nMore About the Presenters\nEric Fillion is director of the International Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation (IICSI) and assistant professor at the School of Languages and Literatures (SOLAL) at the University of Guelph. His research explores the social and symbolic importance of music\, within countercultures and in Canadian international relations. His ongoing work on cultural diplomacy and Canadian-Brazilian relations builds on the experience he has acquired as a musician. It also informs his current research on the postwar Canadian cultural public sphere: his two main projects examine the emergence of the music festival phenomenon in Canada and the entangled sonic histories of diasporic social movements. An affiliate of the North American Cultural Diplomacy Initiative (NACDI)\, Eric Fillion is the founder of the Tenzier archival record label and co-editor of the journal Critical Studies in Improvisation. He is the author of JAZZ LIBRE et la révolution québécoise: musique-action\, 1967-1975 and Distant Stage: Quebec\, Brazil\, and the Making of Canada’s Cultural Diplomacy. His latest book\, Statesman of the Piano: Jazz\, Race\, and History in the Life of Lou Hooper (co-edited with Sean Mills and Désirée Rochat)\, is now available through McGill-Queen’s University Press \nSean Mills is professor and Canada Research Chair in Canadian and Transnational History at the University of Toronto. He is the author of The Empire Within: Postcolonial Thought and Political Activism in Sixties Montreal\, and A Place in the Sun: Haiti\, Haitians\, and the Remaking of Quebec. Most recently\, Mills is the co-editor (with Eric Fillion and Désirée Rochat) of Statesman of the Piano: Jazz\, Race\, and History in the Life of Lou Hooper (2023). Mills is a Member of the College of New Scholars\, Artists\, and Scientists of the Royal Society of Canada and a 2024 Fellow of the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation.\n \nDésirée Rochat is a community educator and transdisciplinary scholar with a PhD in Educational Studies from McGill University. Guided by an integrative approach connecting historical research\, community archival preservation and education\, her work aims to document\, theorize and transmit (hi)stories of Black communities’ activism. Rochat is a FRQSC Post-doctoral fellow at the Centre for Oral History and Digital Storytelling at Concordia University.
URL:https://improvisationinstitute.ca/event/thinking-spaces-eric-fillion-sean-mills-and-desiree-rochat-statesman-of-the-piano-a-conversation-on-the-politics-of-archiving-curating-and-music-making/
LOCATION:ImprovLab\, MacKinnon Room 108\, 87 Trent Lane\, University of Guelph\, Guelph\, Ontario\, N1G 1Y4\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Thinking Spaces
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20241122T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20241122T133000
DTSTAMP:20241108T173954Z
CREATED:20241009T174704Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241108T173954Z
UID:15016-1732276800-1732282200@improvisationinstitute.ca
SUMMARY:Thinking Spaces: Priya Zalis\, "Clinical Improvisation in Music Psychotherapy"
DESCRIPTION:*** Rescheduled to 12:00 PM (ET) *** \nPlease join us on Friday\, November 22 at 12:00 PM (ET) for Thinking Spaces: “Clinical Improvisation in Music Psychotherapy” with Priya Zalis.\n \n\nThis presentation will take place in person at ImprovLab\, MCKN 108 at the University of Guelph. As always\, our Thinking Spaces events are free! \nTo attend the talk in-person or online\, RSVP via our Google Forms. \nMore About this Workshop:\nIn this workshop\, Priya will introduce her approach to music psychotherapy in the context of adult mental health\, inviting attendees to participate in exploring the role that clinical improvisation can play in accessing and processing emotions\, building social connection\, and developing personal insights and growth.  \nMore About the Presenter:\nPriya Zalis (RP\, MTA\, MMT) is a music therapist\, psychotherapist\, and educator working in adult inpatient mental health and addictions in Guelph\, Ontario\, Canada. She holds a Master’s in Music Therapy (Wilfrid Laurier University) and a Diploma in Gestalt Psychotherapy (Gestalt Institute of Toronto)\, and has prior experience in hospice\, oncology\, long-term care\, and community mental health settings. Current research explores the impacts of group music therapy in trauma processing and issues related to diversity\, equity\, inclusion\, and belonging in Canadian music therapy. She loves spending time with her family and getting lost in a good book. \nTo attend the talk in-person or online\, RSVP via our Google Forms.
URL:https://improvisationinstitute.ca/event/thinking-spaces-priya-zalis-clinical-improvisation-in-music-psychotherapy/
LOCATION:ImprovLab\, MacKinnon Room 108\, 87 Trent Lane\, University of Guelph\, Guelph\, Ontario\, N1G 1Y4\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Thinking Spaces
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20241115T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20241115T133000
DTSTAMP:20241108T174031Z
CREATED:20241016T171906Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241108T174031Z
UID:15036-1731672000-1731677400@improvisationinstitute.ca
SUMMARY:Thinking Spaces: Phil Mullen\, "Ways Into Improvisation"
DESCRIPTION:*** Rescheduled to 12:00 PM (ET) *** \nPlease join us on Friday\, November 15 at 12:00 PM (ET) for Thinking Spaces: “Ways Into Improvisation” with Phil Mullen. \nThis presentation will take place in person at ImprovLab\, MCKN 108 at the University of Guelph. As always\, our Thinking Spaces events are free! \n\nTo attend the talk in-person or online\, RSVP via our Google Forms. \nMore About the Workshop\nIn this participatory workshop\, Dr Mullen will look at three approaches to group improvising—1) improvising with pulse and rhythm\, 2) using stimuli such as text\, visuals and thematic starting points\, and 3) the Search and Reflect methodology as pioneered by Phil’s mentor John Stevens\, a key figure in European Free Group Improvisation. Please bring an instrument if possible. \nMore About the Presenter\nPhil Mullen has worked for forty years developing music with people who are socially excluded. He specializes in working with excluded children and young people at risk. He has run workshops\, seminars and training in 28 countries across Europe\, North and South America\, Australia and Asia. \nPhil has a PHD from Winchester University and has written a number of book chapters on musical inclusion including for the Oxford Handbook of Community Music (2018). Phil’s book “Challenging Voices: Music making with young people excluded from school” is published by Peter Lang.
