Glaciers&Tigers

Fabio Gerhold

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Philosophy
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How does our experience shape our reality? And how does that reality spiral outward to construct our society and our institutions? The Glaciers and Tigers Podcast features educators, designers, community builders and artists who are shaping our world by creating and curating experiences.

2d ago

Nia | The Imaginarium & Collective Flow:

Nia on Immersive Theatre, Real-Time Composition, and Unlearning the Hustle What happens when theatre stops being a presentation of fixed stories and becomes a collaborative dream architecture where the fourth wall dissolves? In this episode, theatre maker, performer, and facilitator Nia (@nialejander) joins Fabio in the Radio Helsinki studio to explore The Imaginarium — an immersive, collective improvisation score that invites participants into a shared dream state. Together, they delve into Nia's transition from social work and Augusto Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed to choosing art full-time, the mechanics of holding space for spontaneous creation, studying real-time composition with Portuguese master João Fiadeiro, and how collective flow allows us to remember who we really are beneath societal conditioning. [00:00] Forest Fairy, Clown, and Choosing Art as a Vessel The conversation begins with Nia's playful self-description: "Part forest fairy, part clown — with an internal censor freezing everything live on air." Nia shares her background in social work, using Augusto Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed with teenagers in refugee accommodation to explore systemic power and rehearse alternatives to real-world dilemmas. Four years ago, following a pivotal "conversation with the moon," Nia made the conscious decision to commit fully to art. For Nia, making art is not about personal ego, but about becoming an open channel: "My main job as an artist is to be a vessel. An instrument, a channel to bring into existence whatever wants to manifest itself. What can I do to create conditions that are beneficial, so that things can manifest through me?" [01:53] Theatre of the Oppressed Nia explains Augusto Boal's participatory format developed in South America, inviting the public to step onto the stage, alter the narrative, and rehearse alternatives to real-world oppression. [03:34] The Imaginarium: Architecture of a Collective Dream Shortly after dedicating her life to art, Nia received the vision for The Imaginarium — an experimental, participatory theatre architecture she has staged 20–30 times across different communities. Rather than imposing a linear script, the Imaginarium is narratively framed as a dream: Radical freedom of imagination: Dreams bypass the rational mind's demand for a conventional "red thread," opening up space for poetry, absurdity, and spontaneous metaphor. The guiding inquiry: At the root of every session sits the quiet question: "What do you want to see in the world?" Shared flow state: Creating an environment where a room of strangers can effortlessly slip into a collective creative state. "When we enter into this flow state, it is not only our small minds, our small human consciousness that is dancing, writing, playing... but we are being danced through, we are being written through." [07:15] The Interactive Score: Director's Chair, Cosmic Scribe, and The Broom How do you prevent a completely open participatory space from collapsing into chaotic noise? Nia details the physical tools that structure the stage: The Director's Chair: An invitation for anyone to step in and direct the performers in real time. The Costume Corner: Physical catalysts for shifting identities and archetypes. The Cosmic Scribe: A participant sits as chronicler, typing live observations projected onto the wall to reflect and influence the unfolding action. The Broom (The Eraser): A tangible reset button. If the action gets stuck, anyone can sweep the stage to return the space to zero. The Dissolving Fourth Wall: In the final 10–15 minutes before the dreamer "wakes up," the boundary between stage and audience is dismantled completely, turning the entire room into the performance space. [09:15] Building a Multidisciplinary Crew While the Imaginarium can run spontaneously from scratch, Nia emphasizes the necessity of an anchored crew to support the infrastructure and hold the container for participants. Nia's dream crew brings together diverse disciplines: Dancers to bring fluidity and prevent the group from getting trapped in intellectual debate. Poets, theatre makers, directors, philosophers, and psychologists, each noticing different threads in the collective fabric. Training the crew not with verbal rules, but with an embodied vocabulary to navigate emergent moments — such as grounding someone having a private monologue or weaving disparate impulses into a coherent story. [14:00] Real-Time Composition: The Secret Rules of Life While developing the Imaginarium, Nia discovered the work of Portuguese artist João Fiadeiro, who has spent over 25 years in Lisbon researching Real-Time Composition (RTC). After undertaking a five-week intensive training with Fiadeiro, Nia found the engine that powers the inner mechanics of the Imaginarium: "It's basically a system of values and principles that support us to enter into a flow state when we practice artistic improvisation in a group. It feels really like he extracted these rules from life." When Fabio playfully asks her to name the rules on the radio, Nia laughs: "No, it's a secret!" — pointing to the experiential truth that certain relational practices can only be learned by doing. [15:39] Collective Flow as an Act of "Remembering" Why does collective flow matter so deeply in group improvisation? For Nia, entering these spaces is less about acquiring new techniques and more about shedding social conditioning: "For me, it's a lot about remembering. I have a tendency to forget what's the point, and I have a tendency to forget who I really am. In a way, I feel I can actually only really exist in these kinds of spaces." Fabio reflects on how authentic artistic experiences carry an eerie familiarity — not like encountering something alien, but like recognizing a profound truth you had known all along: "A remembering. Yeah, it's a very interesting way of seeing things. I resonate with it a lot... some things just seem so obvious that it is as if I had done them before and it's just me encountering them again. Like, I don't know, a very good book that you read a long time ago." [18:00] Beyond the Loop: The Next Evolution & The 2-Week Residency After facilitating 20–30 editions, Nia noticed a recurring limitation: starting from scratch with each new group kept the work on an introductory surface level. To move beyond the introductory cycle, Nia is developing an extended two-week artistic residency: Gathering a dedicated 7-person multidisciplinary crew to deeply anchor the principles. Culminating in an intimate, 20-person immersive theatre dream. Exploring ritual anchors, like the symbol of the dreamer (often a "cosmic egg" or animal totem placed on set). [20:45] Unlearning the Pushing Mentality: From Hustle to Receptivity In closing, Nia reflects on a fundamental paradigm shift in how she approaches artistic work and life: "From capitalism, we are trained to be in this pushing mentality. And I'm trying now to get more into a receiving state — to be open. When people approach me, to just say yes. And since I stopped pushing, people start coming and saying: 'Hey, do you want to do the Imaginarium in Graz?'" Guest & Project Info Nia: @nialejander Candies and Catharsis: @candies_and_catharsis (video archive, announcements, and future Imaginarium dates) João Fiadeiro / Real-Time Composition: Atelier Real
Jul 4

