A four-week workshop series : spontaneous music, DIY field recording, soundscapes, community. Supporting everyday creativity and reflection.

(4 workshop series - purchase ticket for 2nd Nov for access to whole series)

Monday 2nd November 10am- 11.30am

Monday 9th November 10am- 11.30am

Monday 16th November 10am- 11.30am

Monday 23rd November 10am- 11.30am

Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle upon Tyne.

Four weeks of adventurous spontaneous music workshops to explore and bolster our personal creative process - we'll work together in new ways, and collaborate on a sound piece which will debut at the Freedom Moving celebration at Gosforth Civic Theatre. Read on!

WHAT WILL WE DO?

In a practical, relaxed group setting, we will explore structured improvisation and engrossing musical games, learning to conduct and listen carefully to each other, responding to prompts, bringing non-musical objects and ideas into sound. We will each have the chance to bring ideas and to lead the group into different sound-worlds and pieces, if we choose to. Or we can listen, accompany, and find our own way in. Using what we discover, we will create a recorded sound piece based on what we discover together, which will debut at the Freedom Moving event.

As the workshops go on, we will design very simple rituals and practices for ourselves to gather materials, and so lightly build everyday creative acts into our busy lives, bringing back inspiration and sonic ore to share and make art within the group.

As part of each 90 minute session we will capture some recordings of different pieces, which will be circulated as the ‘minutes’. These can be a powerful tool for reflection – on rehearing these things done with permission and intention, we are often pleasantly surprised and inspired by what we hear.

WHO IS IT FOR?

The workshops are for adults who are interested in exploring improvisation, spontaneous group composition, musical games and reflective exercises, and more. If you are feeling the need to connect with others and with your own creativity, and are willing to commit to doing interesting and unusual things with a like-minded group for 4 weeks, then it's for you. If you are someone interested in how musical improvisation and a reflective approach can support your existing creative practice, then it's for you.

Please be reassured: no specific music or artistic experience required, just a willingness to gently step into the work together and attend to what happens. If you do play or create things, then by all means bring any medium or instrument you choose - there’ll be instruments and materials available, and space to share.

WHAT IS THIS ALL ABOUT?

Near Earth Objects is a space to show up curious, to reconnect with our deeper creative impulses — those impulses that are easily shoved to the back of the queue if we don't give them a bit of airtime. It is led by music therapist, facilitator and sometime progressive grunge-folk guitar astronaut Chris Minnis, and draws on a range of disciplines and traditions, from creative music therapy to the Scratch Orchestra, deep listening approaches, field recording, found sounds, and the everyday magic in the sound of birds or the rustle of a good sci-fi novel.

Whilst practicing as a music therapist for the last 10 years, I have had many experiences of needing to recharge my creative battery, and to give myself permission to reconnect with the basic elements of play, connection and exploration. In my workshop practice I encourage people to allow themselves to do things together and work out the meaning collaboratively, and to embed a spirit of creativity and play through developing their own good creative habits.

So, a group like this provides a space to get together and hold each other gently accountable in taking our creativity seriously - as a key part of our own flourishing. It can be surprisingly hilarious, surprisingly moving - it can create music that we would never have imagined on our own. It is a unique workshop series drawing on a rich mix of approaches. Join us and find out

WHEN?

10am-11.30am

Mondays throughout November:

2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd

WHERE?

Gosforth Civic Theatre

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

The 4 workshop series costs £60, payable as a single ticket. Eventbrite processing fee applies. Attendees are strongly encouraged to attend the whole series (there are no single tickets, as this is a process based group).

Description supplied by the event organiser.