(Inter)acting with the Inner Partner

The basis of (Inter)acting with the Inner Partner is the experience and experiencing of action (speaking, playing) with yourself (with your inner partner or partners), as a rule, on your own. After some self-reflection, each one of you should be able to recall the experience of talking to yourself or playing on your own with your self. (Inter)acting with the Inner Partner is about studying and learning how to engage in similarly authentic, spontaneous, playful and co-playful action (behavior and experiencing); generating this behavior in public in the presence and attention of “spectators” in a situation of “public solitude” (Stanislavsky), where we do not contact the onlookers in any way (visually or physically), “as if” they weren’t present.

-Ivan Vyskočil (creator of the discipline)

spring 2025
Courses and Workshops Currently Accepting Applications

1. (Inter)acting with the Inner Partner Weekend Taster Workshop for Beginning Practitioners

Are you interested in trying (Inter)acting with the Inner Partner for the first time without any long-term commitments?

Join us for this two-day taster workshop.

May 10th and 17th, 2025

Workshop in Brief
If you have never practiced (Inter)acting with the Inner Partner (aka IwIP), this two-day workshop will give you an intensive taste of the discipline’s fundamental principles and practices. We will have four IwIP sessions over two days. We will do warm-ups and discussions. You will be invited to come watch an open class of advanced IwIP practitioners. A delightful appetizer!

After you complete this workshop, you should have a clearer idea of whether you’d like to join a full-season introductory IwIP course, for example, in autumn 2025.

Please note: This workshop is not a substitute for the introductory (Inter)acting with the Inner Partner course. All IwIP students, regardless of other professional and personal experience, take a full 8-12 week introductory course for beginners in order to gain a fundamental grounding in IwIP before they continue their studies.

What is (Inter)acting with the Inner Partner?
IwIP is a contemporary movement and action-based solo improvisational discipline. It explores the nature of dialogues in and around us. It offers a holistic (psychosomatic) path of studying and practicing fundamental principles and dynamics of creative communication and dramatic play. It is a guided process of coming to know yourself by relating to your inner partners in a performance situation. It was originally developed at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague by Professor Ivan Vyskočil.

What does it mean to be and (inter)act dramatically, playfully, personally, responsibly, and spontaneously in a performance situation?

With a trained teacher, you study and practice how this and other questions relate to core dynamics like dialogue, partnership, conductive empathy, acceptance, freedom, vital energy, suspense, dramatic play, creative existence, and authorship. You continually reflect on your practice through written reflections.

In its broadest sense, IwIP is a path of self-understanding, self-acceptance, and self-realization. In a more focused sense, it is a way of developing psychosomatic fitness and fundamental (inter)acting and improvisational skills like offering, noticing, perceiving, accepting, understanding, responding. It has enriched professionals in a range of fields like drama, performance, dance, music, film, pedagogy, somatics, psychology. Through IwIP, we also work to cultivate performative well-being as an essential foundation for working and living in our contemporary context. In the long run, IwIP becomes what you need it to be for your professional work and day-to-day life.

In Finland, IwIP has been inspiring performing artists and other professionals since 2008.

For more information about (Inter)acting with the Inner Partner, check out these links…

Teachers
Alexander Komlosi (Day 1 and 2) and Hanna Raiskinmäki (Day 2).
See bios at end of this page.

Language
Our working language is English, but you are welcome to use any language while you practice. We speak many languages (English, Finnish, Swedish, French, Czech).

Timetable
Dates: Saturday, May 10th and May 17, 2025.
Time: 10-17.
One-hour lunch break and other short breaks included.
You must attend both days. If you do not attend Day 1, you cannot participate in Day 2.

Optional:
You can visit the IwIP advanced practitioner group. Monday, May 19, 2025, 17.30-20.

Eligibility
Adults over 18 years of age. You have never practiced (Inter)acting with the Inner Partner before. You do not need to have any previous experience in theatre, improvisation, or any other practice. Participants come from all walks of life, ages, and interests. A diverse group in all senses of the word is hoped for and welcome!

Applicants are required to send in application materials. See “Signing-up” below.

Group size
Min 6, Max 10.

