Improvisation in mediation practice: becoming the instrument
The famous painter Vasily Kandinsky made next to his series of ‘Impressions’ and ‘Compositions’ several ‘Improvisations’. Works that according to the artist depicted unconscious and spontaneous expressions of his inner world. The paintings that display vibrant colors - a ‘deluge’ for the senses - are like a musical composition of shapes, lines, and colors. These associations are not strange, as the artist attempted to create analogies between the practices of music and painting to disrupt the conventional ways of visual representation. Interestingly, Kandinsky described these paintings as unstaged, free, and spontaneous outbursts. However, if we look more closely, visual elements can be identified that are at the heart of the painter’s artistic toolbox and regular ‘stock of images’, appearing more often in his paintings. This exact co-existence of creating in the moment, building onto existing materials and earlier experiences, are at the heart of improvisation and can be translated to the practice of conflict resolution. This blog discusses what improvisation for a mediator may look like. It also examines what can be gleened from applying the artistic lens of applied improv to conflict resolution, and how this can help to deal with the current challenges of our time.
Vasily Kandinsky (1913) Improvisation. Deluge. Oil on Canvas.
Improvisation in Mediation Practice
The improvisational practice of mediation, induced by the unexpected interaction of conflict has been compared to the practice of jazz musicians by some scholars. Cooley even argues that “To be a masterful mediator, one has to be an improvisational artist”. The mediator is, from this perspective, his or her own instrument. But what kind of music does the mediator make? And if they are perceived as masters of improvisation, do mediators perceive themselves to be so and reflect upon this concept? The comparison between a mediator and a jazz musician sparked the research puzzle of my master thesis, which serves as the foundation for this blog. In this contribution, I combine my thesis findings derived from qualitative interviews with mediation professionals in the Dutch mediation field and interviews with artists from different disciplines, with more recent literature on the improvisation and conflict resolution nexus. This is not only to show how improvisation plays a role in conflict resolution practice, but, more broadly, how it can be seen as a relevant tool for responding to unexpected and complex societal challenges.
Improvisation: just doing whatever?
The general understanding of improvisation is often linked to the idea that when we are improvising, we are acting spontaneously - without much thinking or preparation in the unplanned spur of the moment. Or we are forced to respond intuitively as a last resort option when things get out of hand. To better understand the mysterious act of improvisation we must turn to the arts. Berliner, in his 1994 book Thinking in Jazz: The Infinite Art of Improvisation, defines improvisation as “reworking precomposed materials and designs in relation to unanticipated ideas conceived, shaped, and transformed under the special conditions of performance, thereby adding unique features to every creation” (p.241). He, however, notes that for jazz musicians this improvisation strongly derives from earlier experiences, practice, and preparation - or the “improvisor’s evolving storehouse of knowledge”. Without previously known patterns and the tracks that one has walked before, new paths or routes cannot be discovered or ‘composed’. This does not mean that there are, simultaneously, no rules that provide a framework for improvisation. The limits of the stage set-up, performance agreements, the composition of the group of musicians, instruments at hand, as well as musical rules, shape the boundaries and constraints to this ‘recomposition’ of existing materials. Improvisation is therefore a constant negotiation between what musicians know, and are skilled to do, the musical schemes and routines they practice(d), and the constant flow of unexpected turns in the surroundings that are presented to them.
Improvised communities and everyday peace
But is improvisation something that only jazz musicians, dancers, or improv theater makers are capable of? Research shows that brain regions of communication and language are activated when zooming in on the minds of musicians and rappers who improvise during MRI-scan experiments. Day-to-day improvisation, sparked by unexpected turns of social interaction and conversation seems to elicit similar brain activity. Looking at the peace and conflict studies literature, improvisation is at the heart of ‘everyday peace’ practice in which people in conflict-affected settings navigate the complexities of their tense surroundings. Amid violent contexts, or when challenged by the limitations of governing systems, emotional intelligence, and ‘reading the room,’ are key skills for dealing with social micro-interactions at the borders of communities in friction. Peace scholars researching the local turn highlight that practices of everyday diplomacy, while often born out of necessity, are also entrepreneurial forms of agency, in which small decisions in interactions with the out-group become forms of resistance and ‘everyday peace power’.
