March Newsletter: Workshops, Streams and Live Events

Hello to all friends, dear ones, in life and spirit, and to all new subscribers!

I hope you’re all keeping safe and well in these times. I’m in Norway still, in lockdown here since visiting family at Christmas. Arrived with one small suitcase of winter clothes and gifts and a few books and after much unsettledness settled into what turned out to be a late Winter full of deep luminous snow, bright cold and tests of resolve and connection. Now I’m returning to this space to engage with you via the vastness of the internet.

Here I will update you at irregular intervals with news, share informal thoughts, link you up to new pieces of work, invite you to join me for workshops, streamings and even (dare I say it) live performances! Some Letters will be short and pithy, others like this introductory one a little longer…Hope you’ll enjoy reading these and I wish you a good start to the northern hemisphere Spring season!

USEFUL PROVERB – MARCH 2021

WHEN THE FROZEN LAKE STARTS TO THAW

IT IS GOOD NOT TO STAND ON IT

SKIING POETICS

Adapting the idea that if layers are good for poetics, they can help with skiing, here’s a list of the clothings I used a couple of weeks ago when skiing for a week in the bare Norwegian mountains with brutal arctic headwind.

LOWER BODY: 1 underwear, boxer, cotton / 1 boxer short, wool / 1 Merino 260 icebreaker full leg stilongs / 1 pair of wool knee-high socks / 1 3/4 padded Merino stilongs / 1 felt-cotton stomach-kidney warmer / 1 thick bubble skiing pants / 1 smartwool short padded socks / 1 pair lined skiing boots / UPPER BODY: 1 sports bra / 1 short-sleeved breathable wool tee / 1 long sleeved padded breathable tee / 1 260 Merino long sleeved top layer high neck / 1 thin cashmere jumper / 1 sleeveless fleece / 1 thick down hooded anorak / 1 pair thick skiing gloves / TOP BODY: 1 tunnel morino scarf / 1 ear warmer / 1 fleece wool beanie / 1 layer of Norwegian kuldesalve dense face ointment / 1 arctic UV protection glasses / 1 small rucksack /

Needless to say, movement beyond pushing forward and staying upright is not required

2020/21 WORKSHOP SERIES

We started the new series in February with a short, lively, playful, all-rounder workshop New Energy, New Writing toolbox. It was wonderful to work with such a great and varied group and getting our spirits up and going. I hope it also helped with any writing hold-ups you may have been experiencing in the wake of this winter’s very trying lockdowns.

In response to my brief Other-Hand Writing – inspired by the poet and artist Henri Michaux, a lovely response created by participant Yasmine Seale (used w kind permission)

We’re now entering the last two workshops of this early 2021 series with two Writing Intensives, which have precise focus and aspirations.

13 MARCH 10am GMT / 5am EST / 9pm AEDT

VISUAL WRITING – First up is ‘Visual Writing’. It takes place on the 13th March. I invite writers, artists, designers, choregraphers, and others to explore the graphic, physical and performative qualities of ink, line work, various media and mixed gestures towards opening up your writing and the thinking around your writing. No drawing experience necessary!

Join me. Few tickets still remaining (including discounted rates): https://bit.ly/3hcalpD

10 & 17 APRIL – two-part intensive + mid-week teamwork & surgeries

2pm GMT / 9am EST/ 1am AEDT

COLLABORATIVE WRITING The final workshop is very close to my heart and is the core of these workshops. It is a two-part intensive called ‘Collaborative Writing Processes’. It takes place on the10th and 17th of April, with mid-week team surgeries.

This course is exclusively brief- and discussion-led and will focus on team work between practitioners (writers, artists, organisers,..) who are keen on exploring the nature of co-authorship, project building, sharing resources. For a total of some 10-12 hours and offline work, and following some guiding work from me, we will dive in and work together, and will ask how this can inform each our future collaborations, the involvement in our own contexts, and enhance our arts practice thinking.

Unique opportunity to be part of a 10 – 12 hour online/offline team-based project work.

Bring your creative and thoughtful presence to this special workshop.

Tickets available now (bursaries are all taken but we have included discounted tickets for students/low income): https://bit.ly/38dMFxW

Currently the workshops run totally independently of any financial partner, yet bursaries are always offered on application and student fares are geared to also help low income writers.

Please share and pass on the links to anyone you feel would benefit from attending.

MICRO PIECES

I have started to compile the animated gifs and micro videos that have been circulating on my social media this past year. Most of which have been created with the support of Elyssa Fagan.

Please follow my YouTube channel to see these pieces, tell me what you think and do subscribe to be the first to see and hear more pieces, which will be added soon: https://bit.ly/3sPIqk8

FESTIVALS & SONIC ATLAS

All my festival activities are again cancelled for this Summer season. So I will be creating online a lot! Many of you know how tough it is to keep delaying the premiering of work. It goes upstream and affects the composition itself and team motivation. We each keep going best one can. The new and closing performance to my long cycle of multilingual vocal works Sonic Atlas will now take place sometime in September. In the meantime do check the digital release for the meandering audioscape composed during lockdown and for online streaming at Berlin’s International Poetry festival last year. Now remixed and remastered. With sound design from Jamie Hamilton and the constellated voices of some 15 poets. Check it here:

SONOSCURA

Final news. I am delighted to have been chosen to be one of the mentors for this year’s wonderful Oram Awards dedicated to supporting innovative female and gender minority composers and sound artists.

Hope to work with you in the Zroom!

Thanks for reading, I wish you a good and energising month

Stay safe, Keep your heart warm

>>CB