Workshop Fees
Regular rates
Culture Current supporting members: 140€

Non-members: 150€

Discounted rates

In order to qualify for the discounted rate, you must provide proof of being unemployed (a registered job-seeker at TE-Toimisto) or a full-time student with your application. Please pay the regular rate if you can afford it 🙂

Culture Current supporting members: 110€

Non-members: 120€

No refunds or credit once the payment has been made. Payment will be due latest by May 9, 2025. Culture Current ry will bill you once the course is confirmed.

Become a Culture Current Member!

If you are not a Culture Current supporting member and would like to become one, membership starts at 25€/year. It entitles you to discounts on CC's courses (like this one 🙂 ) and more. Click here for more info about becoming a supporting member.

Location

Studio space in Sörnäinen area, Helsinki. Exact location to be announced.

Sign-up Deadline
April 30, 2025

Signing Up

1) Complete the sign-up form at the SIGN UP link below.

2) Please email us the following: a max one-page statement introducing yourself, how you heard about IwIP, and your motivation for participating in the workshop (in English).

3) CV (English, Finnish or Swedish).

4) If you are applying for an unemployed or student discount, include proof of unemployed or students status.

Email your application materials to: info[at]culturecurrent.org before the deadline. Your application will only be complete once we have all your materials. We will confirm receipt in about three working days.

Sign up is first come, first serve!  Please sign up as soon as possible.

The workshop will be confirmed by May 5, 2025.

Feel free to contact us with any questions info[at]culturecurrent.org

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Courses and Workshops Currently In Session

CLOSED TO APPLICATIONS

1. (Inter)acting with the Inner Partner Workshop

  • Week­ly IwIP prac­tice ses­sions in a co-led work­shop for­mat for con­tin­u­ing IwIP
    prac­ti­tion­ers. Some ses­sions will be led by Alexan­der Kom­losi, some co-led by the group.
  • Mon­day evenings. Feb­ru­ary 10—May 19, 2025.
  • Sign up dead­line Jan­u­ary 26, 2025.

2. (Inter)acting with the Inner Partner Saturdays

  • For con­tin­u­ing prac­ti­tion­ers led by Han­na Raiskinmäki.
  • Twice a month on Sat­ur­day morn­ings. Feb­ru­ary 15—May 24, 2025.
  • Sign up dead­line Feb­ru­ary 7, 2025.

1. (Inter)acting with the Inner Partner Workshop

What? Weekly IwIP practice sessions in a co-led workshop format for continuing IwIP practitioners. About half the sessions will be led by Alexander Komlosi, the other co-led by the group. We will also have warm-ups, group discussions and exercises relating to performative well-being and performative being. If the group agrees, we will have a public open session.

Eligibility: You have participated in at least 2 seasons (about 30 sessions) of IwIP.

Please Note: By participating in this workshop, you agree to participate in the co-led sessions where we all give and receive feedback from one another. The group has been working in this manner for the past three seasons. Feel free to contact Alex with any questions about participating.

Aimed for: Anyone interested in IwIP, open improvisation, performance, well-being, and giving and receiving feedback on IwIP practice from other members of the group.

Goals:

  • Expand and diver­si­fy your IwIP practice
  • Devel­op your abil­i­ty to give sup­por­t­ive­ly crit­i­cal and encour­ag­ing reflec­tions on oth­ers IwIP practice.
  • Dra­mat­ic play
  • Devel­op your per­form­ing self and per­for­ma­tive fitness
  • Explore per­for­ma­tive being
  • Cul­ti­vate per­son­al and group well-being
  • Devel­op IwIP prac­tice and impro­vi­sa­tion­al skills
  • Fun

Main Teacher: Alexander Komlosi for about half the sessions. Otherwise co-led by all group members based on collectively agreed principles and practices. See bios at end of page.

Language: Alex will teach in English, but you are welcome to use any language while you perform and practice. We alternate between Finnish and English as needed when giving feedback as a group.

Timetable
Mondays once a week, 17.30-20.
February 10—May 19, 2025. Weeks 7-16 and 18-21. (No session week 17.)
Total 14 x 2,5h sessions (total 35h)

Group size: Min 5, Max 10.

Workshop Fees
Culture Current supporting members: 200€
Non-members: 210€

The workshop fee has been reduced because half the sessions will be co-led by group members. There are no other discounts for this course.

No refunds or credit once the payment has been made.

