This autumn in Berlin is going to happen two Premier actions from VOZDUKH Center. It is a unique project that was created at the border of times when humanity poses the important questions of mindfulness and a new place of a human in the world with much more responsibilities, discovering new forms of interaction with each other, with the environment for evolution in harmony. Each place for the performers is a new scene for solving some particular questions and the mission that’s going to be completed during the investigation process with further transformation about the topic that’s in the Air (in Vozdukh - from Rus.) It’s a new kind of body diplomacy through Art process and this method is a sort of new intercultural communicational approach in the time of changes when lots of questions are difficult for solutions. VOZDUKH is also proposing to investigate a tool of body language for personal self-discovery when the words are worthless. 

Vozdukh Center combines a modern plastic theater, a body work school and exclusive business cases.

We had a conversation with the founders of the VOZDUKH Center: Olga Sanachina, Anastasya Vorobyova and Egor Utkin, and got some answers about the story, the methods and the conceptional principles of their project.

Olga: 

the beginning

"Once upon a time…Three people met each other. We knew that we all love improvisation, dance and create! Since January of 2015 we gave a birth to our project. We called our first performers and started to explore our ideas.

We tried to understand deeper what is our mission and have found this words: “Belonging to the birth of now”. We want that any person who come to our performance or our workshop have possibility to contact with something very truthful and important for him. We can be a helper in creating a special art process for such kind of moments. 

the roots

Our skills are rooted in a combination of different approaches. We use come methods from playback theatre, contemporary dance, physical theatre, gaga-dance, elements of performance art, authentic and butoh dance. When we use our experience for business cases we combine our performances with workshops where we can apply some theory of emotional intellect. We use body for developing of soft skills. But the main influence on us was from playback theatre and Jonathan Fox conception. He believes in social role of the theatre, that can support, creating a social dialogue through sharing stories. Our first performance based on this idea. And when we travel and play for people in different countries we still follow this essence of theatre. To become a performer and travel with Vozdukh around the world you should have passion to move and dance, to feel and listen others and to be open for new things.

working with business

Usually when we work with the business it starts from their question. They want to find a new language to talk about important things in business that is still very difficult to understand clear,  and to make transformation. So they ask us to find another way to talk open the topic. And it’s always a new form that we create specially for them. We try to use art forms to create experience that helps people to feel and take something by themselves from the process. We talk on language of emotions and body and sometimes can come to the hearts quicker than using other methods. We have only some principals when we work. We work with the companies who have value of a human not just in words and who are ready to risk to do something new.

different cultures

New meeting is a new experience. It’s always unexpectable – culture, season, day… When we play in Mexico it was Death-Day and we couldn’t avoid that topic. For us, as Russians, it was very interesting to meet compactly different relationship with death. When we travel in Europe in 2017 it was very intensive moment in political arena and we felt that our dialogue through music and embodiment helped people in Holland be more connected with reality not only through Media. Context always has an influence on our work".   

Egor:

New York and changes of the perception

"October 18th, 2016. We had a performance in the US for the first time. Happily we were selected to be a part of "Artist's New Work Festival". That was the first grant we got so far. I remember that collaborative performance in Rosendale, upstate NY. We played to the audiences stories related to times of change. About eco issues, politics between our countries and how it influences on people's relations. And the end of the performance we got stand ovations and after the audience didn't let us leave. We had an interesting and deep QnA. That helped to understand the difference of attitude that we as Russians and US citizens have. Talking about contemporary art Russian audience (mostly in regions and partly in Moscow) still buying the tickets and waiting for the entertainment from the actors. Otherwise when the US citizens come to performances to work, to think. Contemporary art gives you "food" for your brain and your heart, makes you reflect, empathize and face the reality that is not always sunny and beautiful. I'm glad that now that the perception of contemporary art is really changing in Russia. And really proud for the VOZDUKH Center also takes a part for that".

Nastya:

South Africa. New important questions

South African trip changed my vision on our next generation and needs for our future. It was our collaboration between VOZDUKH Center and Drama for Life Playback Theatre. Performance was part of the Conference creating a Child centered society.

The themes were:

- Trauma, children and healing through the arts;

- Building a human rights culture with children in the arts;

- Climate crisis, children and the role of the performing arts;

- Sexual health and wellbeing through theatre for youth; 

- Arts therapies, children and wellness; 

- Children, the migration crisis and freedom through improvisation;

- Children, education and the freedom to learn; 

- Arts therapies for youth in conflict and post-conflict contexts;

- Applied improvisation, gender and youth.

Stories of children were so inspiring!

- I found my voice and singing keeps me closer to myself

- I saw a broken glass on the way here, my heart was bleeding, so much came to my mind

- On the way here I seen a homeless people from the bus, it was painful

- I seen a pollution today and it keeps me thinks about what we do for our nature

- Being on nature is inspiring me to do my ART.

Through hearing stories of others and being heard we can heal, we can hear the voices of those of us who is not being heard usually. By bringing these voices it’s a path for change.

We perceive stories and information in this world by logic. But on logical level we not really hear. By creating a safe space and atmosphere for people there is a chance we can hear story of other on empathy level. We need empathy more than ever nowadays. We can do it! And I am so inspired to spend my life on it using ART for change and transformation".

Olga:

for Berlin

About the topic we would like to bring in Berlin. We are aware of change which is happening so quick nowadays in the world. What kind change do we need or are we scary about? Can we influence on it in our routine life? Hearing the stories of others and being heard, we can heal and cultivate empathy which we need so much in our world. We will create a safe space of ART for the open dialogue. The language we will use is a body language which we all can understand regardless of our culture, language etc. Body can not lie. During the performance we will hear stories of the people and transform it into art using embodiment practice and dance. During a workshop we will teach you this forgotten language what all can connect us.

plans for the future

The word Vozdukh means Air in English. Sometimes we have a joke that air is for everyone and everywhere on the Earth. So we are going to develop our project in this way. We would like to see as much as possible people in the world to be involved, meeting each other with our practice and to became our ambassadors in their regions. We would like to open VOZDUKH Schools and organize some similar troupes who can create and play performances for social dialogue and for developing people in different spheres of social life.