DNS Teacher Training: Learning by Living

A four-year teacher training programme that uses the world as a classroom — from a bus trip through West Africa to communal life in Graz to a hundred-person community in Denmark. The Core Principles DNS (Necessary Teacher Training College) combines experience-based learning, communal living, and student-driven education. The programme grants an academically accredited diploma from a university in Mozambique — a deliberate choice that reflects its decolonial approach to knowledge and education. Year One: A 12-Metre Bus to Guinea-Bissau The first year begins with an extraordinary project: 13 students buy a public transit bus, convert it into a travelling home, and drive it through West Africa for four months. "You just start, without any specific knowledge," says Asia from Italy. "And then you learn how to cut wood, how to cut iron — things you'd never normally do." The route runs from Denmark through Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania, Senegal, The Gambia, and into Guinea-Bissau — with the intention of meeting people and understanding first-hand why the world looks the way it does. Year Two: European Reality in Graz In the second year, students experience Europe from a new angle — twelve people in a shared apartment, a shared economy, and jobs at McDonald's or Foodora. The programme is entirely student-funded: everyone earns, everything is pooled, and all decisions are made together. "I only worked at McDonald's for one month, but I saw things I didn't expect to go through. It shows me on a very different level how inhumane the capitalist system lets us treat each other." — Sarah Communal Life and Mutual Support Students share not just housing and income, but their daily lives. "I had a terrible day at work at McDonald's and I messaged the group — guys, can you please stay up until midnight because I'm coming home and I need support," Sarah recalls. "And people got up to support me afterwards." Eric from Catalonia also notices who actually works these jobs — people for whom McDonald's in Graz is a dream, a destination he first encountered in Africa. "That's a reality you can only fully grasp when you've actually been there." The Tvind Controversy DNS grew out of the Danish teacher movement Tvind, founded in 1972. In the 1980s, the community lost its government funding, followed by years of lawsuits and media reports of embezzlement and cult accusations. Sarah investigated before applying — going "undercover" for a volunteer week: "I arrived and found a very wholesome, green community with happy young people. And I started asking different students — have you heard about this? Can you leave? Do they have your money? And everyone was a bit disappointed." Damir explains the political context: the community's shared economy created a legal grey zone that was used as a pressure point — not because any lawsuit succeeded, but because constant litigation wore the founders down until they left the country. The DNS Campus in Denmark The programme's home is a self-governed community of around 100 people in the countryside, fifteen minutes by bicycle from the nearest town. Decisions are made by consensus democracy — 100% agreement, not a simple majority. Students take on responsibility for the garden, the windmill, bookkeeping, or event organisation, driven by their own interests. Teaching as Political Action "I think many of us believe that being a teacher is not an apolitical position," says Sarah. "If you're a teacher, you will be shaping the next generation." This runs through the whole programme: the McDonald's shifts, the communal life, the West Africa journey — all designed to prepare future teachers to navigate systems they can't change, and make a difference anyway. As Sarah puts it: "I am at McDonald's and McDonald's really want me to behave like all the other minimum wage workers who will just follow what is told and put up with bad treatment. And I am here trying out — how can I stand up against this system that is obviously not made for me? And I think that is a struggle many teachers also face." Five-Year Visions Asked what they hope for in five years, the students answer in similar terms: to be surrounded by people they love and who empower them; to do work that doesn't feel like work; to be proud of their students. "Everything is going great because I finally became the person I was wishing to become some years ago." — Asia DNS Teacher Training College: www.dns-tvind.dk Participants: Eric (Catalonia), Sarah (Netherlands), Asia (Italy), Damir (trainer) Programme duration: 4 years Academic diploma: University of Beira, Mozambique
Jun 19

