Episodi
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Vocal Improvisation and Regenerative Music
Jaka Ć kapin is a Slovenian vocalist, researcher, and facilitator currently based in London. A conversation about collective vocal improvisation, relationality, and the ancient technologies we keep forgetting.
From Classical Choir to Vocal ImproviserJaka's musical journey moved in 5â7 year cycles: classical choir singing in Slovenia, music studies in London, and then a turn toward free vocal improvisation â sparked by a Facebook ad for a voice improvisation course. He went deep into the American tradition around Bobby McFerrin, studied with Meredith Monk and has since been weaving Slovenian folk singing traditions into his work.
What Does "Sounding Good" Even Mean?How important is it to sound good during improvisation? In the communities Jaka works with, the operative word is relationality, not "good or bad". How does this music relate to oneself, to others in the space, to the more-than-human, to ancestors, to the land. Technical quality is not the point. The point is what opens up in the space between people.
"In many cultures, there's no such thing as a word for improvisation â because it's not needed."
The Anthropos ProjectJaka is part of Anthropos, a vocal quartet that creates complete collective improvisations â nothing pre-planned, using only invented language (no spoken language of any member). The project aims for a pre-modern context for music-making: before music was a commodity, before it was a profession. Their debut recording Songs of Humanity happened in three hours, in the middle of the pandemic in July 2020.
The project is also a technology for transcultural exchange â exploring how collective vocal improvisation can facilitate communication across diverse groups, including in dementia care settings.
Developing a Language Through Other BodiesSince 2016, Jaka has worked with people with Parkinson's disease and dementia in various social settings. This, he says, was the real groundwork for how he improvises:
"I had to sing in such a way that another body could express, or move, or kind of feel supported â feel like they can link with other bodies in the space, feel like they can open up and relate."
He is also part of the The Well - Global Vocal Improvisation Network, which experiments with vocal improvisation as a transformative social tool, like for example in a recent experiment in Canada â making politicians sing and improvise together.
Ancient TechnologiesThe conversation turns to what Jaka calls the "technological spectrum" â and the importance of repositioning ancient or embodied practices alongside (not against) modern technology. Somatic and eco-somatic practices, he notes, are largely rooted in Indigenous knowledge â a lineage that needs to be named, not erased.
"The right kind of technological emptiness can then mean that everything else does reorient itself in the way that is needed."
A Note to Close OnJaka's closing invitation: you don't need a course, a workshop, or even a song. You need a moment in your day. Start with humming â to yourself, to someone in the room, or to your phone. It grows from there.
Jaka Ć kapin â vocalist, facilitator, researcher. Based between Slovenia and London.
Anthropos â collective improvised vocal quartet.
Music played: Ote Taya Ko (Rising) â Anthropos, Songs of Humanity EP
The Well.- Global Vocal Improvisation Network
Hawkwood College
Braziers Park
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A conversation with Jing-Hong Okorn-Kuo, a dance artist from Singapore who splits her time between Asia and Gra, exploring the philosophy of creative vulnerability, the social conditions we must shed to make authentic art, and how movement can excavate the layers within simple gestures.
