What does the term 'devising performance' mean?

Devising is the process of creating a piece of performance from scratch. The term is commonly used to refer to the practice of contemporary groups or individuals who develop work by using starting points, such as an image, task, song, or an autobiographical experience. Instead of staging a play text, these artists explore new techniques of theatre-making which are often very collaborative and resist linear structures. Some prominent devising companies are Forced Entertainment, Goat Island and Quarantine.