ButohOUT! 2025 #1 Weekly Training—Jan - Feb 2025

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ButohOUT! 2025
ButohBAR 番狂わせ
OUT of ORDER II

Weekly Training: Through Butoh and Beyond

This weekly workshop focuses on training the body through various techniques of performance art, including Butoh. A key element of Butoh is imagining the body as an ‘empty vessel’, which is filled and emptied with substances of all kinds then expressed through the body. The body is also the site of transformation between known to unknown, real and surreal, visible to invisible and even from beauty to the grotesque.

Channeling the interdisciplinary nature of Butoh, guest teachers will facilitate three diverse training methods each beginning with a Butoh warm-up: Willow J Conway (Cabaret) and Matt Crosby (Suzuki Method).

Butoh can be seen as an example of an art form that is out of order, and it challenges the norms of conventional performance styles and offers a way to explore new forms of expression and adaptation in the face of uncertain and unexpected challenges.

This workshop is open to all levels of experience and artistic discipline.

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FACILITATOR & GUEST TEACHERS

• Yumi Umiumare

  Born in Japan, Yumi is an established Butoh dancer, choreographer and creator of Butoh Cabaret works. She has been creating her distinctive style of works for over 30 years and her creations are renowned for provoking visceral emotions and engaging with cultural identities with a sense of humor.
  
  Yumi’s works have been seen in numerous festivals in dance, theatre and film productions throughout Australia, Japan, Europe, New Zealand, South East Asia and South America and have received several Australian Green Room awards.  As a choreographer, Yumi has worked with many socially engaged theatre projects in Australia, including communities of First Nations, refugees and culturally diverse people and also inclusive companies.
  
  She is a recipient of the fellowship from Australian Council (2015-16) and a winner of the Green Room Geoffrey Milne Memorial Award (2017). Yumi is a key figure of the international contemporary Butoh scene and the artistic director of ButohOUT! festival in Melbourne since 2017, teaching and activating local and international Butoh communities. Yumi ‘s recent works focus on Dance, Tea and Spirit.

• Willow J Conway

  Willow is a "mover, shaker & innovator" who has worked as a theatre practitioner in cross-disciplined art forms including acting, burlesque, bouffon, butoh, and performance art along with choreographing, writing and directing film and theatre for over 20 years.

  As a performer/actor she has worked in film, TV and with many independent theatre companies as well as being a solo artist of self-devised pieces performed nationally and internationally including Japan, USA, Paris and London.

  Her credits include Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender (Las Vegas), DasSHOKU SHAKE!, White Day Dream, Dirty Pictures, Voodoo Trash Dolls, Measure for Measure, Empire, All of Which Are American Dreams, Elmo and director/creator of The Living Museum of Erotic Women, and in  2016 Willow was crowned Miss Burlesque Australia!

  During the 3hour workshops you will explore burlesque both, neo, classical and unique looking at the comical and contemporary elements of burlesque, along with the sensual and seductive Art of Tease.

  Prepare to bump n grind your butt off in the most out of order way possible!

• Matthew Crosby

  Matthew Crosby has worked in all areas of the performing arts, a NIDA graduate who has taught theatre for many years.

  He has performed on mainstages in Australian theatre festivals as well as Tokyo, Seoul, Singapore and Thessaloniki. Crosby was director of Actor’s Furniture Group 1996-2000, a member of the DasShoku butoh/cabaret collaboration with Yumi Umiumare and Ben Rogan 1999-2014 and is facilitator of The Thursday Group, which conducts practice and performance development.

  He is a teacher in theatre, conducting annual workshops and ongoing Monday drop-ins investigating Suzuki Training, Grotowski and other variations.

ButohOUT! 2025
Workshop Listing

WS #1
Weekly Training: Through Butoh & Beyond
21 Jan - 18 Feb
6-9pm
@ St Mary Anglican Church Hall
$140 for all sessions
$30 for drop in

WS #2
2-Day Weekend: Visual, Text and Body through Magic of Butoh
8 (Sat) and 9 (Sun) Feb
10am - 4:30 pm
@ LGI studio, North Melbourne
$300/$280

WS #3
2-Day Weekend: Butoh Master Atushi Takenouchi accompany by Hiroko Komiya
1 (Sat) and 2 (Sun) March
10am-4:30pm
@Industrial School, Abbotsford Convent
$330/$300

Combo Discount
All in one - WS#1, 2 & 3 / $700
2 WS-Type 1 - WS1 & 2 / $400
2 WS-Type 2 - WS1 & 3 / $420
2 WS-Type 3 - WS2 & 3 / $570

TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Before proceeding with your purchase, please read these Terms and Conditions carefully.