Artistic improvisational expressions differ in the extent to which they create novel and innovative compositions. Simillarly, certain forms of improvisation in challenging contexts are more disruptive than others. Fischlin and Porter’s book, Playing for Keeps: Improvisation in the Aftermath, highlights the rich ways in which ‘improvised communities’ dealing with oppressive surroundings, use artistic expressions as forms of survival, and are important actors in initiating societal change (see figure 2). From this perspective, improvisation is also a process and act, and is not limited to a creative product or outcome. While improvisation can be a response to restrictions, it can also be a deliberate strategy to critique the status quo. Fischlin and Porter emphasise that it is important to critically assess and decolonialize our assumptions related to what we understand as improvisation. Improvisation as an act has long been seen as a last resort, less rationalized, or through-through strategy based on a biased view of marginalised groups. Improvised communities, however, may actually use improvisation deliberately to tap into their agency and in this way engage in social resistance.
Figure 2 : Illustration of Nina Simone from the book ‘Playing for Keeps: improvisation in the aftermath’ (Duburke in: Fischlin & Porter 2020). Her musical improvisation (e.g. ‘Mississippi Goddam’ & ‘Revolution’) is a direct expression and contribution to resistance.
Improvisation in mediation practice: a balancing-act
"Improvisation to me is: dealing with a situation, dealing with what comes to me, when it is different than I expected and then I will search for a solution. Well, mediation is very much connected to strict rules. I think it is good to inquire, to improvise, any way to be able to think outside the box, but always from within the framework of how does it fit within my role as mediator?" – Quote 1, Mediator I, interview transcript, 2018
As exemplified in the above quote, the two-fold understanding of improvisation as 1) responding to the everyday stream of unpredictable surroundings and 2) a deliberate disruptive strategy, can be found in mediation practice as well. According to Balanchandra et al. (2005), improvisation in mediation practice is a ‘balancing act’. It can be understood as mediators determining their next moves and either sticking to, or moving away from the structure they created as boundaries for conflicting parties to interact within. The structure here refers to factors such as, the number of dialogue sessions, the set up in the room, the agreed rules of procedures, and the key principles of mediation such as confidentiality, voluntariness, commitment, and neutrality/impartiality. All of which may create challenges when ‘played’ in practice. Unexpected turns that require an improvisational response by the mediator could be parties that suddenly become very emotional, leave the table, invite uninvited guests, or even get along unexpectedly well. Deliberate improvisational interventions by the mediator may have a ‘shock value’ in which the mediator stirs up the habits of the conflicting parties or shakes up an impasse. Creating an unexpected twist may even help parties themselves to improvise, as they are suddenly stirred up from the routine they were in, thus creating a distance that allows for new perspectives.
Even though the mediators interviewed in my research do not, per se, use the term improvisation to describe their practice, they do describe forms of these disruptive strategies. Examples of dealing with impasses or unexpected turns in mediation as mentioned are: mirroring parties (see figure 3), saying how it is (ie ‘It seems we are stuck here’), changing the room set-up, walking out of the room, letting the parties be, or zooming out, (ie asking the parties, ‘Do you see what’s happening here’ or ‘What grade would you give this mediation so far’). Interestingly, improvisational interventions can also entail doing nothing, letting the silence sink in (see quote 2). Several mediators mentioned the value of creative approaches such as using metaphors, storytelling, drawings, humour, or posing provocative questions to get the parties out of their habitual or stuck mindsets. As explained by one interviewee,
"For human interaction in conflict, you can’t write a script and you need people [mediators] with empathy, with intuition, who not only look at what is being said but also look at what is not said and can ask questions about it. So, as far as I am concerned, that is continuous improvisation, as how I would describe improvisation. You are constantly looking for what the next question is, and often the next question is not necessarily a question but just dropping a silence. " – Quote 2, Mediator K, interview transcript, 2018
Figure 3. A mirroring exercise from Improv theatre (1960s) used frequently in the work of Viola Spolin one of the key founders of Improv theater. This mirroring exercise is something that mediators in a way also apply when they ‘mirror’ or emphasize the dynamics of a stuck mediation. More information in her book ‘Improvisation for Theater’ (1963), image retrieved from: violaspolin.org
The reflective practitioner and ‘applied improv’ for conflict resolution
"I think that two personal traits are important. The first one is curiosity, which is an important skill, or characteristic, attitude. And calmness. I mean, they are in the middle of it [of conflict] and it's just an unclear clump of things, a chaos of puzzling wires, and remaining calm in this is, I think, very important." - Quote 3 - Mediator J, interview transcript, 2018
In my thesis, I summarised the core of improvisation in mediation practice as, mediators designing new forms of action on the spot in response to the interactions of the parties, whilst simultaneously guiding the process within the boundaries of practice guidelines and structure. The success of improvisational strategies applied by mediators is, however, dependent on factors such as, style, personality, skill-set, experience, and training, as well as how the mediator reads the moment and times his/her response (see quote 3). In a way, becoming a skilled improvising mediator is expecting the unexpected, trusting oneself, and ‘thinking in action’ (see quote 4 below). In addition, a certain amount of openness and courage is needed to ‘think on your feet’ grounding oneself in the uncertainty of ‘what is there’. Reflecting on how you as a practitioner deal with the unpredictability of critical moments and how you review them afterwards, may help to become a better improviser and professional (see figure 4).
