Buried TeaBowl- OKUNI: Ready for Tour!

“...the traditional Japanese tea ceremony a 21st century feminist spin. ... a Proustian, unruly one woman show, a work of pleasure and bite.”

— The Saturday Paper

“…so strange and grotesque, it almost defies description”

— The Age

“dense and visceral at the same time.”

— Australian Stage

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INSTALLATION - PERFORMANCE - TEA

ABOUT

Buried TeaBowl -OKUNI is an intimate and epic solo performance installation bringing together dance, text, song and tea ceremony with stunning film captured in 2021 during the lockdown.The work is inspired by the Japanese historical female dancer and shrine made Okuni, who initiated Kabuki theatre in the early 1600s, which women were banned from performing after these times.

At the height of her powers, Yumi Umiumare, Melbourne performance legend and Australia’s leading Butoh artist, unearths precious sacred female power which has been buried throughout history.Yumi channels the multifaceted character of Okuni who was so powerful, yet fragile and complex, to reawaken her spirit through excavating  these buried stories and myths.

CREATIVE TEAM

Created and Performed : Yumi Umiumare
Cinematographer/ Editor : Takeshi Kondo
Composer/ Sound Designer : Dan West
Lighting designer: Emma Lockhart-Wilson 
Dramaturg/ Maude Davey
Provocateur : Moira Finucane
Producer : Kath Papas productions 

Photographer: Vikk Shayen
Graphic design : Mariko Naito & Taka Takiguchi
Calligraphy: Hisako Tsuchiya
Publicity : Diana Wolfe

PHOTO CREDITS

Vikk Shayen (Above)
Takeshi Kondo (Below)

The show was premiered at the BlackCat Gallery in May 2022.

SUPPORT & ACKNOWLEDGMENTS for the premiere season
The premiere season was supported by the Besen Family Foundation and BLACKCAT Gallery.

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IN-VOCATION たまおこしWorkshop Series : Butoh, Drama, Voice with Spirits.

ABOUT

This is unique workshop series , exploring movement, text and voice, through 呪術 Jujutsu, Japanese notion of shamanism, translated as ‘Magic’.Melbourne-based Butoh dancer/choreographer Yumi Umiumare is facilitating 3 workshop, with international guest artists from Japan, Kayo Tamura (a queen of comedy/shaman in theatre) and Kyoko Amara (clairvoyant/earth voice singer).  This ‘magic triangle’ will introduce various exercises to guide the participants to open their ‘creative portal 'thus becoming a ‘medium’ for their own expression.

The intention of the event is to open up our new possibilities of interweaving between arts, space, human, nature and spirituality.

たまおこし（Tama Okoshi）: Tama means soul, Okoshi means upheaval or awaken.

Please contact us directly if you want to participate in ALL and make special financial arrangements.

All workshops are open to all, those with and without dance or theatre experience.

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ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL GUEST ARTISTS

Kayo Tamura is an accomplished performance artist who fearlessly blazes her own trail with a strong background in theory, performance, writing, and directing. Kayo is a founder and artistic director of the GUMBO Theatre Group in Osaka since 1994. The company has performed in Edinburgh, Australia, Asia and North America and has won numerous awards. In 2022, they successfully completed a six-month tour of North America and won seven awards. Kayo is a Hong Kong Fringe Club Honorary Member (2015–), Asian Youth Theatre Festival Japan Team Advisor (2018–), Kamikoma Cats Artistic Director (2017–), Sakai International Community Arts Artistic Director (2019–).

Kyoko Amara loves the scent of the soul. She is a “channeller” or clairvoyant in Japan who has held sessions with over 9000 people. Over 20 years, she has been working as a singer with shamanistic drumming. Her main work is to spiritually convey the roots of people’s souls. She has also been engaged in art and shamanistic activities through Butoh performance, painting female genitals, holding workshops for feminine liberation and ceremonies. In 2017, Kyoko moved from Tokyo to the foot of Mt. Hayachine in northern Japan to organise events in a 100-year-old folk house, "Ihatov Mountain and Water Sunshade”.

Workshops OVErVIEWS

WORKSHOP #1 - SPACE 場所
Butoh, Voice and Drama 1 day workshop
19(Sun) March @ 10-4pm
At Dancehouse
$120/$80

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WORKSHOP #2 - PEOPLE 人
Butoh and Beyond : Weekend Performance Making Laboratory 
25 (Sat) March 26(Sun) @10-4pm
At Abbotsford Convent
$220/$200

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WORKSHOP #3 - NATURE 自然
Special Residential Workshop 
30(Thur)March- 3 (Mon) April 
At Raven’s Nest, Venus Bay
$650/$550 (early bird) $ 690/$590
Booking

WORKSHOP #1 - SPACE 場所

BUTOH, VOICE and DRAMA 1 DAY WORKSHOP

This is an 1 day workshop, introducing the three artists’ core creative methods, exploring movement, text and voice, through 呪術 Jujutsu, Japanese notion of shamanism, translated as ‘Magic’. 