CONTACT
butohout@gmail.com

ButohOUT! 2025: #2 Weekend Workshop: Visual, Text and Body—Feb 2025

ButohOUT! 2023 ButohBAR番狂わせOUT of ORDER

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ButohOUT! 2025
ButohBAR 番狂わせ
OUT of ORDER II

2-Day Weekend: VISUAL, TEXT and BODY through MAGIC OF BUTOH

“In all chaos there is a cosmos, in all disorder a secret order.”

— Carl Jung

This unique weekend workshop merges visual arts, text work, and Butoh, led by a trio of award-winning artists: Jacqui Stockdale (visual arts), Maude Davey(text), and Yumi Umiumare (Butoh). Participants will explore the notion of magic through an interdisciplinary approach that blends dance (body/movement), text (poetry/imaginative writing), and visual arts (drawing/object-making).

Continuing from last year’s theme, Out of Order, the facilitators will guide participants in exploring the tension between order and chaos. Through the juxtaposition of chaos and composure, abstract and concrete, visible and invisible, form and non-form, participants will embrace the indescribable and provocative realm of art-making in the spirit of Butoh.

The work created during the workshop will serve as inspiration for ButohBAR 番狂わせ OUT of ORDER II, a performance event in March 2025 (participation optional).

This workshop is open to all experience levels and artistic disciplines. Limited spaces available.

WHEN
8 (Sat) and 9 (Sun) Feb
10am - 4:30 pm

WHERE
Wxyz Studios
130 Dryburgh St,
Melbourne North
Google Map

COST
$300/280

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FACILITATOR & GUEST TEACHERS

• Yumi Umiumare

  Born in Japan, Yumi is an established Butoh dancer, choreographer and creator of Butoh Cabaret works. She has been creating her distinctive style of works for over 30 years and her creations are renowned for provoking visceral emotions and engaging with cultural identities with a sense of humor.
  
  Yumi’s works have been seen in numerous festivals in dance, theatre and film productions throughout Australia, Japan, Europe, New Zealand, South East Asia and South America and have received several Australian Green Room awards.  As a choreographer, Yumi has worked with many socially engaged theatre projects in Australia, including communities of First Nations, refugees and culturally diverse people and also inclusive companies.
  
  She is a recipient of the fellowship from Australian Council (2015-16) and a winner of the Green Room Geoffrey Milne Memorial Award (2017). Yumi is a key figure of the international contemporary Butoh scene and the artistic director of ButohOUT! festival in Melbourne since 2017, teaching and activating local and international Butoh communities. Yumi ‘s recent works focus on Dance, Tea and Spirit.

• Jacqui Stockdale: Visual Artist/Workshop Facilitator

  Based in Melbourne, Jacqui Stockdale is a multimedia artist known for her figurative paintings, drawings, staged photographs, collages and vaudevillian performances.

  She is drawn to the human condition, engaging in folklore narratives, masquerade and anthropological complexities. Stockdale graduated from Victorian College of the Arts in 1990 and Hobart Centre for the Arts in 1993. Her recent museum style installation, The Outlaws Inn, is based on the hidden narratives of the Australian anti-hero, Ned Kelly and includes comical life size figures, haunting soundscapes and animatronics.

  Recent commissions include animation for film, designing costume & installation for Japanese ButohOUT! 2021 and portrait commissions by The National Portrait Gallery, Canberra. Stockdale has exhibited in Europe, Asia, the Americas and Australia and has work held in major collections including the National Gallery of Australia, The Museum and Art Gallery of Tasmania and the Watermill Collection USA.

• Maude Davey: Theatre maker/Workshop Facilitator

  Maude Davey has been creating performances in Melbourne and Australia for thirty-five years. Her primary focus is the creation of new work, particularly Cabaret and Variety Performance.