“I think it ultimately says the most about how comfortable the mediator is in his own game, which is the same I think with musicians; you can only improvise if you have mastered the basic techniques. And if you also have sufficient confidence in that you dare to go swimming without swimming rings. I have also had music lessons for years and I found starting to improvise the scariest because I was used to just reading music notes. So, I think that is where the crux is. And that it is interesting to discover to what extent that is something within the character of the mediator, or in his/her perception of tasks, or whether it is in experience, in someone’s convictions, in how much training someone has had... That may be.. the most promising to investigate it in that way."- Quote 4, Mediator A, interview transcript, 2018
The Applied Improvisation Network which connects artistic improvisational skills to other professional contexts shows how doing creative improv theatre games may help to become better conflict resolution practitioners. Not only are certain core features of improvisation in the arts transferrable, or comparable to the practice of conflict resolution (such as listening, adaptability, collaboration, emotions, identity, narratives, and saying ‘yes and..’ to what is there), but they can also be trained and enhanced. In quote five below, a mediator discusses how engaging in co-mediation felt like a ‘waltz’ in which both mediators took turns and made moves, responding not only to the interaction of the parties but also to each other. This resembles the collaborative ‘yes and..’ improvisation principle in which improvisers build onto each other’s narratives in an accepting rather than rejective way.
Figure 4: Illustration of how improvisation relates to both disruption and structure. Improvisation can be both a product of reflecting in the heat of the moment (the next move the mediator makes) as well as a result of reflective learning afterward which will help the practitioner to grow and find better ways to deal with unexpected turns in the future (enlarging his/her toolbox). Derived from my master thesis (Punter 2018).
“For example, I was also recently with a mediator [...] and she was so incredibly good that it made me silent, that I thought these questions are so spot on good. And that she also took the turn as a kind of waltz, and then I could go back to that dance, but she just had it for a moment, and I thought I would give her space.
And I also mentioned that later to her; ‘sorry that I was a little quieter in the conversation and that you did part of the mediation yourself’, and she said ‘No, I just really liked that you gave me that space’ and sometimes I summarized what they didn’t summarise, so we found each other again after a beautiful dance and then, of course, that conversation continued together and then my role was more stable…" - Quote 5, Mediator M, interview transcript, on co-mediation, 2018
Becoming the instrument
The fact improvisation skills can be learnt through training, is promising for the field of conflict resolution. The skills to deal with unpredictable challenging environments become of even greater relevance when we consider the current challenges the world is facing. Improvisation, as a form of creative practice, helps to ‘open up space we wouldn’t have otherwise,’ and contributes to imagining alternative futures, which are essential for solving societal problems and finding new and socially embedded bottom-up approaches to peace.
This short blog aimed to show how the meaning of improvisation is not confined to the spaces of the arts, stages, and jazz performances, but lies at the heart of conflict resolution practice. Improvisation is, on the one hand, a skill we all rely on when navigating complex daily interactions, however, it can, also be applied as a creative act for social change and improve our ways of dealing with conflict.
Even though mediation professionals may not explicitly use the word ‘improvisation’ to describe their practice, they do describe the creative ways in which they respond to impasses, the unpredictability of parties, or their own bodily and emotional reactions. They also discuss the variation of ‘disruptive’ interventions that may get parties out of their more rigid perspectives. Improvisation as a skill in conflict resolution is therefore, just as in in jazz, something that rests on previous experiences and knowledge, training, and reflection in and after action. In full circle, each improv move the mediator makes on the spot, while keeping an eye on the process, contributes to the extension of the mediator’s toolbox. Becoming aware of these professional experiences can contribute to augmenting the creative ways the instrument of mediation is played.
Dagmar Punter is a Ph.D. candidate at the Department of Communication and Cognition at the Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences, The Netherlands. Her current research project ‘What does peace mean to you?’ explores how the public defines, imagines, and visualises peace. She is conducting a cross-national survey on which factors impact people’s peace norms and values and whether social representations of peace differ across contexts. Other research interests are creative approaches to conflict resolution and mediation, emotions in political discourse, civic education, and public engagement around controversial topics.
Comments and ideas as a response to this blog are welcome: d.e.punter@tilburguniversity.edu