URL:https://improvisationinstitute.ca/event/thinking-spaces-phil-mullen-ways-into-improvisation/
LOCATION:ImprovLab\, MacKinnon Room 108\, 87 Trent Lane\, University of Guelph\, Guelph\, Ontario\, N1G 1Y4\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Thinking Spaces
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20241113T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20241113T141500
DTSTAMP:20241107T211904Z
CREATED:20241107T211802Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241107T211904Z
UID:15090-1731502800-1731507300@improvisationinstitute.ca
SUMMARY:On Cuddling: Loved to Death in the Racial Embrace—Reading and Conversation with Dr. Phanuel Antwi (UBC)
DESCRIPTION:Please join us on Wednesday\, November 13 at 1:00 PM (ET) for On Cuddling: Loved to Death in the Racial Embrace—a Reading and Conversation with Dr. Phanuel Antwi (UBC) \nThis event will take place in person at ImprovLab\, MCKN 108 at the University of Guelph. This event is free and open to everybody!\n \nMore About the Event\nRanging from the terrifying embrace of the slave ship’s hold to the racist encoding of ‘cuddly’ toys\, On Cuddling is a unique combination of essay and poetry that contends with the way racial violence is enacted through intimacy. Informed by Black feminist and queer poetics\, Antwi focuses his lens on the suffering of Black people at the hands of state violence and racial capitalism. As radical movements grow to advance Black liberation\, so too must our ways of understanding how racial capitalism embraces us all. Antwi turns to cuddling\, an act we imagine as devoid of violence\, and explores it as a tense transfer point of power. \nMore About the Presenter\nDr. Phanuel Antwi is the Canada Research Chair in Black Arts and Epistemologies in the Department of English Language and Literatures at the University of British Columbia. He is an artist\, teacher and organizer concerned with race\, poetics\, movements\, intimacy\, and struggle. He works with text\, dance\, film\, and photography to intervene in artistic\, academic\, and public spaces. He is a curator\, activist\, and associate professor. He is an alumnus of the U of G and a research team member with the IICSI. \nPresented by Interdisciplinary Programs\, the International Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation\, and the Office of Academic Equity and Anti-Racism
URL:https://improvisationinstitute.ca/event/on-cuddling-loved-to-death-in-the-racial-embrace-reading-and-conversation-with-dr-phanuel-antwi-ubc/
LOCATION:ImprovLab\, MacKinnon Room 108\, 87 Trent Lane\, University of Guelph\, Guelph\, Ontario\, N1G 1Y4\, Canada
CATEGORIES:IICSI events
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20241025T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20241025T123000
DTSTAMP:20241016T173909Z
CREATED:20241011T153914Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241016T173909Z
UID:15030-1729854000-1729859400@improvisationinstitute.ca
SUMMARY:Thinking Spaces: Melissa Noventa\, "Movement Across Borders: Improvisation\, Diplomacy\, and Transcultural Dialogues"
DESCRIPTION:Please join us on Friday\, October 25 at 11:00 AM (ET) for Thinking Spaces: “Movement Across Borders: Improvisation\, Diplomacy\, and Transcultural Dialogues” with Melissa Noventa\, accompanied by percussionist Mario Allende.\n \n\nThis presentation will take place in person at ImprovLab\, MCKN 108 at the University of Guelph\, as well as online via IICSI’s new Twitch Stream. As always\, our Thinking Spaces events are free! \nTo attend the talk in-person or online\, RSVP via our Google Forms. \nMore About the Workshop\nIn a world with ever increasing migration and cultural exchange\, dance holds a unique power to facilitate dialogue across cultural and political boundaries. Combining an informal talk with an interactive movement session\, we’ll dive into how movement can act as a tool for diplomacy\, offering new ways to engage with people from different backgrounds and experiences. Participants will be encouraged to engage with the nuances of improvisation as both a personal and collective practice\, experiencing how movement can communicate across borders. Whether you are a seasoned dancer\, or someone just curious about how the body communicates\, come ready to move\, experiment and reflect. No prior experience is required—just a willingness to move and explore new ideas! \nMore About the Presenter\nMelissa Noventa is a dancer and ethnographer originally from Guelph\, Ontario. She has over 15 years of experience performing and teaching a wide range of dance genres\, including classical\, contemporary\, urban\, West African\, Latin\, and Afro-Caribbean vocabularies. Melissa has collaborated with renowned institutions such as NYU Tisch and performed alongside a diverse range of artists from Canada’s Arcade Fire to some of Cuba’s premier folkloric ensembles. Most recently\, she performed in the Obeah Opera which toured South Africa over the summer. Melissa holds a BFA and MA in Dance from York University and is currently a PhD candidate at Queen’s University where her research focuses on cultural diplomacy through music and dance\, with a particular emphasis on the relationship between Canada and Cuba. \nFor this presentation\, Melissa will be accompanied by percussionist Mario Allende.
URL:https://improvisationinstitute.ca/event/thinking-spaces-melissa-noventa-movement-across-borders-improvisation-diplomacy-and-transcultural-dialogues/
LOCATION:Ontario
CATEGORIES:Thinking Spaces
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