Keithy Kuuspu and Liisa Saaremäel´s workshop RAWNESS IN US

RAWNESS IN US is an exploratory workshop for an upcoming performance “Body Slam: RAW. In the workshop we approach rawness through movement research and try to capture the essence of it. In what way does rawness live in our bodies and the bodies of others, why and when does it become activated. Does rawness have its own qualities and is it possible to define that? In the workshop, we experiment with different ways to activate it and approach rawness as a unique part of each person.

The second half of the workshop focuses on the raw dialogue between clay and the body, letting the clay affect the body and the other way around, playing with gravity, slipperiness, strength and fragility. It gets muddy and fun! We welcome to the workshop performing arts professionals as well as people who have no previous exposure to performing arts.

Please bring your swimsuit or clothes that can get muddy, towel and slippers.

Keithy Kuuspu (1994) is a performance and dance artist from Tallinn, Estonia.
In her practice, she works with mundane structures and with the influences that society has on individuals, often through ironical and naive perspective. She is particularly interested in manipulating with time and space, slowing down oneself and processes before and after the result. Connecting visual and performance art and search for connections between the body and material has an important place in her creation.

Last plays she directed were PAUS ISTU MINE (STL, 2023, nomination of Estonian Theatre Awards), Estonian Pavilion “Home Stage” in Venice architecture biennale 2023 (with Liisa Saaremäel), False Falling (STL, 2021, nomination of Estonian Theatre Awards) and Body Slam (with Liisa Saaremäel, 2022).

Recently she performed in Tiit Ojasoo & Ene-Liis Semper performance “72 days”, in Jarkko Partanen & Anni Klein “Fluids” (WAUHAUS, STL) and in Laura Cemin & Bianca Hisse “How the Land Lies”. In 2022 she received Cristal Shoe Award in Estonian Theatre Awards, which is given to two young performing artists for their first significant stage works.

Liisa Saaremäel is a performance artist from Tallinn, Estonia. Her works often exit conventional performance spaces and ways of creating to explore in-between areas in performing arts. Site-specificity and community-based approach characterize her process design which is also visible in her artistic outcome. In her practice she seeks ways to blur the lines between real and staged, reality and fiction.

Her recent works include concert-performance “SCREAM BOX” (Kanuti Guildi SAAL, 2023, nomination of Estonian Theatre Awards) and Estonian Pavilion “Home Stage” in Venice architecture biennale 2023 (with Keithy Kuuspu) and site-specific performance “Tiny Home Production presents: LARGER-THAN-LIFE” (2021, laureate of Estonian Theatre Awards).

Duration: 2,5 h
In Estonian and/or English