The workshops includes, 

• Physical exercise through Butoh and creative movement

• Guided work for story telling and text

• Guided meditation for accessing inner guid and ‘power animal’

Translated by Yumi Umiumare(English / Japanese)

Special Guest: Hisako Tsuchiya (Calligrapher/Yumi's mother from Japan)

Workshop Details

FACILITATORS
Yumi Umiumare (Movement)
Kayo Tamura (Drama)
Kyoko Amara (Voice)

WHEN
19(Sun) March 2023
@ 10-4pm

WHERE
Dancehouse
150 Princes Street
Carlton North VIC

WORKSHOP #2 - PEOPLE 人

Butoh and Beyond : Weekend Performance Making Laboratory

So you don’t think you can dance?

Or you don’t think you can sing or act?

The ‘magic triangle’ from Japan offers a creative solution through Butoh and Beyond!

Over the weekend, the three artists will introduce their creative methods, through various exercises of Butoh, voice, drama and unique styles of performance making. They will guide the participants to open their ‘creative portal’ thus becoming a ‘medium’ for their own expression. In Japanese, the character of ‘actor’ is written as ‘俳優’ which literally means ‘non-human excellence'. We can all experience this extraordinary state of excellence bordering on the 'non-human' through moving, singing, acting and just being our natural selves.

If you are interested in exploring these magical realms, please join this workshop.

WORKSHOP DETAILS

FACILITATORS
Yumi Umiumare (Movement)
Kayo Tamura (Drama)
Kyoko Amara (Voice)

WHEN
25 (Sat) & 26(Sun) March 2023
@10-4pm

WHERE
ABBOTSFORD CONVENT
1 St Heliers Street
Abbotsford Convent VIC

WORKSHOP #3 - NATURE 自然

Special Residential Workshop

This is unique residential workshop, exploring movement, text and voice, through 呪術 Jujutsu, Japanese notion of shamanism, translated as ‘Magic’ at the stunning beach location in Venus Bay, Gippsland.

Melbourne based performance artist Yumi Umiumare is facilitating the workshop, with her international collaborators from Japan, Kayo Tamura (A shaman in theatre!) and Kyoko Amara (professional clairvoyant/singer). The intention of the event is to open up new possibilities of interweaving between arts, nature and spirituality.

Over the 5 days, this ‘magic triangle’ of three artists, will introduce various exercises to guide the participants to open their ‘creative portal’ in order to;

• Access your inner, deep sources of creativity

• Extract individual and authentic expressions 

• Find ways of expressing with movement, word, voice and sound

The exercises includes; 

• Movement : ‘what comes from within’ from Butoh method (Yumi)

• Text: ‘Authentic self-portrait series’ from drama technique  (Kayo)

• Guided meditation to find out own ‘power animal’ from shamanism method (Kyoko)

The stillness and wildness of the landscape enable us to explore our deeper and authentic "being" and helps to cleanse our busy thoughts. Through sharing food and gentle conversation, these powerful female artists will lead participants to explore their consciousness of well-being, the essence of ‘personal ritual’ from breathing, walking, moving, and occasional screaming and laughter.

2 hours from Melbourne, the Raven’s Nest retreat space is located in Venus Bay on 14 acres of waterfront, forested sanctuary in South Gippsland. The 2 storey house has sunrise to sunset views, large yurt, massive deck spaces, outdoor dance floors and camping areas, private walking tracks & national park access.

THE WORKSHOP IS OPEN TO ALL LEVELS OF EXPERIENCE AND ARTISTIC DISCIPLINARY.
A LIMITED NUMBER IS AVAILABLE!

Enquiry

PHOTOS FROM LAST WORKSHOP (DEC 2022)

WORKSHOP DETAILS

FACILITATORS
Yumi Umiumare (Movement)
Kayo Tamura (Drama)
Kyoko Amara (Voice)

WHEN
Thu 30 March - Mon 3 April 2023

WHERE
Raven’s Nest
Venus Bay, South Gippsland

COST
Early Bird - $650 Full/ $550Concession
Standard - $690Full / $590Concession
(All meals are included, Japanese vegetarian)

ACCOMMODATION
Participants will be camping (BYO Tent) amongst the beauty of the bush on this private land to allow for a deeper connection to Mother Earth. There are also rooms available in the house, for those wishing more comfort. Beds are limited so book your spot now!  

