Hilde Knottenbelt helps workshop participants explore connections between voice, body, breath and the imagination, and find their way to a state of flow. She said “voice was the vehicle for people who love the creative process”.

Ms Knottenbelt will run her Creative Voice workshop at Bodalla, as a part of this month’s River of Art festival.

“The simple way to describe it is: making music together,” she said.

Ms Knottenbelt said the benefits of being in a choir were well-documented, but her workshops were something different: “We are not learning songs but creating harmony together.”

She said participants learnt basic elements of melody, harmony, text, and vocal percussion, and participants shared moments of experience were used as the basis for improvisations.

“People might come along if they love to sing but are not yet confident to join a choir,” Ms Knottenbelt said.

“It also suits people working in the arts; who want to work emergently. 

“Anyone with a yearning to sing – we adapt to who’s in the room and attend to different abilities.”

Ms Knottenbelt has developed the workshop over 30 years – “many of the original principles are still at work" – and includes influences from a capella, playback theatre, group work, and body-therapies like shiatsu and Feldenkrais.

She likened the workshop to the ‘flow’ experienced when playing sport.

“There is no fear in the work – you are in a state of listening and responding and co-creating,” she said.

“It’s joy. Joy keeps me doing this work.”

Creative Voice runs at the Bodalla Community Hall, from 9.30am to 4pm, on May 26-27.