Topics[00:00â02:00] Meeting through Movement: Jing Hong introduces her transnational practice and a recent "Makers Lab" workshop, where she provoked participants to "stop being nice to each other".[02:00â08:00] Shedding Social Conditions: The philosophy behind accessing the "not nice" aspects of ourselves in creative work. It is not about harming each other, but tapping into the full spectrum of human experience as artistic material while maintaining a professional framework.[08:00â15:00] From Singapore to New York to Everywhere: Jing Hong discusses her foundation learning ballet from her mother in Singapore, her studies in the US, a rough period in New York, and her five years living out of a backpack across Asia. She explains finding freedom in the theater community, where perfection is viewed as a reference point rather than an absolute physical demand.[15:00â21:00] Singapore as a Social Laboratory: An exploration of Singapore's highly sanitized, organized environmentâwhere even nature is controlled and earth is considered dirtyâand how this hyper-comfort can slowly numb an artist's physical sensibility.[21:00â25:00] The Boundaries of Dance: A philosophical inquiry into defining dance. Jing Hong notes that typical keywords for dance, like "clear form, precision, embodiment," could just as easily describe a Shakespearean actor, leading her to embrace a more open, individualized definition as she grows older.[25:00â29:48] Silver Lining and the Layers of Exile: Her current piece is based on a Singaporean play about WWII spirits. She focuses on a mother character to explore modern forms of exileâphysical, political, and emotionalâthrough movement that uncovers "10 gestures within this one gesture".Key InsightsThe Tiger in the Studio: Creative spaces require us to drop everyday politeness and safely welcome our dangerous, subconscious traits to fully utilize our life experiences as artistic material.Perfection as a Compass, Not a Cage: In contrast to the strict aesthetic expectations of traditional dance, theater treats perfection merely as a reference point, allowing artists to intentionally throw obstacles in their own path to discover new creative journeys.The Cost of Extreme Comfort: Singapore's hyper-modern, sanitized environmentâwhere citizens are shielded from the sun, rain, and dirtâprovides absolute ease but slowly numbs the senses, forcing artists to consciously fight to keep their awareness fresh.The Density of Slow Movement: Slowness in performance isn't always an aesthetic choice about speed; it can be a meticulous excavation of a simple movement, revealing up to ten microscopic gestures, emotional layers, and images within a single action like pointing a finger.Performance InfoSilver Lining A solo exploration of exile through the lens of the WWII Pacific theater, from a Singaporean perspective.
Location: Stadtpark Graz, Passamtswiese
Dates: June 21 to July 1.
Times: Every Sunday and Wednesday at 5:30 PM.
Photo: Clara Wildberger -
Episodi mancanti?
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A conversation with Asaf Bachrach, recorded in Slovenia's flower-filled mountains. We meet at training course hosted by Moave and funded by the European Union, where we work on approaches for bringing somatic practices into the world in different way. In this conversation we are exploring how palliative approaches to care offer alternatives to our curative, fix-it culture â and how this approach can help us navigate the polycrisis.
GuestAsaf Bachrach is a cognitive neuroscientist at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), a somatic dancer and teacher, and is involved in collective living in rural France. His work bridges scientific with embodied practice. Through movement and community experimentation, he explores the nature of attention, collective responsibility, and how we physically co-create our reality.
TopicsPalliative vs. Curative Approaches
The distinction between fixing problems (curative) and improving well-being while living with difficulty (palliative). How this extends beyond healthcare â being with what is rather than rushing toward solutions.
Somatics and Non-Separability
What somatics encompasses beyond specific methods â it's an attitude recognizing our ecological interconnection. "Difference without separability": we're distinct but not separate from each other or our environment.
Somatic practice
Asaf uses exercises with sticks to help people experience the responsibility of their attention. This is especially interesting for scientists, who are trained to create artificial separations that somatic work can help illuminate.
Matter is Alive
The stick practice reveals agency as distributed in relationships rather than residing in separate beings. Drawing on Steve Paxton's insight: "The dancer always dances with the floor."
Community Living and Responsibility at Scale
Asaf lives in the community "Larret" in rural France. How smaller-scale living provides direct feedback about consequences, enabling more responsible choices. "Being responsible is being able to respond to consequences."
RessourcesDrawing on Donna Haraway's "Staying with the Trouble," Karen Barad and her insights on the entaglement of matter and meaning, and Martin Buber's I-Thou relationship â the episode covers feminist epistemology, somatic practice, and community living.
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Join for a conversation with the Graz-based choreographer Jadi Carboni.
We talk about her relationship to dance and the body. What is contemporary about contemporary dance? What is modern about post-modern dance? What is the role of experience in dance? How did the role of the dancer evolve from an instrument to a sensing, living, feeling human being?
What is the role of experience in dance from the point of view of a dancer, a choreographer and the audience? How to bridge these gaps? Do we need to?
Jadi is now working on an inclusive, collaborative dance piece titled "Shadows of Freedom" which will be part of Lendwirbel on Saturday, 2nd of May 2026.
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Ein neues Projekt entsteht
Fabio erzĂ€hlt die Geschichte eines neuen Projekts, das aus einer zentralen Frage geboren wurde: Wie können wir uns als Menschen wirklich begegnen? Wild Care will RĂ€ume schaffen, wo Kunst zur Begegnung wird â jenseits von Perfektion und Selbstinszenierung.