PLANNED SCHEDULE - (subject to be changed)

Thursday 30 March

By 5pm Arriving, settle in, setting up tent etc
6:30pm Dinner 
8pm Session 1 (Gathering) 

Friday 31 March

6:30 am Silent Walk and exercise
Breakfast 8am
10-1pm Session 2
Lunch 1:15pm
3-6pm Session 3
Dinner 6:30 pm
8pm Session 4 (Gathering) 

Saturday 1 April

6:30 am Silent Walk and exercise
Breakfast 8am
10-1pm Session 5
Lunch 1:15pm
3-6pm Session 6
Dinner 6:30 pm
8pm Session 7 (Gathering) 

Sunday 2 April

6:30 am Silent Walk and exercise
Breakfast 8am
10-1pm Session 8
Lunch 1:15pm 
3-6pm Session 9
Dinner 6:30 pm
8pm performance preparation
9pm Performance

Monday 3 April

Breakfast 8am
Gathering, debrief and packing
10:30 am Departure

Cancellation Policy and Procedures

Once payment has been received via Trybooking, any cancellations must be made in writing to here.

1) Cancellations made in writing 4 weeks prior to the commencement of a Workshop will receive a 100% refund with the deduction of the Trybooking handling fee.

2) Cancellations made in writing 2 weeks prior to the commencement of a Workshop will receive a 50% refund.

3) Cancellations made less than 2 weeks before the commencement of Workshop or no-show will receive no refund.

4) There is no full/partial refund when/where the Participant does not appear at any day of the Workshop due to their own personal reasons outside Teachers(Yumi Umiumare, Kayo Tamura and Kyoko Amara)’s control including but not limited to illness; illness of any person accompanying you to the event, or other person for whom you need to care; transport failure or delay; or where you choose not to attend the event.

Jujutsu 呪術 Project

Photo by Mathew Lynn, Vikk Shayen, Jodie Hutchinson | Graphic Design by Takashi Takiguchi

Jujutsu Project is a research Project, exploring Jujutsu

（呪術)
the Japanese notion of shamanism.

On-going research project about Jujutsu呪術: Japanese notion of Shamanism. Since 2021, Yumi has worked 5 specialists and 3 artists, including a first nations artist, scientists, veterinarian/animal communicator, clairvoyant, celebrant and artists from diverse backgrounds in Australia, Japan, Denmark and USA. Now it is in the process of making creative laboratory, which would be creating as a new performance work.

Yumi states;
“This project was inspired by Taro Okamoto's words, "Art is JuJutsu呪術 (magic)!” Having lived and practiced as an artist for more than 30 years, these famous word came to my awareness again because of the desire to recapture that "magical power" as the basis of art. During COVID-19, we frequently face ‘invisible’ fears and anxieties, this leads to the urgent question for artists ‘how should we act?’ Instead, how can we dance with the ‘invisible’ positive power of Jujutsu, through the analogy of our senses, ritual, quantum physics and inexplicable phenomena. I believe that making full use of our five senses and training our six senses, would be a one of the processes of reviving art with the magical power of Jujutsu”.

The interviews and collaboration were taken place via online and live meetings, explored the notion of ‘magic’ ‘spontaneity’ ‘inexplicable’ ‘invisible’ and connections between arts and Jujutsu. Yumi has also participated the online residency between Denmark-US-Australia, in BIRACA, Denmark.

The activities were funded by Creative Victoria, Creators Fund.

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Summary Of Research Works

The summary of her research works were as below:

• CHAPTER 1 : SELF RESEARCH/ PREPARATION

  Aug 2021

• CHAPTER 2 : ANALOGY

  March-May 2022

  Working with Adrian Pearce, professor/ scientist(Melbourne) and PhD students in Melbourne university

  Working with Shia Tsuchiya, animal communicator/veterinarian(USA)

  Working with Hideki Hamada, Jujutsu expertise/psychotherapist, (Japan)

• CHAPTER 3 : PRACTICE/ METHOD IN NON-ARTS FIELD

  Dec 2021- March 2022

  Working with Caroline Higgins, celebrant(Melbourne)

  Working with Kyoko Amara, clairvoyant/singer/ healer (Japan)

• CHAPTER 4 : PRACTICE AND METHOD IN ARTS FIELD

  July 2022- Oct 2022

  Yumi has worked with the 3 established art practitioners of their expertise, Dalisa Pigram(Broome), Tony Yap (Melbourne), and Moira Finucane (Melbourne).

• CHAPTER 5 : COLLECTIONS OF THE MATERIALS AND SHOW & TELL

  Nov/Dec 2022

  Yumi has collected 99 creative material and conducted ‘Show and tell “of those 99 materials and create a final ‘ceremony’ as 100th material of dancing, at Sol Gallery, Melbourne.

Yumi states;

“My aim of this research project was to refresh and re-inspire my creative practice through diverse perspectives; science, spirituality, rituals and other no-arts practices as well as to find actual creative methods.Through the research of the Jujutsu (translated as Magic) I was able to recapture these "magical powers" as the basis of art and started to understand some ways of finding a creative portal through arts practice.