Start with humming | Jaka Škapin

Vocal Improvisation and Regenerative Music Jaka Škapin 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 Improviser Jaka's musical journey moved in 5–7 year cycles: classical choir singing in Slovenia, music studies in London, and then a turn toward free vocal improvisation — 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 — because it's not needed." The Anthropos Project Jaka is part of Anthropos, a vocal quartet that creates complete collective improvisations — 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 — exploring how collective vocal improvisation can facilitate communication across diverse groups, including in dementia care settings. Developing a Language Through Other Bodies Since 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 — 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 — making politicians sing and improvise together. Ancient Technologies The conversation turns to what Jaka calls the "technological spectrum" — 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 — 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 On Jaka'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 — to yourself, to someone in the room, or to your phone. It grows from there. Jaka Škapin — vocalist, facilitator, researcher. Based between Slovenia and London. Anthropos — collective improvised vocal quartet. Music played: Ote Taya Ko (Rising) — Anthropos, Songs of Humanity EP The Well.- Global Vocal Improvisation Network Hawkwood College Braziers Park
Jun 8

Jing-Hong Okorn-Kuo | Stop being nice

A conversation with Jing-Hong Okorn-Kuo, a dance artist from Singapore who splits her time between Asia and Graz, 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 [00:00–02:00] 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". [02:00–08:00] 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. [08:00–15:00] 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. [15:00–21:00] Singapore as a Social Laboratory: An exploration of Singapore's highly sanitized, organized environment—where even nature is controlled and earth is considered dirty—and how this hyper-comfort can slowly numb an artist's physical sensibility. [21:00–25:00] 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. [25:00–29:48] 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 exile—physical, political, and emotional—through movement that uncovers "10 gestures within this one gesture". Key Insights The 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 environment—where citizens are shielded from the sun, rain, and dirt—provides 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 Info Silver 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
May 7

Asaf Bachrach | Living together in a broken world

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 — and how this approach can help us navigate the polycrisis. Guest Asaf 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. Topics Palliative vs. Curative Approaches The distinction between fixing problems (curative) and improving well-being while living with difficulty (palliative). How this extends beyond healthcare — being with what is rather than rushing toward solutions. Somatics and Non-Separability What somatics encompasses beyond specific methods — 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." Ressources Drawing 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 — the episode covers feminist epistemology, somatic practice, and community living.
Apr 23