  Recent credits include: Gender Euphoria (Director/Producer) for Melbourne Festival and Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, and Gender Euphoria: Mighty Real (Director/Producer) Sydney WorldPride and Arts Centre Melbourne; Blessed Union (Actor) by Maeve Marsden at Belvoir Street Theatre; Set Piece (Actor) by Anna Breckon and Nat Randall. She is currently undertaking a PhD at La Trobe University looking at queer and feminist short form variety performance.

ButohOUT! 2025
Workshop Listing

WS #1
Weekly Training: Through Butoh & Beyond
21 Jan - 18 Feb
6-9pm
@ St Mary Anglican Church Hall
$140 for all sessions
$30 for drop in

WS #2
2-Day Weekend: Visual, Text and Body through Magic of Butoh
8 (Sat) and 9 (Sun) Feb
10am - 4:30 pm
@ LGI studio, North Melbourne
$300/$280

WS #3
2-Day Weekend: Butoh Master Atushi Takenouchi accompany by Hiroko Komiya
1 (Sat) and 2 (Sun) March
10am-4:30pm
@Industrial School, Abbotsford Convent
$330/$300

Combo Discount
All in one - WS#1, 2 & 3 / $700
2 WS-Type 1 - WS1 & 2 / $400
2 WS-Type 2 - WS1 & 3 / $420
2 WS-Type 3 - WS2 & 3 / $570

TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Before proceeding with your purchase, please read these Terms and Conditions carefully.

CONTACT
butohout@gmail.com

#3 Weekend Workshop: Butoh Master Atsushi Takenouchi accompany by Hiroko Komiya — Mar 2025

Photo: Jordi Lagoutte, Emotion Seed

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ButohOUT! 2025
ButohBAR 番狂わせ
OUT of ORDER II

2-Day Weekend: Butoh Master Atsushi Takenouchi accompany by Hiroko Komiya

“Life of Flower.
You are the only flower in the world.
Giving a birth to the flower, blossoming the flower.
Flower opens life.
Flower is a soft body revolution.
Flower is love.
To open to universe with passing through darkness to brightness,
passing through life and death.
Flower always circulates life.
Flower continues opening.
A life of a flower draws the circle with the universe.”

- Atsushi Takenouchi

Atsushi Takenouchi, a global legend in Butoh based in Italy, is coming to Melbourne to lead a special weekend Butoh workshop, accompanied by live music from his long-time collaborator, Hiroko Komiya.

He will introduce the classic aspects of Butoh through his unique Jinen Butoh style. Jinen is an old Japanese word, signifying something larger than nature itself. In some Western thought, ‘Man’ exists above ‘Nature,’ with a separation between Nature, Man, and God. In Jinen, however, all things are interconnected—within each life resides a god.

Atsushi will guide participants through his life’s work, Life of Flower, exploring the many ‘flowers’ 花 through body and movement. He will also lead them in creating a final performance based on the workshop content, using a simple structure with guided improvisation.

Participants will have the opportunity to join an outdoor group performance during ButohOUT! 2025, as part of the AsiaTOPA festival in March 2025. (Optional)

This workshop welcomes both experienced practitioners and those new to Butoh who are ready to dive into the creative process.

WHEN
1 (Sat) and 2 (Sun) March
10am - 4:30 pm

WHERE
Abbotsford Convent
Industrial School
1 St Heliers St,
bbotsford
Google Map

COST
$330/300

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FACILITATOR & GUEST TEACHERS

• Atsushi Takenouchi - Butoh dancer, choreographer/ workshop facilitator

  Joined butoh dance company "Hoppo-Butoh-ha" in Hokkaido in 1980. His last performance with the company was worked on by butoh-founder Tatsumi Hijikata. Started his own "Jinen Butoh" since 1986 as a universal expression of nature, earth, and ancient times and impressions of the moment. Made 3years "JINEN" tour project throughout Japan for 600 site specific improvisations (1996-1999).

  Around this time, he learned the spirit of the universe of Kazuo Ohno and Yoshito Ohno. Since 2002, based in Europe, working on solo Butoh and collaboration projects with dancers and actors, with giving workshops internationally. Since 2015, he has started a long term JINEN Butoh school in Pontedera in Italy.

  www.jinen-butoh.com

• Hiroko Komiya - Sound artist / workshop supporter

  She expresses the image which comes from the air, space, movements, inner body, memory and transforms it into the sound without bound melody or rhythm. She has regularly accompanied JINEN Butoh performance and workshop by Atsushi Takenouchi since 1999.

