About
At this concert, expect to hear:
a diversity of sounds, shifting foregrounds led by changing personalities, sprinkled with timbral blends, unexpected silences, melodies, and kitchen clatter.
Venue, date and time:
Venue: Open Ealing, venue webpages
Date: Saturday 25th 2025,
Doors 15.00 for musicians, Doors: 15.30 - audience,
Concert Start time: 15.45
Entrance/Tickets: £5.00
The players
will be drawn from the experimental and improvised music scene in London and are familiar names to many as performers in their own right and as regular participants in the London Improvisers Orchestra and Eddie Prevost's Workshop among other vehicles for the promotion of free improvised music.
Recent collaborators are; Phil Morton, Chris Hill, Martin Hackett, Helena Paul, John Eyles, Douglas Benford, Simon Lawson, Mario Guarnieri, Jonny Martin, KEISUKE MATSUI, Maria Kalnars, John Eyles, Anthony Osborne, Ian Robinson
The music
The ensemble employs System 50:50 in sound during the concert please refer to the tab `About System 50:50` for more information.
Event details
This event 25.10.2025 - Open Ealing Arts Centre. Concert 15.45 (prompt!) - 17.15
- Doors for the musicians 15.00
- Doors for the audience, it is suggested the audience arrive at 15.30, the performance is scheduled to start at 15.45
- Participants, the players, should arrive to be ready to start playing (good to go) at 15.45
- There will be two sets of thirty-six minutes duration.
- End of the show is scheduled for 17.30
- All out: 18.00 hours.
- Admission fee and participation subs are set at £5 - everyone in the room pays £5 .
- Tickets: are displayed when available at the following eventbrite account: CLICK HERE
Admission fee and participation subs are set as by donation with the suggested amount being £5.00
Schedule Ensemble 50:50 London
25.10.2025, Sunday, venue: Open Ealing
22.09.2024, a Sunday, venue: Open Ealing
27.10.2024, a Sunday
24.11.2024, a Sunday
08.12.2024, yes a Sunday
24.05.2025, Sunday, venue: Open Ealing
30.03.2025, a Sunday, venue: Open Ealing
09.02.2025, a Sunday, venue: Open Ealing
Tickets
Tickets will be made available through the Eventbrite website.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/improvisers-networks-online-26497896907
About the ensemble
Brief history of Ensemble 50:50 London
On November 6, 2022, Chris Hill's Babble and Squeak presented Phil Morton's System 50:50 for improvisers in London. The event was both rewarding and enjoyable, attracting 19 improvisers and a small audience at the Hundred Years Gallery.
Since that time, Chris and Phil have hosted regular sessions in London, which have seen consistent attendance. In August 2025, the project secured funding to cover expenses for ten sessions, ensuring its continuation until the end of 2026. This is great news!
The aim during 2025/26 is to:
- To maintain a regular diary of sessions in London using System 50:50 for improvising ensembles,
- To build up the number of musicians attending to a regular core of eight - a working ensemble.
- To explore links with improvisers in Oxford, Birmingham and other regions.
- To facilitate live performance opportunities using System 50:50.
Recent collaborators are; Phil Morton, Chris Hill, Martin Hackett, Helena Paul, John Eyles, Douglas Benford, Simon Lawson, Mario Guarnieri, Jonny Martin, Keisuke Matsui, Maria Kalnars, John Eyles, Anthony Osborne, Ian Robinson, Teresa Hackel
Audio - a short three minute extract from a session at Open Ealing
About System 50:50
The goal is
- to encourage music created in the moment by those present.
- to explore the possibilities and limitations of freedom, agency and improvisation in music.
The approach is
- To shape the sound with silence,
- To shape the ensemble size moment by moment.,
- To empower the musicians with agency over their contribution.
- To shape the music through active listening.
Description
The duration of the piece is agreed before the start of the performance..
A performer must play for 50% of the duration of the piece and remain silent for 50% of the duration of the piece
Example
If the duration of the piece is 16 minutes, the performer plays for 8 minutes and is silent for 8 mins. Each player is free to choose when they play and when they are silent within the duration of the piece but they must have a 50/50 balance between playing and being silent. It is expected that each player will improvise their music.
Quick summary using 50:50 ratio
Each player `improvises` for 50% of the piece
Each player is `tacet` for 50% of the piece
The totals are aggregated
Each player/improviser has their own clock and manages their own time
Each player has `agency` over the content they share during the performance.
