THINKING IN INSTANT COMPOSITION | A MENTORSHIP BY LUCIA WALKER

Over the course of three days in September, 13 participants took part in Thinking In Instant Composition, a mentorship led by Wales-based movement artist, performer and teacher, Lucia Walker.

Ensemble sensitivity, play, curious presence, and the exploration of compositional decisions about relationship, movement and space were some of the key concepts explored during the mentorship, and demonstrated for a live audience through The Open Moment.

the open moment

“One of the ways we train our skills is noticing that we have them, acknowledging and recognising our bodies and what they do, kind of like breathing – the recognition of the functions and abilities that the body performs so naturally.” – Lucia Walker

Over the course of Thinking In Instant Composition, Walker lead participants through exercises designed to help them locate the body in space, heighten their sense of responsiveness, awareness, and collective movement, and develop an active curiosity for what’s taking place around them.

Seeing one’s environment, the other people and stimuli in this environment, as well as allowing oneself to be seen by others is central in this regard. Following this vital step, explains Walker, is the act of quietening the mind and the body and allowing the secondary impulse or discovery to emerge.

In The Open Moment, much of this was demonstrated in a series of open explorations towards achieving a state of presence. “What do we need to practice to be in a state to make decisions in the present?” asks Walker at the onset of The Open Moment.

For Walker, this kind of practice makes use of “scores”, not in the musical sense, but rather as a structure into which you can improvise. Here, the structure could be the number of people on stage, the length of the exploration, or the conditions – two people are silent while one speaks, or everybody must keep their eyes closed.

Accompanied by the musical performance of Daniel Stompie Selibe, who was also present throughout the course of the Thinking In workshop, the participants engaged in various exercises demonstrating these key concepts. A Q&A session following The Open Moment prompted further reflections from the audience and participants alike.

CREDITS:

MENTOR | Lucia Walker
PARTICIPANTS | Aalliyah Zama Matintela, Dimakatso Motholo, Jaden Mmokwa Oratile Mosadi, Joziah Wheeler, Lillian Malulyck, Mkutaji wa Njia, Sami Maseko, Sinenhlanhla Mgeyi, Sthe Khali, Uvile Ximba, Thulani Chauke, Toby Ngomane & Zwelethu Ndlovu
MUSICIAN | Daniel Stompie Selibe
MOMENTEUR FOR THE SO ACADEMY | Athena Mazarakis