  Based in Europe since 2002, she's been playing music for his performance and Butoh workshop internationally.Apart from Butoh, she collaborates with film, sculptor, painter, poet, costume designer and performers for exhibition, installation. In 2021, started project with Chris H.Lynn ; US film/sound artist, and created audio visual performance with dancers ( Hybrid Butoh Vienna Art Fes2022, Warsaw2023, Barcelona2023, Mexico2024 ). In Paris 2022, played in 11hours homage event for Félix Guattari (French psychoanalyst, philosopher) with artist group of Ramuntcho Matta. In 2024, creating 3rd collaboration album LENA CIRCUS ; French experimental band, and concert tour with them. Solo CD release; “eau nouvelle“(sometimestudio/Paris 2009), “Pendulum Sea”( beng!dischi/Italy 2016)

  http://www.jinen-butoh.com/hiroko_profile_e.html

ButohOUT! 2025
Workshop Listing

WS #1
Weekly Training: Through Butoh & Beyond
21 Jan - 18 Feb
6-9pm
@ St Mary Anglican Church Hall
$140 for all sessions
$30 for drop in

WS #2
2-Day Weekend: Visual, Text and Body through Magic of Butoh
8 (Sat) and 9 (Sun) Feb
10am - 4:30 pm
@ LGI studio, North Melbourne
$300/$280

WS #3
2-Day Weekend: Butoh Master Atushi Takenouchi accompany by Hiroko Komiya
1 (Sat) and 2 (Sun) March
10am-4:30pm
@Industrial School, Abbotsford Convent
$330/$300

Combo Discount
All in one - WS#1, 2 & 3 / $700
2 WS-Type 1 - WS1 & 2 / $400
2 WS-Type 2 - WS1 & 3 / $420
2 WS-Type 3 - WS2 & 3 / $570

TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Before proceeding with your purchase, please read these Terms and Conditions carefully.

CONTACT
butohout@gmail.com

Beyond – Racing Through This Moment

20th Annual performance by Tenri University Creative Dance Club 
Beyond—Racing Through This Moment

22(Sun) Dec 2024, Nara Centennial Hall 18:00 start (17:00 door opens)

Yumi has great opportunity of choreographing and performing at the annual event of the Tenri University Dance Club, Nara Japan, renowned for winning numerous awards due to the high quality and creativity of their dance.Yumi has been staying in Nara for 2 weeks in December, to create and perform a piece, collaborating with 22 dancers and 18 Gagaku musicians to present it on the grand stage of Centennial Hall in front of an audience of 1,500!!

Gagaku, historically used as imperial court music, has been established for over ten centuries. It served as ceremonial music for the imperial court, major Buddhist temples, and Shinto shrines in Japan. Recognised by UNESCO, it is considered the oldest continuously performed orchestral music in the world.

55th year anniversary of the establishment 
20th Annual performance by Tenri University Creative Dance Club 
Beyond – Racing Through This Moment

Come and Join us!

EVENT DETAILS:

22(Sun) Dec 2024

At Nara Centennial Hall 18:00 start (17:00 door opens)

Link (in Japanese ): 
FIND OUT MORE HERE

Enquiry (in English):
CONTACT YUMI

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ゆみうみうまれは、日本・奈良の天理大学創作ダンス部の創立５５周年、２０回目の記念イベントにおいて、振付とパフォーマンスを行う素晴らしい機会を得ました。同部は、そのダンスの高いクオリティと創造性によって数々の賞を受賞していることで知られています。うみうまれはiは12月に2週間奈良に滞在し、22人のダンサーと18人の雅楽演奏者と共に作品を創り上げ、1500人の観客を迎える奈良100年会館の大舞台で披露します！