System 50:50 for improvisers - Click the link for a detailed description and history.
https://www.improvisersnetworks.online/system-50-50-an-introduction
Delivered by the primary and preferred time management option:
Mechanical chess clocks are required to facilitate the aim of the system. One of the pair of dials is called ‘tacet’ and the other ‘free play’.See image above. Each performer has an individual chess clock to monitor and manage their contribution. The performer plays when the ‘free play’ dial is running down and is silent when the ‘tacet’ dial is running down.
Youtube demonstration, Duration 1 minute Ratio 50:50 or 1:1 Content, is speech, status managed by the rocker (lever): URL LINK
Link to image of an adapted chess clock URL LINK
Selected feedback about system 50:50
Simon Ross (Macclesfield), Blank Canvas Octet - Liverpool
System 50/50 works well - it’s a really good way to get a group to play effectively without egos , virtuosity , and shyness getting in the way. It is democratic, inclusive. coherent, leaderless, focused, there is room to think and time to listen, choices. It is less competitive more cooperative. Ends well.
Charlie Collins Sheffield
On system 50:50 “Definitely something with LOADS of possibilities - the reaction in the car driving back was unbelievably positive - no one could remember playing in a large ensemble that was so "open". The openness allowed me to play quietly, which meant the dynamics were incredible for an improvising large ensemble.”
Dan Goren, Oxford Improvisers.
`"It seems to me that any attempt to restrict what free improvisers play, presents a threat to the core nature of their music. Generally, 'To play or not play' is about as far as any predetermination can productively go, the player retaining (almost!) complete formal agency regarding when and what (s)he decides to play"
Richard Harding Liverpool.
``Sometimes in free improv it is just not working but we carry on in the hope it will get better, in system 50:50 if it (free improv) is not working one can select tacet and stop playing`
Jon Aveyard, Lecturer UCLan University England
`It gives me permission to do nothing`
Helen Conning, Liverpool.
It is democratic
Maggie Nicol - West Wales.
I want to buy twelve 50:50 clocks
Sign up
This ensemble welcomes musicians.
- New members are welcome. There is no formal audition.
- Members of the public not known to us are asked to attend one performance as an audience member, and then we will have a discussion about future participation.
- Members of the public, musicians, improvisers who are known to us are requested to talk and communicate with Chris Hill, Phil Morton before you attend and participate.
- Limits, The size of the room will present a limit to the numbers that can participate. Twelve is the current limit to the size of the ensemble at Open Ealing.
Suggested scripts for the form
Name of event, please enter Ensemble 50:50 London
Location: please enter,London
Comments: add your comments and any requests for support with Zoom and the associated technologies required to support online participation.
Email: please send an email, sharing your interest in this project to: philmorton@improvisersnetwork.co.uk
To register for this event and project via eventbrite, please follow the link below.
The link will display all events posted to the Improvisers Networks Online account.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/improvisers-networks-online-26497896907
About the venue
This event takes place in the cellar of Ryan's Bar
Ryan's Bar. 181 Church Streetm Stoke newington, London N16 0UL
020 7275 7807
https://ryansn16.co.uk/
The overground station, Stoke Newington is a fifteen minute walk according to google maps.
OPEN Ealing
Unit 14 Dickens Yard London W5 2TD
OPEN Ealing is an arts organisation based in Ealing. We have been delivering a programme of creative projects and activities for 10 years
Our aim is to introduce a refreshing cultural space and exciting arts programmes to the community by bringing artists, performers, art groups and residents together, promoting creativity and creating new opportunities.
Our Manifesto
Creating a landmark contemporary gallery for West London and beyond
Working with emerging and established arts practitioners across the artistic spectrum
Enabling the professional development and training of artists
Being fully involved in the local community by offering activities and events and working with people of all ages and levels of ability
Hundred Years Gallery
13 Pearson Street
London E2 8JD
Tel: +44 (0)20 3602 7973
Buses : 67, 149, 242, 243, 394
Train : Hoxton Overground
Hundred Years Gallery is a dynamic art space situated in Hoxton, East London supporting experimental and innovative art. The Gallery`s exhibition programme is aimed at presenting a wide spectrum of contemporary art production with an emphasis on providing a platform for radical ideas and young or unrepresented artists. The space also provides opportunities for those in the arts to become part of its exhibition programme through its annual open calls short residencies, internships and art projects.
Hundred Years Arts is a not for profit Community Interest Company (Registered company number 9059577)
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/hygallery
Twitter
https://twitter.com/hundredyearsgal
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/hundred_years_gallery/
Office use
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article URL : https://www.improvisersnetworks.online/events-archive-london/item/2207-ensemble-50-50-london-30-03-2025
the checklist is here
https://www.rememberthemilk.com/app/#search/article/931320458
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