Welcome to the Inaugural Freedom: The Art of Improvisation Festival, Spanning the Clubwise modernist sensibilities of the Westside and the Improv–Central Eastside comes Warriors International’s Freedom: The Art of Improvisation Festival, a ground breaking mid-summer two day festival held at Hackney’s Vortex combining workshops, DJ sets and live music from midday. & Curated by Warriors International – Orphy Robinson & Cleveland Watkiss. The Freedom Festival builds upon the highly acclaimed once monthly Freedom loft Sessions – boundary pushing, uplifting Improv jams and DJ sessions – From Ornette Coleman and Joe Harriott inspired freewheeling improvisations, Harmelodic grooves cascade and sit alongside deep sonic explorations of frequencies through to a myriad of genre twisting manipulations of silence. The Art of Improvisation loft sessions began life at Hoxton’s famed Charlie Wrights club and are now at its new home at the Vortex. True to its original ethos, The Freedom Festival brings a unique perspective to the world of ‘improv’ and unites a scintillating cross-generational, cross cultural collective of inspirational musicians to perform in a variety of multi-dimensional musical settings.
27 SATURDAY WORKSHOPS AND PERFORMANCE TIMES
9.30am-10.10am: “SONGERAMA” Vocal Improvisation Workshop with Cleveland Watkiss
. “Songerama is an inclusive workshop for everyone, even those with very little or no experience of the performing arts. This unique workshop is open to all ages & abilities. Families’ welcome.
10.45 – 11.45am: Jazz Warriors workshop: Led by Claude Deppa – Trumpet & Ray Carless – Sax.
12.00 – 6.30pm PERFORMANCE PROGRAMME
2.00pm -1.15pm: AACM 50th ANNIVERSARY ‘Ancient to the future, (AMPLIFIER) Great black music’ A Vinyl /Freeform Music & Spoken Word Opera Session: Byron Wallen – Trumpet, HKB Finn – Spoken Word/African Drums, Paul Bradshaw – Decks.
2.00pm -3.00pm: XENICIBIS FREEFORM ENSEMBLE: Phillip Achille – Harmonica, Nubya Garcia -Sax’s, Cath Roberts – Baritone Sax, Sahra Gure – Voice, Tori Handsley -Harp, Zuri Jarrett Boswell – Piano, Renell Shaw -Bass, Beibei Wang -Perc.
3.45pm -4.30pm: TONY KOFI’S SPHINX TRIO (Ornette Coleman Project) Tony Kofi – Alto Sax, Andrew Robb – Bass, Rod Youngs – Drums. Special Guest – Cleveland Watkiss.
4.45pm – 6.30pm: FREEDOM: The Art of Improvisation loft jam session: Free Improv Jam Session. These open sessions will end each day of this first year of the festival.
FROM 6.30PM THE FREEDOM FESTIVAL CONTINUES DOWNSTAIRS
7.30pm – 11.00pm: ‘DUKE JOINT’ Swing Dub: DJ Sets.
28 SUNDAY WORKSHOPS AND PERFORMANCE TIMES
10.30am – 11.30am: “Improv Workshop” AN EXPLORATION OF IMPROVISATION TECHNIQUES WORKSHOP WITH STEVE BERESFORD
12.00pm -1.15pm: FREEFORM IMPROV STRINGS JAM SESSION: led by Alison Blunt – Violin & Kate Shortt – Cello, Paul Bradshaw – Decks.
2.00pm -3.00pm: ROWLAND SUTHERLAND QUARTET: Rowland Sutherland Quartet feat Ansuman Biswas (Percussion), Guillaume Viltard (Double bass) and Special Guest Steve Beresford (Piano /Electronics)
3.45pm – 4.30pm: BLACK TOP: (Orphy Robinson – Vibes/ Perc /Keys. Pat Thomas – Piano / Electronics) with Special Guests – Cleveland Watkiss – Voice/Looping. Rachel Musson – Sax, Roland Ramanan – Trumpet, Otto Williams – Bass, Mark Mondesir – Drums.
4.45pm – 6.30pm: FREEDOM: The Art of Improvisation loft jam session: Free Improv Jam Session. These open sessions will end each day of this first year of the festival.
More information here https://www.freedom-festival.co.uk