雅楽は、歴史的に皇室の宮廷音楽として使用され、千年以上の歴史を持っています。

皇室の儀式や、日本の主要な仏教寺院や神社で演奏される音楽として発展しました。ユネスコによって世界最古の継続して演奏されているオーケストラ音楽と認められています。

乞うご期待！

創部５５周年
第２０回創作ダンス部単独公演、

Beyond この瞬間を駆けぬける　

１２月２２日（日）開演１８：００　（１７：００開場）

（於）奈良１００年会館大ホール

リンク：https://www.tenri-u.ac.jp/event/46906/

TOKYO — OWARI Workshop

☆ TOKYO ☆

OWARI workshop by Yumi Umiumare
(Owari contains OWARI終わり: finishing, and WARU割るcrack open, and 悪naughty）

9(Sat) November 10:00-16:00@Studio Sun and Moon in Yotsuya　9500 yen

There will be also have a live performance followed by the workshop and special combo tickets available, Finish(OWARI) what you want, Don’t be a goody goody but let us 'break through' to begin for somthing new!

This is a special one-day workshop by Yumi Umiumare, a performance artist and Butoh dancer from the vast open land Australia.

Moving your ‘body’
Making your ‘sound’
Conning with unknown and invisible things
Arising from within and without.
Dance with freedom, joy, depth and mystery.

<Connect>
Connect with the deepest part of yourself and become part of the surrounding space.

<Greet each part of your body>
Inspired by Butoh’s founder Tatsumi Hijikata's words: “Each part of the body has its own kingdom.”

<Open, laugh, to break through>
Open up, laugh, and break through.

<The empty space>
Empty yourself and surrender to the space around you.

<Greet the invisible things and your inner monster>
Dance with the quirky beings and monsters that live inside your body.

<CreationSOUZOU and ImaginationSOUZOU>
Let us “create” and “imagine.”

DETAILS:

Workshop: 9(Sat) Nov 2024 @10:00-16:00

Event by 高橋 広部京子, 音十羽 のりこ

Where: Studio Sun and Moon, Tokyo JAPAN

Duration: 6 hr

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Performance:  9(Sat) Nov 2024 @19:00

WARSAW, POLAND Workshop

☆ WARSAW ☆

BUTOH KAI 6 begins with the performance "Tea Trance" by the Japanese dancer YUMI UMIUMARE living in Australia. The day before the workshops, on November 16, you will be able to see it free of charge thanks to funding from the Mokotów District Office/Warsaw Railway Station). Check out the program! In the meantime... on Sunday, November 17, we encourage you to take part in workshops (registration rules at the bottom of the entry) relating to the artist's dance philosophy:

“In Butoh, dance connects with forces that come from inside the earth and simply pass through the body. The dancer does not move; traffic passes through them.” — Akaji Maro (DaiRakudakan)

Butoh can be mysterious, abstract, and esoteric, but it can also serve as a creative gateway, catalyst, and even lead to unexpected breakthroughs.

Australia-based Japanese Butoh dancer/choreographer Yumi Umiumare guides participants through special focus points, helping them explore the physical and philosophical dimensions of Butoh from both classical and contemporary perspectives.

This unique workshop also explores Butoh's connection to Yumi's ongoing passion for ritual and ceremony, integrating elements of the Japanese tea ceremony and her recent exploration of Jujutsu 呪術, the Japanese concept of shamanism.

We invite both experienced practitioners and those who are just starting their adventure with butoh to the workshops.

Special focus points

>Embodiment and Presence: Immerse yourself fully in the present moment by expressing raw emotions and experiences through Butoh while creating simple rituals to enter sacred spaces with mindfulness and intention.

>Symbolism and Ritual: Explore the rich symbolism and ritual elements as you explore the philosophy of the Japanese tea ceremony and its essence of 和 (harmony), 敬 (respect), 清 (purity) and 寂 (peace), abstracted through contemporary Butoh styles.

>Mysteries and magic: delve into the mysteries of Jujutsu呪術, where everyday life intersects with the sacred and profane, discovering the spiritual connection between the visible and invisible worlds.

>Transformation and self-expression: Experience catharsis through movement, ritual and spiritual exploration, discovering deep emotions and releasing tension.

The project is supported by Creative Australia, under the international engagement program 2024.