Payment will be due by February 7, 2025. Culture Current ry will bill you when the course is confirmed. If you would like to request paying in installments, please note that when you sign up.

Become a Culture Current Member!
If you are not a Culture Current supporting member and would like to become one, membership starts at 25€/year. It entitles you to discounts on CC's courses and more.

Location
DuvTeatern Studio, Georgsgatan 18 A, Helsinki.

Sign-up Deadline: January 26, 2025
Sign up is first come, first serve!  Please sign up as soon as possible.
Preference will be given to folks who have been practicing in the group in the past year and others IwIP in the past two years.

_________

2. (Inter)acting with the Inner Partner Saturdays

What?  IwIP practice sessions twice a month.

Aimed for: People interested in developing their IwIP practice.

Eligibility: You have participated in an introductory IwIP course (minimum 8 sessions).

Goals:

  • Devel­op IwIP prac­tice and impro­vi­sa­tion­al skills
  • Dra­mat­ic play
  • Devel­op your per­form­ing self
  • Fun

Teacher: Hanna Raiskinmäki. See bio at end of page.

Language: Hanna will teach in Finnish and English as needed. You are welcome to use any language while you perform and practice.

Timetable
Saturdays from 10AM-12PM.
February 15 – May 24, 2023
Weeks 7, 9, 11, 13, 14, 17, 19, 21. (15.2., 1.3., 15.3., 29.3., 5.4., 26.4., 10.5., 24.5.)
Total 8 x 2h sessions (total 16h).

Group size: Min 5, Max 11.

Course Fees
Regular rates
Culture Current supporting members: 180€
Non-members: 190€

Discounted rates
In order to qualify for the discounted rate, you need to be able to provide proof of being unemployed (a registered job-seeker at TE-Toimisto) or a full-time student. Please pay the regular rate if you can afford it 🙂

Culture Current supporting members: 130€
Non-members: 140€

No refunds or credit once the payment has been made.

Payment will be due by February 14, 2025. Culture Current ry will bill you when the course is confirmed. If you would like to request paying in installments, please note that when you sign up.

Become a Culture Current Member!
If you are not a Culture Current supporting member and would like to become one, membership starts at 25€/year. It entitles you to discounts on CC's courses and more.

Location
DuvTeatern Studio, Georgsgatan 18 A, Helsinki.

Sign-up Deadline: February 7, 2025

Sign up is first come, first serve!  Please sign up as soon as possible.
Preference will be given to folks who have been practicing in the group in the year and others IwIP in the past two years.

-------

Teachers’ Bios (alphabetical order)

Alexander Komlosi studied (Inter)acting with the Inner Partner under Professor Vyskočil, the founder of the discipline, at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague for 13 years, and trained under him as an IwIP teacher (1998-2011). He has been teaching IwIP internationally and developing its pedagogy since 1999 through workshops and courses at Academy of Performing Arts in Prague; University of Arts Helsinki – Departments of Drama Pedagogy, Swedish-speaking Acting, Dance, and Open University; Tampere University – Näty;  Aalto University; Takomo Theatre; Valtimon Theater; the Swedish Theatre in Helsinki; Adult Education Center Helsinki; Columbia University; New York University/Tisch; Yale University; University of Colorado - Boulder; Rose Bruford College; and Royal Central School of Speech and Drama; and as part of Culture Current’s educational program. He has taught and trained the other IwIP teachers in Finland, encouraging them to take IwIP in their own directions. As an actor, he has performed internationally. He recently completed an MA in Creative Writing Prose Fiction at the University of East Anglia, UK. Now, he is focusing his creative energies on prose fiction.

Hanna Raiskinmäki is an actor and a Shiatsu practitioner. She has been practicing IwIP for over 18 years, and leading classes for about 10 years. The most important teachers and colleagues in IwIP have been Alexander Komlosi and Milja Sarkola as well as the whole working group which has been meeting regularly for ten years. She has been experimenting IwIP with her theater and performing arts work. Her latest performance experiments have been in Institute Trilogy, convened by Joanna Haartti’, in Teatteri Takomo and Extramaterial in Viirus Theater with Jenni-Elina von Bagh. She has led and co-led many IwIP courses.

Photo credit: Diego Ginartes, © 2022 Kulttuuriyhdistys Culture Current ry