It was extremely rich and fulfilling process for me to work with various spiritual expertises, scientists and artists, as well as to interview people in Broome, where Japanese aboriginal cultures meets. Sharing the topics about ‘magic’ and ‘invisible’ power were incredible inspiring and nurturing process for me both personally and professionally. My objective for this research was to take me into the new and unknown territories in order for me to extend my creativity in arts, spirituality and well-being all all kinds of levels. It was very satisfying process for me to fulfil my objectives and share the processes with participated artists and practitioners, exchanging our expertise and insights, especially after having long  restrictions through COVID.

I was also able to share my conversations and processes with arts and non-arts communities. I’ve interviewed over 20 people from non-arts background, and conducted 3 public Zoom sessions with 3 Japanese experts, which attracted over 80 people from Japan, Australia and other countries.

As I planned, I’ve held a public show and tell of showing the 99 creative materials, and one live performance to complete the process of the 100 Supernatural Tales. It was at Sol Gallery in 16 Dec 2022.

The creative materials of spontaneous, inexplicable, invisible and art, involving stories, visual, movements were;

• 12 self edited video works( including 5 dance video)

• 5 interview excerpts videos

• 20 stories 

• 10 sounds

• 10 artefacts 

• 42 visual photos and poetry

• 1 final dance 

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The Past Session DATES/times with Specialists

2022

★SUN 30th Jan @11:00am-1:00 pm (GMT+11)
Series #3 Kyoko Amara : Chaneller/Singer

★June - Completed (without Open Zoom sessions)
Series #4 Caroline Higgins: Celebrant

★Oct- Completed (Internal Zoom sessions only)
Series #5 Melbourne university science students

2021

★Sun 5th Dec @10:30am-12pm (GMT+11)
Series #1:Shia Tsuchiya: Animal communicator

★SUN 19th Dec @10:30am-12pm (GMT+11)
Seires #2 HIDEKI Hamada: Jujutsu Specialist

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BOOKING

Please book via TRY BOOKING Link

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Japanese Specialists’ Profiles

Shia Tsuchiya- Animal Communicator (SEDONA, USA)

Born in Nagano, Japan, Shia currently lives in Sedna, after working in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Shia has been a veterinary specialist with more than 15 years of experience working in veterinary clinics in Japan and the United States. Taking advantage of the spiritual abilities since her childhood, Shia started to follow her teacher, Penelope Smith, a pioneer of animal communicators. Shia works also as a healer to support people not limited to animals, and lead them a better life through receiving energy from higher dimensions. Since 2010, she has been fascinated by the sacred place Sedna then moved there in 2014.In recent years, she has been qualified to manage pilgrimages to sacred places and ceremonies, especially from Native American organisations, and has also conducted hiking and ceremonies for healing and regeneration of people's bodies, spirits and souls.Currently Shia advocates ‘terra spiritualism’ that integrates a wide range of spirituals such as channeling, somatic, and coaching based on shamanism. She also educate and foster people for their healing, integration, and regeneration of their bodies, minds, and spirits, as well as their skills.

Shia’s WEBSITTE

Hideki Hamada - Jujutsu Specialist (OSAKA, JAPAN)

Born in Osaka in 1965, Hideki is a expertise of Jujutsu and shamanism in general. His shamanic qualities are found by Carol Proudfoot Edgar, a Native American Lakota Sioux medicine woman. In 1995, he went to the United States to study Native American mindset and formal ceremonies under Ms. Edgar. He is the only member of the Japanese Council of "Shamanic Circles", an organisation that supports the activities of shamanism around the world. He is also a psychotherapist and representative of Eagle Tribe to conduct workshops and training programs to be psychotherapist. Hideki works to make psychology useful in daily life, for participants to develop their effective interpersonal assistance skills.

Eagle Tribe’s WEBSITE

Kyoko Amara

Kyoko likes the smell of the soul. Over 20 years, she has been working as a singer with shamanistic drumming and she describes ‘hearing as the voice suddenly began to come down’. Kyoko is also a ‘channeller’/clairvoyant in Japan, holding sessions with over 9000 people. Her main work is to spiritually convey the roots of people’s souls. She has been also engaged in art and shamanistic activities through Butoh performance, painting female genitals, holding workshops for feminine liberation and holding a power animal ceremony, which is a secret practice of the Native American people. In 2017, Kyoko moved from Tokyo to the foot of Mt. Hayachine in Iwate Prefecture, organising all kinds of events while renovating an 100-year-old folk house under the name of "Ihatov Mountain and Water Sunshade”.

Kyoko is renewing her website so her FB page is here.

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This project is supported by Creative Victoria, Creators Fund 2021.