The word Material is often used as describing the stuff that has been used/consulted in the process prior to creating something (i.e. something that the work is based on – for example images, scripts, texts, sheet music). For the context of improvised performance however, it is useful that we have a general word that stands for the expressive material in the moment of performance itself.

“Material” seems the best word we have. It includes movement material, spoken words, sounds, music, but also the way the performers look, words written on the wall, the images of a video projection, papers handed to the audience or simply the architecture of the performance space (which especially dancers often use as ‘their material’).

All of this is expressive material, in the sense that its expression/presence in the performance is the stuff that communicates to the audience.

This part of the Knowledge base is to gather all that can be said about dealing with your expressive material (and that of others) in the moment. Understanding how to work with your material, means deepening its expressive impact, and clarifying the way you communicate with your material to other performers, and to the audience.

We have one subchapter until now, but there are of course many:

Phrasing
(connecting Material to Time)

please add more…!