Philosophische GrundlagenDas Projekt wurzelt in Martin Bubers Philosophie des "Ich und Du" versus "Ich und Es" â der Unterschied zwischen echter Begegnung und dem Reduzieren anderer auf Objekte oder Werkzeuge. Zentral ist das Konzept der Mutuality (Gemeinschaftlichkeit): das aktive SchĂ€tzen und Teilen dessen, was uns verbindet.
"Alles wahre Leben ist Begegnung" Martin Buber
Persönliche Reise: Vom Systemdenken zum KörperFabio teilt seinen Weg vom Studium der internationalen Beziehungen zur Erkenntnis, dass systemische VerĂ€nderungen an der BrutalitĂ€t der Welt zerbrechen. Seine Konsequenz: "Ich muss tanzen" und die Welt auf einer anderen Ebene als nur der intellektuellen erfahren. Die VerĂ€nderung, die er sich wĂŒnschte, musste in der VerĂ€nderung unserer Erfahrung und RealitĂ€t liegen.
Kontakt-Improvisation als PraxisDer Dreh- und Angelpunkt von Wild Care ist Kontakt-Improvisation: ein spielerisches Forschen mit Schwerkraft, Gleichgewicht und BerĂŒhrung. In der anarchischen Struktur einer "Jam" â ohne feste Regeln oder Hierarchien â entsteht spontane Ordnung und Kooperation.
> "Diese Abwesenheit von Regeln macht es mir möglich, Dinge zu tun, die ich noch nie getan habe. Formen zu finden, die ich mir nicht mal vorstellen kann."
AngeboteLaufender Kurs: Montags um 17:45 Uhr, Orpheumgasse 11, Graz
EinfĂŒhrungskurs: Ab 11. Mai, sechs Wochen kostenlos (mit UnterstĂŒtzung von Askö und der Bewegungsrevolution)
Website: wildcare.space
ZukunftsvisionenLangfristig soll Wild Care zu einer Gemeinschaft werden, die verschiedene Formate entwickelt â nicht nur Bewegung, sondern alle Arten kreativen Ausdrucks, wo Leistungsdruck abnimmt und Kunst als Begegnungsinstrument zunimmt.
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Eine Sendung mit Gedichten ĂŒber Selbstzweifel im Community Radio.
Eine Sendung mit Fragen ĂŒber das Sendungsmachen.
Eine Sendung.
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How do we design a space that alters our reality? In this episode, we travel to Chiang Dao in Northern Thailand to discover Towardsâan immersive, transformative, and embodied learning project created by Sasha Dodo, Dolores Dewhurst-Marks, and Fern Sripungwiwat in 2022.
Towards is a residency that feels like an immersive piece of art where the pristine natural environment and the people within it co-create a space for learning and expression unlike anything I have ever seen. The shift in reality is immediate. Normally, I might write two poems in a month. Here, I wrote five in a single day.
I sit down with Pip, Ido, and Liane to reflect on what we learned there. We discuss what the practice of Contact Improvisation is for us, the role of poetry and what it means to be philosophical in a world designed to be practical.
At Towards, questions are at the center of the work. Everything is designed to encourage "creative agency"âan attitude that deems the strange worth considering and the impossible a direction worth pursuing. We explore questions like:
Can we move not from you and me, but from the dance?
How do I soften myself in order to meet you?
How do I support your direction without supporting you?
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What can community living look like, and what are the tools that we need for it to function? Miel and Adrian ask this question in their project: The Outpost - a research hub for modern community models in rural Sweden.
Everything started with a remarkable place in Swedenâa converted school situated within a 10-meter-high theater (yes, really), overlooking a remote lake. At this place the vision to create a physical think tank where people can experience community, solve practical problems together, and develop open-source blueprints for resilient local communities is now taking shape.
In this conversation we explore why technology isn't the enemy of community, how the solarpunk movement offers positive visions of the future, and why learning to repair things might be an important step toward community resilience. From week-long hackathons focused on real-world solutions to navigating the challenges of collaboration, Adrian and Mielle share how they're experimenting with community models that don't require leaving the city or abandoning modern life.
Whether you're questioning how to find meaningful connection in urban environments, curious about technology's role in sustainable futures, or wondering what community looks like beyond traditional eco-villages, this episode offers a refreshing perspective on building resilient networks in the 21st century.