DETAILS:

Performance When: 16 (Friday) Nov

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Workshop When: 17(Sat) Nov

Event by Fundacja POMPKA, ButohSfera and Anita Zdrojewska BUTOHSFERA | Fundacja Pompka, ul. Narbutta 46/48 lok. 51, Warszawa

Duration: 5 hr

VIENNA, AUSTRIA Workshop — Butoh for unlocking Our Inner Beast - For All Dance Abilities Bodies

☆ VIENNA ☆

A Workshop for disabled and non-disabled dancers and performers. Join Australian-based Japanese Butoh dancer and choreographer Yumi Umiumare for an inclusive workshop that explores the foundational philosophy and physical practices of Butoh for disabled and non-disabled beginners, dancers and performers.

Yumi is an established Japanese Butoh dancer, choreographer, and creator of Butoh Cabaret works. She moved from Japan to Australia in 1993 after touring with the seminal Japanese Butoh company DaiRakudakan. For over 30 years, Yumi has been creating her distinctive style of works, renowned for provoking visceral emotions and engaging with cultural identities with a sense of humour. Her creations have been seen across Australia, Japan, Europe, New Zealand, Southeast Asia, and South America, and have been featured in numerous festivals worldwide.

As a choreographer, Yumi has worked on many socially engaged theatre projects with Australian Aboriginal communities, refugees, culturally diverse groups, and inclusive companies. She has been the artistic director of ButohOUT! in Melbourne since 2017, playing an active role in the international contemporary Butoh scene. Yumi’s recent works focus on Dance, Tea, and Spirit, seeking deeper integration between the arts and spirituality.

Photography by Leah Jing McIntosh

Information, reservations and registration: viennabutohfest@gmail.com

The project is supported by Creative Australia, under the international engagement program 2024.

WORKSHOP DETAILS:

When: Nov 23(Sat) and 24 (Sun) 10am-12pm

Where: Arashi Colletive Movement Center, Augasse 2-6, 1090 Wien, Hösaal 5

108€​​

1 workshop/2 hour: 60,-
2 workshops: 108,-

By Yumi Umiumare – (Japan/Australia)

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VIENNA, AUSTRIA Workshop — Creative Gate Way to Butoh through Ritual and Spirit

☆ VIENNA ☆

"In Butoh, dance is connected to the forces that come from the center of the earth and simply pass through the body. The dancer is not doing the movement; the movement is coming through them."
— Akaji Maro (DaiRakudakan)

Butoh is often mysterious, abstract, and esoteric, yet it can also act as a creative gateway, a catalyst for transformation, and a path to unexpected breakthroughs. In this unique workshop, Australian-based Japanese Butoh dancer and choreographer Yumi Umiumare will guide participants through an exploration of Butoh’s physical and philosophical dimensions, blending classical techniques with contemporary interpretations.
​
Yumi’s workshop also incorporates her deep passion for ritual and ceremony, combining elements of the Japanese Tea Ceremony and her recent focus on Jujutsu 呪術, a form of Japanese shamanism. This immersive experience is open to both seasoned practitioners and those new to Butoh, offering a profound opportunity for personal and creative discovery.
​
Special Focus Points:

Embodiment and Presence:
Immerse yourself fully in the moment, expressing raw emotions and experiences through Butoh. Create simple rituals to enter sacred spaces with mindfulness and intention.

Symbolism and Ritual:
Explore the rich symbolism and ritualistic elements of Butoh, discovering the philosophy behind the Japanese Tea Ceremony and its core values of 和 (harmony), 敬 (respect), 清 (purity), and 寂 (tranquility), abstracted through contemporary Butoh styles.

Mysteries and Magic:
Delve into the mystical world of Jujutsu 呪術, where everyday life intersects with the sacred and profane. Uncover the spiritual link between the visible and invisible worlds.

Transformation and Self-Expression:
Experience catharsis through movement, ritual, and spiritual exploration, releasing deep emotions and tension while discovering new forms of self-expression.

Participation: Open for all who have the experience or curiosity of movement practices, art and nature. No previous experience is needed.

The project is supported by Creative Australia, under the international engagement program 2024.

WORKSHOP DETAILS:

Sat 23.11 & Sun 24.11
14:00 - 18:00

@Arashi Colletive Movement Center

Augasse 2-6, 1090 Wien
Hösaal 5

1 day workshop: 80€​​
2 workshops: 150€​​

​Information, reservations and registration
viennabutohfest@gmail.com

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