Eeva-Maria Mutka
My art
My practice sits on the edge of Theatre, Dance and Visual Art.
My lineage is in the field of new dance and somatic, experimental performance. I have been particularly influenced by Japanese Butoh, Skinner Releasing Technique, Body and Earth somatic movement work - and Buddhist thought & practice. For nearly 20 years I lived on an old farm at the edge of the wild, and I have learnt a lot from the daily encounters with what I call the ‘march of the wild’ – the tension and balance of our effort and nature’s force.
In all my work, be it with the independent choreographers I have collaborated with to create performances, or groups of children, or those who have suffered a stroke….I seek to touch a tender listening through the senses. I encourage and allow a flow of responses and transformation in the body, unhindered by the usual social norms/masks. Images and meanings come up that are pre-verbal and unique to each individual. With somatic embodiment, simple choreographic scores and the philosophy of non-striving, I see a natural grace emerge in people as they move, connecting with their inner life of sensation and imagination. Seeing and being seen empowers us. When we meet ourselves and each other’s worlds with curiosity and humanity, powerful and deeply meaningful images appear.
Biography in brief
Eeva-Maria
is a Finnish performer, maker and community dance leader currently based in Bristol, UK.
She trained initially at London Academy of Movement and Dramatic Art 1989-92, and has since continued her professional development in dance and somatic movement work gaining qualifications to teach Body and Earth and Space Dance/New Butoh work, to deliver the Touch Trust programme and the Youth Mindfulness 8 week programme.
Since the 1990’s she has been performing internationally in dance theatre & film, site specific works, cross art form improvisations, cinema and TV in the UK and Finland.
She works with people of all ages and abilities, including Creative Dance with children, parent & child Movement Play, young people with disabilities, adults with learning disabilities, and the elderly in care home settings. Most recently E-M has lead weekly sessions for Stroke Association Wales (2020-21) and assisted Rosetta Life in projects to do with Vision Loss & Proprioception after Stroke and Heart of Care with Bristol Black Carers.
Current performance projects include: Award-winning dance short Matkalla (On The Journey) - a Scotty Hardwig film co-created with Andrea Olsen and Eeva-Maria 2022,
Mujokan with Butoh UK at Kew Gardens 2021, Lady of the Lake with Michael Harvey and Stacey Blythe for Beyond the Border Wales International Storytelling Festival 2021, Pneuma by Miranda Tufnell, Sylvia Hallett and David Ward for 3 sites in Yorkshire & Northumbria 2021 and North-Hidden Behind Darkness in development with Gaby Agis and Titta Court. In Spring 2021 Eeva collaborated with poet Jonathan Edwards to create a short dance poem-film called Paper roll - (Homage to Jack Kerouac) for NDCW/Literature Wales commission series Plethu.
Between 2002-2021 Eeva and her husband Andy Paget ran a rural creative retreat
p e n p y n f a r c h near Llandysul in SW Wales. She designed and co-ordinated an annual training programme Body, Movement, Environment 2003-2010 and they provided studio and accommodation to artists from all over the world till 2021. Since 2013 Eeva and Andy have been developing their work as 'this is somatic' focussing on an on-going practice of Embodying Change .
Eeva feels passionately about the importance of sensory experiences and creative opportunities for all, for learning, health and happiness. Sustainability education starts with ourselves, our own bodies.
www.facebook.com/thisissomatic/
Performing images,
with links to films
Dance short by Scotty Hardwig, co-created with Andrea Olsen and Eeva-Maria Mutka - Image Scotty Hardwig
Butoh UK performances @ Japan After Hours at Kew Gardens, image by Keiko Ikeuchi
Michael Harvey storyteller, Stacey Blythe musician, Eeva-Maria Mutka dancer Miranda Tufnell director
Collaborative piece by Miranda Tufnell, Sylvia Hallett and David Ward - image by Christian Kipp
Short film by Jonathan Edwards and Eeva-Maria Mutka, part of Plethu commissioned by NDCW and Literature Wales
Duet reconstruction by Gaby Agis - image by Jo Agis
Multi-screen work by Jo Fong - image Filipe Alcada
Piece by Gaby Agis, in collaboration with Titta Court & Eeva-Maria Mutka - image by Titta Court
Collaborative piece by Betwixt (Charlotte Ostergaard and Sally E Dean) - image by Agnes Saaby Thomsen
Community Arts Work
Click on image to view and read more about a Youth Dance film
A Fragment of Wild/Tameidyn Gwyllt (2021)
made in West Wales over a couple of years, directed by Stirling Steward & Eeva-Maria, and produced by Maynard Abercych
Click on image to view
Mary Lovely as a Tree (2016),
a poetic portrait film made by Eeva-Maria & Siri Wigdel, as part of Age Cymru's cARTrefu Performing Arts residency at Awel Tywi, Llandeilo. Mary was 104 then and is now 110 (2022).
E-M's Creative Dance logo, relevant to all ages