Quotes"A lot of people see technology as evil... but technology nowadays is developed to be evil. It's used just to generate more profits, not benefit us as humans."
"We really need examples of what our future could look like... We have so many dystopian movies and books, but so little media that shows a positive future."
"Resilient local communities means we are a group of people in close proximity that can rely on each other and go through the struggle of life together."
"Those that benefit from a system, even though you might be critical of it, the most powerful thing you can do is think of how you can use those resources to elicit change."
Practical InformationWebsite: www.theoutpost.networkLocation: 2 hours from Stockholm by car/trainSetting: Rural area, former iron mining region with art scene historyOpen Mine 2026Format: One-week hackathon (limited to 20 participants)Theme: RepairGoal: Physical solutions for community repair capacityHow to Get InvolvedGrowing community of ~25 peopleLooking for people interested in modern community experimentsReach out on the website -
Die Lindy Cats teilen seit ĂŒber zwölf Jahren Tanz und Kultur aus der Swing-Ăra und sind von Wohnzimmer-Treffen zu einer blĂŒhenden Community von hunderten Menschen gewachsen. Von ihrer ehrenamtlichen Struktur bis zu ihren Partnerschaften mit lokalen Venues und Jazz-Musikern haben sie etwas Einzigartiges geschaffen: einen zugĂ€nglichen, einladenden Raum, wo sich Menschen jeden Alters und Könnens im Tanz und der Improvisation begegnen können.
Wir erkunden die Wurzeln des Lindy Hop im Harlem der 1930er, seine Verbindung zur Jazz-Musik und afrikanischen Tanztradition, und warum diese improvisatorische Kunstform heute noch relevant ist. Es geht um die Bedeutung körperlicher NĂ€he in einer zunehmend isolierten Welt, die politischen Dimensionen der Jazz-Kultur und wie Tanz RĂ€ume fĂŒr echte menschliche Begegnung schaffen kann.
Egal ob du neugierig auf Swing-Tanz bist, dich fĂŒr Community Building interessierst, oder dich fragst, wie historische Kunstformen zeitgenössische Einsamkeit adressieren können - diese Episode bietet Einblicke in das Schaffen bedeutungsvoller Verbindungen durch gemeinsame Bewegung und Musik.
ThemenUrsprĂŒnge des Swing Dance in Graz [00:00-10:00]Ăber die EhrenprĂ€sidentin der Lindy CatsWachstum von WohnzimmertĂ€nzen zu einer Community von HundertenWie YouTube und neue Technologien halfen, Swing-Tanz um 2010-2013 wiederzubelebenLindy Hop als "Paartanz fĂŒr Individualisten"Der Tanz & die Musik [10:00-25:00]Lindy Hop vs. Ballroom-Dance: Improvisation vs. PerfektionDer Tanz als "Social Dance" - lebend vom menschlichen AustauschBouncen und Pulsen: geerdet und flieĂend bleibenVerbindung zu afrikanischen Ringtanz-TraditionenCommunity Building [25:00-40:00]Ehrenamtlich organisierter Verein, der Events kostenlos oder gĂŒnstig hĂ€ltFokus auf einladende AtmosphĂ€re statt kompetitive PerformanceGenerationenĂŒbergreifende Teilnahme (20er bis Pensionsalter)Körperliche NĂ€he und nonverbale KommunikationWie BerĂŒhrung und gemeinsame Bewegung Bindungen schaffenPolitischer & Historischer Kontext [40:00-50:00]Jazz und Swing als Produkte afroamerikanischer KulturDas nicht-segregierte Savoy Ballroom im Harlem der 1930erJazz-Musiker, die Rassenschranken durchbrachen (Billie Holiday, Benny Goodman)Verbindungen zur Civil Rights BewegungParallelen zwischen den 1920er-30ern und 2020ernBlack Lives Matter UnterstĂŒtzung in der Swing-Dance-Community"Wir waren schon immer da" - progressive Geschichte zurĂŒckfordernTanz als Widerstand & Freude [50:00-Ende]Tanzen durch schwierige Zeiten und UnterdrĂŒckungFreude und Verbindung trotz herausfordernder UmstĂ€nde findenSwing-Tanz entstand in afroamerikanischen Communities der 1920er-30erDie Kraft, RĂ€ume fĂŒr Begegnung zu schaffenLead und Follow als Dialog, nicht DominanzIndividueller Ausdruck innerhalb kollektiver BewegungZitate"Lindy Hop ist ein Tanz, der einfach von diesem sozialen Austausch lebt... das kann ganz ganz unterschiedlich ausschauen und das macht es so speziell."