What does it mean to become the dance? | Jadi Carboni

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? What does it mean to become the dance? Their conversation follows the questions that guide her practice—what attracts us, what repels us, what moves us—and opens them to the audience. In her project Shadows of Freedom, shared weight and physical constraints meet a different invitation: to follow the movement of awareness. In this conversation 01:45 — Circus, ballet, and finding another way to work 04:27 — Technique, experience, and the dancer as an experiencer 07:36 — Postmodern dance and being in the now 10:43 — Breaking the fourth wall; the audience as a participant 15:33 — Ritual, surprise, and synchronicity 18:58 — Scores: structures that leave room for freedom 20:09 — Shadows of Freedom: shared weight, constraint, and attention 22:16 — Following awareness and letting the body respond 24:14 — Dance as a practice of freedom and ongoing development 25:48 — Reading, practicing, and finding a way into postmodern dance "The physical body is much quicker than our intellect.” For further reading, Jadi recommends Contact Quarterly, a journal of dance and improvisation, and discusses artists including Steve Paxton, Deborah Hay, and Barbara Dilley. 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.
Apr 13

Wild Care – Verein für soziale Praxis (DE)

Ein neues Projekt entsteht Fabio erzählt die Geschichte eines neuen Projekts, das aus einer zentralen Frage geboren wurde: Wie können wir uns als Menschen wirklich begegnen? Wild Care will Räume schaffen, wo Kunst zur Begegnung wird — jenseits von Perfektion und Selbstinszenierung. Philosophische Grundlagen Das Projekt wurzelt in Martin Bubers Philosophie des "Ich und Du" versus "Ich und Es" — der Unterschied zwischen echter Begegnung und dem Reduzieren anderer auf Objekte oder Werkzeuge. Zentral ist das Konzept der Mutuality (Gemeinschaftlichkeit): das aktive Schätzen und Teilen dessen, was uns verbindet. "Alles wahre Leben ist Begegnung" Martin Buber Persönliche Reise: Vom Systemdenken zum Körper Fabio teilt seinen Weg vom Studium der internationalen Beziehungen zur Erkenntnis, dass systemische Veränderungen an der Brutalität der Welt zerbrechen. Seine Konsequenz: "Ich muss tanzen" und die Welt auf einer anderen Ebene als nur der intellektuellen erfahren. Die Veränderung, die er sich wünschte, musste in der Veränderung unserer Erfahrung und Realität liegen. Kontakt-Improvisation als Praxis Der Dreh- und Angelpunkt von Wild Care ist Kontakt-Improvisation: ein spielerisches Forschen mit Schwerkraft, Gleichgewicht und Berührung. In der anarchischen Struktur einer "Jam" — ohne feste Regeln oder Hierarchien — 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." Angebote Laufender Kurs: Montags um 17:45 Uhr, Orpheumgasse 11, Graz Einführungskurs: Ab 11. Mai, sechs Wochen kostenlos (mit Unterstützung von Askö und der Bewegungsrevolution) Website: wildcare.space Zukunftsvisionen Langfristig soll Wild Care zu einer Gemeinschaft werden, die verschiedene Formate entwickelt — nicht nur Bewegung, sondern alle Arten kreativen Ausdrucks, wo Leistungsdruck abnimmt und Kunst als Begegnungsinstrument zunimmt.
Mar 26

Warum, Radio? (DE)

Eine Sendung mit Gedichten über Selbstzweifel im Community Radio. Eine Sendung mit Fragen über das Sendungsmachen. Eine Sendung.
Mar 13

Towards - Centre for Embodied Arts and Transformative Learning

How do we design a space that alters our reality? In this episode, we travel to Chiang Dao in Northern Thailand to discover Towards—an 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"—an 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?
Feb 26

The Outpost Research Center for Community Living

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 Sweden—a 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 Information Website: www.theoutpost.network Location: 2 hours from Stockholm by car/train Setting: Rural area, former iron mining region with art scene history Open Mine 2026 Format: One-week hackathon (limited to 20 participants) Theme: Repair Goal: Physical solutions for community repair capacity How to Get Involved Growing community of ~25 people Looking for people interested in modern community experiments Reach out on the website

10 Episodes

How does our experience shape our reality? And how does that reality spiral outward to construct our society and our institutions? The Glaciers and Tigers Podcast features educators, designers, community builders and artists who are shaping our world by creating and curating experiences.

Creator

Fabio Gerhold
Years Active

2025 - 2026
Episodes

10
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© 2025 Fabio Gerhold
Show Website

Glaciers&Tigers