Ambient Jam
Ambient Jam is a unique dance improvisation programme arising from long term collaborations with adults and young people labelled with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD). We explore movement and music with tactile sculpture on Mondays at The Albany in Deptford, and on Fridays at the Ladywell Centre. These improvisation sessions bring together members and volunteers with our team of dance artists, musicians and sculptors.
A film of Ambient Jam member Carol feeling the rhythm and pulse of the twirly bridge in Ladywell Fields as part of our Wilderness Tales Project and Right to Roam. Filmed by Malcolm Buchannen-Dick.
Entelechy Arts has been hosting Ambient Jam since 1990.
“Labelled with PMLD (profound and multiple learning disabilities)” is an umbrella term which might include people with a learning disability who may also have profound autism or restricted movement.
Within these weekly combined arts improvisation sessions a creative dialogue takes place between musicians and movers, with and without disabilities. This innovative blend of live art, sound composition and dance improvisation becomes a think tank for new sensory-led arts performance events.
“I was just blown away by the beautiful energy that filled the room, not just by the staff but also from the attendees. It felt like a magical and very special space.”
“It is the closest I have seen to a genuinely equitable creative space that includes disabled artists with the most barriers to access. The ownership clearly felt by all disabled and non-disabled artists in the room was clear, and the joy in the delivery was both moving and energising. ”
Our Creative Director, Rebecca Swift, co-founded Ambient Jam and often writes about the programme for publications such as PMLD Link Magazine. She wrote a chapter entitled Multi-sensory improvisation, radical relationships and ‘deep hanging out’ – tracing reciprocal care within a differently disabled/abled ensemble for the book Care Aesthetics and the Arts.
You can read Rebecca’s article for PMLD Link magazine here.
Years ago, members of Entelechy Arts came together to explore how people with learning disabilities could advocate for their rights. They created Lewisham Speaking Up, which is now an independent charity advocating for independence and power for people with learning disabilities. We still work very closely with them, collaborating on events such as the People’s Parliament, a forum for individuals with learning disabilities.
Ellie Spirrett explains the work of, and relationship between, Ambient Jam and Lewisham Speaking Up in this brilliant article.
Want to join in?
Sessions are often fully booked but to find out about availability or to place your name on the waiting list please email roxanna.kennedy@entelechyarts.org, or call 020 8692 0231 ext. 247
The Ambient Jam Collective has around 30 members and is led by people labelled with PMLD. It also includes volunteers, older people and care staff who dance alongside a large team of dance artists, musicians, and sculptors.
This ensemble comes together several times a year for training, research and development. We work together to shape new choreographic and music practice, forged by a deep sense of community and trust. New dance and musical scores enable the Ambient Jam Collective to bring improvisation out into the open for new audiences and the general public.
Ambient Jam Collective
We have great partnerships with Goldsmiths Centre for Contemporary Art, Siobhan Davies Studios, Trinity Laban, the Tavistock Institute, and Lewisham Speaking Up. An exciting feature of the collective’s work is animating new spaces continuing a long tradition of Entelechy Arts' work appearing in outdoor settings.
The collective has performed in Crossrail Place, Greenwich Park, Canary Wharf, The Garden Museum in Lambeth, Russia Dock Woodland and Elephant and Castle shopping centre. In the past Ambient Jam Collective has participated in the London wide Disability Exposure Festival with improvisations taking place at the Albany Theatre.
Ambient Jam Cymru
Ambient Jam Wales is held at Galeri Caernarfon in North Wales and is run in partnership with Antur Waunfawr, a leading social enterprise that provides work and training for individuals with learning disabilities in their community.
This Welsh arm of our pioneering and celebrated Ambient Jam programme is led by artist Cai Tomos, who worked with Ambient Jam and Walking Through Walls in London for many years.
“Can see how our service users really benefit from the session and when they come into such a different space... Ambient Jam is one big family type of thing. It helps everybody, the carers, our members. At the end of a session, we feel better.”
