Gael's Erratic Pigeon Post | Welcome (back) in the world
I'm back on board, the Pigeon is flying and hopefully will not get lost on its way
I hope that some of you are proud of me: it's been less than a year since the last Pigeon Post, and even though today is a bit of madness, I will go through my shame and send this anyways.
Some of you are new here: welcome to the Erratic Pigeon Post! I have been very erratic indeed lately, and am trying to get back to posting here more often. I stand behind my original words: you will receive news from me at least once a month, and never more than once a week. Should be doable, right?
What's old, what's new?
Since I last shared stuff here, a lot happened! Some new things, and some old things, but definitely a lot!
I created two more duo shows with two brilliant improvisers
Last time I talked about the beautiful creation process I had in March 2023 with Diego Ingold, creating our new show What Remains. It was really rewarding and good for my soul to work on this project, and we could even continue the work during the Summer in Mallorca, performing it twice in front of a packed audience!
Between June and November, I also worked with two of my favorite improvisers out there on two other shows.
First, I worked with the magnificent and talented Katy Schutte on a show called The Winchesters. After hours drinking teas and nerding about the lore of our potential show, we settled for a mystical case-solving married couple called Flora and Adam Winchester. We premiered at the Robin Hood festival in Nottingham, and it was such a joy to perform it! If you are curious about it, you can catch up next at the Improfestival Karlsruhe (but shhhht, this is still secret info!).
Secondly, over the months of July in Amsterdam and November in Berlin, I was lucky enough to work with the fantastic Inbal Lori on our common dissatisfaction of the Hero's Journey. The result is a show called The Hero·ine Who Got Lost, the story of a person losing track of what's good or bad, what decisions are appropriate to make and mostly of themselves in the process. We performed for the first time at Ratibortheater in Berlin, and will be featured next in June, at the Flock Festival!
These three new shows are some of my favorite improv to do: silly and physical and noisy for one, with a strong sense of style and deeply narrative but light and free for another, and emotionally grounded, bone-grinding and complex for the last.
It also fueled my artistic-self very nicely, I would recommend to anyone to work with people you love and admire on stuff you love and crave!
I became artistic director of a third (!) festival
IMPRO Amsterdam
Tomorrow (or rather tonight), IMPRO Amsterdam is kicking of! It is my last year as Artistic Director & Head of Production, and it's been quite a ride! (if you are living in the Netherlands you can have a look at the application to take over)
It is a gorgeous festival, big and full of talented people, and I am very excited to be part of it behind the scene, and this year on stage as well. You're still considering coming? It is still possible and I'd love to see you there!
Improfestival Karlsruhe
The second festival I co-direct with Manuel Speck is happening in Karlsruhe. This year again, the Improfestival Karlsruhe will take place in August, and will grow a bit more (6 nights, 18 shows) but stay very 'gezellig', family-style and in a small venue.
We try to bring there some of the best improvisers we know to create an unforgettable event every year! Last Summer's festival was genuinely one of the highest average quality of improv I had seen in a long time. Am I biased? Maybe, maybe not! Come to figure it out, workshops and program will be revealed on March 1st.
As a bonus, Improtheater Karlsruhe, the structure lead by Manuel and supporting the festival, just found a new location that will comprise 3 classrooms, a social space, and the opportunity to have a home for the company. They are doing a crowdfunding to help with the cost of renovation and installation: if you would like to support their new place, check it out and consider donating!
Flock Festival
The third (and last?) festival I direct is one of our own creation with Flock Theatre! For its first edition happening from June 24 to June 30, we saw big with 7 days of festival, 21 shows and 14 workshops!
I am very excited and proud of what we are putting together, and to be working with a fantastic team alongside me: Laura, Tanine and Christianna are making this whole endeavour an exciting and pleasant adventure.
Workshops for the Flock Festival are now open, we also have open applications to be part of the festival ensemble (a special show-creation project lead by Inbal over 3 full days), we have a festival pass that can include accommodation, and more to come.
An adventure in the Arctic Circle
Last time I announced that I had been selected for an artistic residency of 3 weeks in the Arctic Circle, on a tall ship sailing around the archipelago of the Svalbard. What?! Yes!
Well, I am very excited about the perspective and very nervous at the same time: it's the first time that I am taking proper time for myself when in creation.
I'm of course excited about spending almost a month with other artists and scientist from over the world, and to share, exchange and create alongside them, in a beautiful, harsh and intriguing part of this world.
But I'm also terrified at the idea of not succeeding to create. My imposter syndrome is through the roof, my palms are sweaty at the idea of being a fraud artist and I'm still partially in denial of having even been selected. I guess that's what we are all facing at times?
In order to help me sustain the project financially, I launched a fundraising to cover approximately 20-25% of the total costs. If you are curious about hearing more details about this adventure and/or if you would like to support me, please have a look at the funding page!
Improv thoughts and nerdy talks
I have been discussing a lot with some other improvisers about the notion of artistic rights, as well as on the semantics we use around improv: both internally between improvisers, but also publicly in our advertisement and communication with the world.
One thing that I realise needs better definition is the concept of format in improv. It means so many things, and it feels like we all have our own version of what it means!
For some of us it is the structural rules that define a show, for some of us it involves the set of skills that need to be practiced to perform a given show 'properly' (or at least according to what the creator / director intended), for some of us it is mostly the core idea but the buildup around could be different.
I have my own version (and dreams and frustrations) around this word and its use, and I will probably write a longer piece about it, but I would love to hear from you what you think when you hear the word format!
In the meantime, I'm gonna go back to work, and dive into the coming week with about 200 improvisers from all over for IMPRO Amsterdam, so maybe see you there!
Love you all!
Gael
The cooking stuff
You know how sometimes you assume that everyone knows something, and then you realise that most people don't? This happened to me this Winter when Laura was quite amazed by the concept of this weird long bread partially cut and stuffed with yumminess.
My mother had brought that (secretly, alongside a bottle of crémant) on an outing with the family to surprise us, and the French people in the crowd behaved very normally (also excited, because it's exciting) around this whole concept.
What is it will you ask? A pain surprise. Literally 'surprise bread'. It's a very classic thing in France for parties around the holidays as a little snack or appetiser. And it is the best. It is just fresh bread made into little sandwiches put back in the bread, in a sort where you pick a sandwich without knowing what you will get: SURPRISE!
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