"Bouncen hilft... Das waren einfach immer schon TÀnze, die davon gelebt haben, dass UmstÀnde schwierig waren und die so dieses in der Situation sein und Dinge gut zu machen, obwohl nicht alles gut ist."
"Paartanz fĂŒr Individualisten" - einfĂ€ngt die Spannung zwischen individuellem Ausdruck und kollektiver Verbindung
"Das ist eine schöne Entwicklung... eine Community, die sehr gewachsen ist... von gefĂŒhlt zehn Menschen in eurem Wohnzimmer zu hunderten Menschen."
Praktische InformationenRegelmĂ€Ăige EventsSocial Dancing: Jeden zweiten Mittwoch im PostgaragecafĂ© (freier Eintritt)Workshops: Laufend neue Kurse (siehe im Kalender) -
Was ist Kontaktimprovisation und wie funktioniert die Szene in Graz? Uli und Gea von der Grazer Contact Improvisation Community sind zu Gast fĂŒr ein GesprĂ€ch ĂŒber eine Tanzform, die seit den 1970ern Menschen zusammenbringt â ohne Choreografie, ohne feste Regeln, nur durch die Begegnung im Moment.
Contact Improvisation ist eine improvisierte Tanzform, bei der Menschen durch Körperkontakt kommunizieren. Von zarten Hand-Finger-TÀnzen bis zu akrobatischen Hebungen. Was in den 1970ern in den USA entstand, hat in Graz seit 1992 eine Heimat gefunden und trifft sich jeden Montag zur Jam.
Wir erkunden, wie diese Praxis Grenzen ĂŒberwindet â zwischen Alt und Jung, zwischen "guten" und "schlechten" TĂ€nzern, zwischen gesellschaftlichen Tabus. Ob du neugierig auf alternative Tanzformen bist oder verstehen möchtest, wie Improvisation uns hilft, mit dem Unvorhersehbaren umzugehen â diese Episode bietet einen Einblick in eine der bestĂ€ndigsten Communities in Graz.
ThemenWas ist Contact Improvisation? [00:00-10:00]UrsprĂŒnge in den 1970ern (Steve Paxton)Tanz + Improvisation + KörperkontaktGewicht teilen als zentrales ElementNichts ist vereinbart â alles entsteht im MomentPersönliche Wege zur Praxis [10:00-25:00]Anna (neue TĂ€nzerin): Bewussteres KörpergefĂŒhl entwickelnGea: Start in Ljubljana, von der ĂberwĂ€ltigung zur VertiefungUli: 1992 in Graz, "absolute Befreiung" von TanzvorgabenWilde FĂŒrsorge: Der Kurs [25:00-35:00]Spannungsfeld zwischen Wildheit und FĂŒrsorgeGewichtsspiel bewusst lernenImprovisation: das, was man nicht vorhersehen kannAlter & Hierarchien ĂŒberwinden [35:00-50:00]Gemischte Gruppe von 20ern bis 60+Begrenzungen liegen im Kopf, nicht im Körper"Gute" vs. "schlechte" TĂ€nzer â eine falsche UnterscheidungZitate"Improvisation heiĂt, aus dem Augenblick heraus zu agieren... immer wieder zu reagieren auf die Impulse, die hereinkommen."
"Das Alter [ist] kein begrenzendes Thema. Wenn Begrenzungen auftreten, dann liegt es im Mind."
"Jedes Mal gehe ich eigentlich genĂ€hrter raus... Ich spĂŒre mich vielleicht mehr." â Anna
Praktische InformationenKurs "Wilde FĂŒrsoge": Jeden Montag, 17:45 Uhr -> Link
Jam: Jeden Montag, 19:00 Uhr (kostenfrei)Ort: Orpheumgasse 11, GrazInfo: Link
