The Glasgow Jam

  Dear Jammers, Last weekend I had the absolute joy to teach an adventurous, generous and incredibly engaged group in San Jose, Costa Rica. I find myself really questioning the role of CI and my teaching and how it can affect us more than "just a physical practice". Within the group were bilingual students, and some that spoke either Spanish OR English. Amazing to see how language can somehow separate us before the class but during, with a movement language we've created, join us, and so by the end as we begin to part - a hug, connecting with someone through their eyes, just being physically there - these things speak such richness. A practice of bringing together a group of people to cultivate deeply communicating beyond language, and growing a collective that for a time have their own language. Supported by Creative Scotland

We can ask ourselves, when we can find more to give, and when this is important. When should we throw in everything we have, when is that task actually not worth it? And then beyond this, when does the act of giving more interfere with the action itself? The effort to give undermining the desired gesture? There is an urgency to our time, a need to gather together to open up doors, rather than to close in fear. We need to be ready to jump without the need to prepare and plan. And whilst this may be a sentiment for the theatre, there is much of this that I believe needs to spill over to the rest of our lives. If our lives are our art, then there is a need to live our lives in the same manner. Concerns, worries, certain rational thinking patterns can all draw us back from the present moment and its seemingly simple requirements. The making of art … and the self-producing of it, such different skill sets, different thinking patterns. Nicolas' work reminds us of...

Dear Jammers, Are you enjoying your summer? We are! Both of us are very busy with our projects — Laura studying yoga in Crete and Penny teaching and studying in Mexico and Costa Rica supported by Creative Scotland. Meanwhile, our helpful team of volunteers have kept things ticking in Glasgow. Thank you so much for your help! To allow you to enjoy the weather (well, you know, whatever we get) while maintaining your jamming practice, we are only holding the class and jam on the last Sunday of the summer months . Brian Hartley hosted a lovely class and jam on the 31 th July with good attendance and engaged participants. Our next one, with Nina Enemark, will be on Sunday 28 th August. We are keeping things fresh and changing the venue to the CCA in Sauhiehall Street . We are back to 2 jams a month from September. We have a had a good response to our appeal for support but we still need your help, donations, commitment to attending the jam, bringing a friend, v...