Improcon – Congress Of Free Improvised Music, Arts & Thoughts is happening this year between 11-15 August at Veliki Tabor Castle in Desinić, Croatia; first time at a new festival location – a medieval castle on the top of Hum Košnički – which is as exciting and inspiring as the previous one, Spomen Dom was in Kumrovec. Improcon is an international congress and workshop festival where artists – musicians, performers, dancers, visual artists, poets – who applied can collaborate, share ideas and strategies, and do networking with all other participants.
In 2017, Improcon – established in its initial form in 2013 – is hosting more than 70 artists from 17 countries. Some of the festival guests are coming from Japan, Australia, Canada, the United States, Mexico, Argentina, Great Britain, Sweden, Finland, Germany, France and Italy; but most importantly, to stenghten collaborations between artists from neighbouring countries such as Austria, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia.
This year’s participants can work on 6-7 in- and outdoor locations at Veliki Tabor Castle, but they are free to explore various rooms and spaces in and around the castle. As in the previous years, the festival programme will be set up on the location, involving the ideas and suggestions of the participant artists. We can expect workshops, lectures and open debates, and numerous sessions of adhoc and planned collaborations.
Improcon is open for public, organizers welcome everyone who is interested in what is happening at Veliki Tabor Castle on the second weekend of August.
Artists who are already in the region before this year’s festival starts, are welcome to participate in a music workshop for various approaches to improvisation and composition through the integration and communication of individuals. The workshop will be held by American vocalist Linda Sharrock and Austrian saxophonist Mario Rechtern. All those who are interested in communication, improvisation and composition are kindly invited to attend the event. The workshop will happen between 7-9 August at Klub Metulj in Bistrica ob Sotli, Slovenia, 15 kms from the festival location at Veliki Tabor Castle.
Improcon organization and logistics by Nenad Borovčak (GOKUL, Zabok), Mitja Hlupič (Klub Metulj – Mladinsko Društvo Bistrica ob Sotli), Nataša Serec and László Juhász (KUD Mreža, Ljubljana); partnered by Eva Ursprung (Schaumbad – Freies Atelierhaus Graz), and Markus Krispel (Šopron Shuffle – Trans European Music Meetings, Vienna).
Improcon 2017 is kindly supported by Ministry Of Culture Of The Republic Of Croatia, Krapina-Zagorje County, Land Steiermark, and Alps-Adriatic-Alliance.