The workshop “Ancestral Songs and How to Sing Them Backwards” draws from Self-reversing, the ongoing project and award-winning performance by Olga Kozmanidze. The workshop further explores the liberating impact of singing “backwards” on the performers’ voice, body, and imagination. Participants are invited to work with traditional folk songs of their choice and interpret them through singing “backwards,” transforming lyrical singing into a radical vocal experiment.
The workshop starts with warm-up exercises and collective song sharing. Then participants are introduced to the transcription technique, where they listen to recordings of their own backwards singing, transcribe, and reinterpret them in order to prepare themselves for the final stage of individual performances. Here, each participant presents their own backwards interpretation of a chosen folk song, transforming it into a unique, one-of-a-kind performance that bridges improvisation, liberation, and their sense of belonging.