PARIP 2005

International Conference | 29 June - 03 July 2005

Kelman Group | UK

Kelman Group PARIP Presentation

Who are we?

"The Kelman Group" is a company dedicated to the research, practice and dissemination of kelmanworks- the improvised theatre techniques developed by Scott Kelman (Portland USA). Kelman has been developing the methods for over 40 years through his involvement in the Off Off Braodway movement in the 60s and 70s and his "Pipeline inc." organisation in L.A. in the 80s. We are the only practitioners using this performance form outside of Scott Kelman's own company in the U.S.

The company’s activities broadly fall into two areas: development and dissemination of the kelmanworks techniques through beginners and advanced workshops; and research into its application through performance.

We are continually engaged in a research enquiry into the relationship between process and performance. Kelmanworks differs from other methods of performance making in that the process is made explicit in performance. The exercises we have developed are integral to performance, rather than just being a training tool for improvising performers. It is this relationship between performance and process which forms the basis of our practice as research.

What we are going to do?

Much of our public performance up until now has been generated spontaneously in front of the audience’s eyes, with no pre-knowledge of structure or content, relying purely on our skills as an improvising ensemble. More recently, however, we have shifted the emphasis of our research towards creating work which is still generated from the kelmanwork principles, but has a partially known content and structure, developed through an extensive period of research and rehearsal.

We are proposing to present a performance-in-process of the piece we are currently working on (working title – Fuego) followed by a demonstration of our core techniques and how they are used to devise new material.

Fuego is attempting to answer the following research questions:

• How to balance improvised and set material, in order to pursue an active investigative process through rehearsal and continuing into performance.
• In what ways this performance practice (kelmanworks) can function inter-culturally as a non-culturally-specific medium of communication.

What’s the context?

This piece is being devised in the context of an inter-cultural collaboration between UK and Colombia. Supported by the British Council, Arts Council of England, Colombian Ministry of Culture, the University of Leeds, a two-year programme of research is being undertaken, including on-going exchanges, work-in-process showings, workshops and symposia in both countries.

In 2004 the first work-in-process showing of a play called Kilele took place in Leeds University’s Workshop Theatre, involving the Kelman Group working together with Colombian artists and students. The work was based on a preliminary script written by Felipe Vergara, tackling issues of the on-going conflict in Colombia and the misunderstandings about its roots. In this process we were investigating how kelmanworks can be applied to a script in order to develop narrative, character and atmosphere.

Fuego attempts to respond to this initial piece. The aim ultimately is to investigate the possibility of generating performance (culturally and non-culturally specific) which can facilitate an inter-cultural dialogue between Colombia and the UK.