IMDL




Improvised Music & Dance Laboratory


By Collectief Imprography

For monthly intercity artistic experimentation in local theaters.

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 About us



Experiencing the post-pandemic era, economic instability, and global political unrest, we’ve noticed a decline in improvisational encounters in the arts scene and in our everyday social lives. We realize that vulnerability, openness, and trust, which are the foundations of spontaneous conversation and learning through sound and movement on stage, are not guaranteed. These are not given conditions but fragile qualities that require active protection, strengthening, and reflection.

IMDL is one of our efforts to cultivate the delicate ecosystem of improvisational performing arts and research. We hope that someday someone searching for a space to explore the unknown and the not-yet-articulable will find a stage where they can interact with others also seeking knowledge through improvisation. 
   

Producers

Miri Lee

Artistic Director, Collectief Imprography

Miri is a performer and imprographer who has left a distinct mark on Amsterdam’s artistic landscape. Known for her fearless cross-disciplinary collaborations with leading figures in visual art, music, science, poetry, theater, and film, she is sought after for her intuitive presence and improvisational depth. She is the founder of Collectief Imprography and IMDL series, a platform for real-time performance, where her work explores the composition of the unknown through intuitive choices, ephemeral imagery, and the interplay of body, sound, light, and objects. Most recently, she co-directed the film Ineffable Shape with filmmaker Emilia Tapprest, and was officially selected for the New Dutch section of Cinedans film Festival 2025. More information on Miri’s website.


Youn Choi

Producer, Collectief Imprography

Youn is a researcher and maker exploring how artistic practice combined with scientific methods shapes the development of an inner epistemic compass. She works with mixed methodologies—self-experimentation, practice-based and participatory research—and creates materials for iterative inquiry through improvisation. Her published research examines creative interventions such as storytelling, analogy, and game design for knowledge integration in multidisciplinary teams, with a particular focus on conversational modulation. Her game-based interventions have been used and tested by students at Dutch universities, and one of her works was recently invited to the student category of 2025 International Educational Game Competition in Norway.




Events

Grond, Amsterdam
8:00 PM


Premiere

Sorry, too late

Grond, Amsterdam
8:00 PM


Curator: Marc Nukoop

Splendor, Amsterdam
9:00 PM


Curator: Iris van Peppen

Coming soon!

Tempel, Amsterdam
TBD


Curator: TBD

Coming soon!

Guiding Principles



As the word laboratory implies, IMDL is a space for testing experimental approaches to improvisation, covering ensemble dynamics and notation methods. This culture of experimentation doesn’t happen automatically. It requires intentional preservation and cultivation.


We approach IMDL through the following three guidelines:


Regularity

Improvisation thrives on spontaneity, intermediacy, and impulse. However, these qualities need a stable foundation to succed. Temporary efforts alone might be insufficient. That’s why IMDL is created as a monthly performance series, a rhythm that supports consistency and growth.

Intercity Collaboration

This year, we organize performances that bring together artists from Amsterdam, The Hague, and Utrecht. We’re eager to see what happens when different artistic cultures and practices come together and how they challenge, complement, and transform each other.

Digital Archiving

Each performance is recorded and preserved. This serves not only as a memory but also for reflection, study, and future inspiration. We believe that improvisation, though ephemeral, deserves to be witnessed again, even if only in fragments.


Collaborators



Curators

In 2025, we collaborate with four curators who are seasoned improvisors and experts in movement, sound, and art-science, who have long contributed to the artistic communities of Amsterdam, Utrecht, and The Hague.


Iris van Peppen

Studio 3, Utrecht

Iris is a dance artist working in the field of emergent composition as a choreographer, performer and teacher. Her work is transdisciplinary: bringing in objects, voice and working with performers coming from music or audio visual design. Her work is meditative, adventurous and punk. Find out more on Iris’ website

Wen Chin Fu

iii, The Hague

Wen Chin is a Taiwanese artist based in The Hague, working at the intersection of performance art, sound, and technological innovation. Her practice explores how music is produced and experienced, often through self-invented instruments such as her signature sugar instrument. As a co-founder of the artist-run platform iii (Instrument Inventors Initiative), she contributes to the development of Art, Science & Technology through curatorial work, education, and community engagement. Wen Chin’s performances and installations have been presented internationally, including at Transmediale (DE), STRP Festival (NL), and the Moscow Young Art Biennale (RU). Her work is collaborative, experimental, and deeply rooted in the cultivation of fragile ecosystems — both artistic and social. Find out more on Wen Chin’s website

Marc Nukoop

Grond, Amsterdam

Marc is an independent musician and sound artist whose work spans from raw acoustic experimentation to refined digital composition. With a background in classical guitar, recorder, and electric bass, their journey into sound began with everyday objects and evolved into complex multi-track productions. Their music is often described as atmospheric — a soundtrack to an imaginary film — inviting listeners into spaces beyond language, where feeling and sensing take precedence. A graduate of the School for New Dance Development, they have created sound-scores for dance and theatre, blending music, ambient sound, and spoken word. Their compositions shape mood, rhythm, and narrative, offering a sonic pulse that drives performance forward. Find out more on Marc’s website

Maria Mavridou

OT301, Amsterdam

Maria is a dancer, performer, maker and teacher based in Amsterdam. Graduated with honors from the State School of Dance, Athens. Continued her studies in New York (Dance Space Center + Movement Research) and Amsterdam (SNDO). Practiced extensively with Katerina Bakatsaki and Frank van de Ven (Body Weather) and real time composition with Katie Duck and affiliated artists. She works internationally either as solo performer or in collaboration with dancers, performers, musicians, actors, visual artists in a wide range of cross disciplinary projects. Has been a guest teacher at the SNDO (Amsterdam), Korean National University of Arts (Seoul), Home of Performance Practices (Arnhem). Find out more on Maria’s website.



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