Dr Magdalena Stawman-Tuka PhD

researcher | educator | academic author

Magda Tuka Though my practice is firmly rooted in Jerzy Grotowski's notion of Art as vehicle, my ongoing output is by definition more akin with his Theatre of Productions period. I began my career working for ten years full time as an actor in the Warsaw-based Studium Teatralne company of Piotr Borowski, a long-term associate of Grotowski during his late Pontedera phase. For me, the essence of this formative work was in its physical training. A rigorous investigation into the relationship between the body and space, between precision, improvisation and intuition; the aim, a creative onstage existence, a continual search, on a moment by moment basis, for what and where the performer's attention is.

Movement (body/voice) and Devising

The body and voice form a unity. The search for the voice is synonymous with the search for the body. Therefore, when I think about movement, I simultaneously think about the voice. The exploration of expression and the poetics of movement, regardless of age, background, or level of advancement, is linked to the search for community, connections, and meaning. Movement can stem from intention, impulse, image, association, response to external stimulation, and many other possibilities, whose categorisation may be significant in understanding the origins of movement and working on eliminating blockages. Work on an actor's movement provides diverse possibilities. It can serve as non-verbal communication based on intuition, reaction within conditions of acceptance and openness to change, aiming for the organic development of a group composed of individuals—autonomous beings who influence the dynamics of the community. It can be a search for a language of artistic expression, a space for the realisation of ideas. It can also be a means of becoming comfortable with stage work through body awareness, working with tension and relaxation to focus concentration on communicating the content of the performance to the audience.

The creative process is always new, with infinite possibilities for realisation. Below are some selected reflections on my understanding of devising:

In the process of devising openness to change and new forms is essential, while simultaneously deepening knowledge about the project. The initial stage should involve varied experiences, exploration, and following impulses. The methodology of work is shaped by the subject and the members of the project; it may reference previous experiences, but each time it represents a journey into the unknown. Documenting the process and verbalising individual reflections is crucial, yet it is important that this does not replace action.

Crisis in creative work is one of the most significant moments, serving as a kind of breakthrough that can lead to new qualities.

Work-in-progress showings at the appropriate stage can help with understanding and focusing the material. Risk in the devising process is also one of the most important elements stimulating quality. Risk creates a necessary tension, which elevates engagement in the work beyond ordinary, everyday functioning.

The dramaturgy of space, or the ecology of working with space, is another value that helps to understand the nature of a given process in a creative way. Every space has its own specificity and inclination towards coexistence; drawing out its meanings rather than imposing or ignoring them is an important act of acceptance and attentiveness to a given place.

Here, I will refer to, in my opinion, a fundamental exercise: Balance in Space.

Balance in Space was practised by members of the Workcenter of Jerzy Grotowski and Thomas Richards during the period of their search for Art as vehicle (1986-1999). It was continued by - among others - Piotr Borowski together with the Studium Teatralne group from 1995 to 2007. In its simplicity - the movement of a group of people in space to continually fill empty spaces - Balance has so many complementary aspects that it can be a source of long and intensive practical research. The essential components are: balance in space - silent dance - exercises/connections - second balance. Each element has a different character, but it is the special, unique result of the previous movement. It is a group task, but its interpretations are also translated into an individual exploration. Particularly interesting is the very beginning of Balance , as the whole potentiality is there. It is a moment when everything is possible when the concentration of participants is increased, and the space becomes clear. This moment of unity of the still stationary movement-intention has an intense connection with the awareness of the body in space on an intuitive level.

Balance in Space has the quality of precision and openness to change, so that it coexists with the participants both in terms of their individual contribution and the body of the whole group.

It is a very complex and demanding sequence and requires a certain maturity. It is an exercise which prepares for an encounter with space - in a creative sense - with a group, with a partner and, with oneself. It is different every day and requires creation always from the beginning, through deep concentration. It is a kind of meditation in movement. During the exercise we want our senses to become more and more acute, for every movement to have its resonance in space, and on the other hand for the body and mind to experience a sense of freedom.

When working with a group, I propose a range of exercises that originate in body/voice movement, leading to more complex tasks guiding the devising process. Thus, working with the body/voice is inherently a creative endeavour from its inception.

Documentation as a Creative Process

The doctoral dissertation: practice as research opened a new perspective on documentation, both of the work process and its final outcomes. Often, this took the form of video notes, which served as a reference for the later script, a mini video performance, and a space connecting the specific conditions of the performance (e.g., working in nature) with the reader/audience of the work. I propose actively incorporating documentation into the devising process as one of the methods of creative reflection.

Theory and Research

In my theoretical research, I primarily focus on contemporary theatre of the 20th and 21st centuries, actor training methods, theatrical avant-garde, and hybrid projects that integrate various artistic disciplines. I have a particular specialisation in the artistic achievements of Jerzy Grotowski, the postulates of Antonin Artaud, and the early plays of Bertolt Brecht. In my research, I seek hybrid themes where theory actively collaborates with practice, addressing experiences of the body/voice, community, space, and new methodologies.

PhD in Drama: Practice as Research [2019-2023]:

Towards a Burning Method: how might the contemporary performer build on the legacy of Grotowski’s Total Act? - link to abstract

Recent Research, Publications, and Presentations

  • Performer/28 Alchemical process of burning [Alchemiczne procesy spalania] - Peer reviewed Article
  • Culture Teatrali 33/2024 "After the Empty Space: from Traditional Settings to New Creative Ecologies" Emerging hybrid workspaces [TBP] - Peer reviewed Article
  • Horsedonkey Press June 2024 Burning Method - Research Publication
  • IPPT 9th edition 12th-15th January 2023 Emerging hybrid workspaces - Research Presentation
  • Tekstualia Nr 1 (720) 2023 Confrontation with Grotowski. Record of conversation after Magda Tuka’s performance Burning Method - four lectures on conditional love [Konfrontacja z Grotowskim. Zapis rozmowy po performansie Magdy Tuki Burning Method – cztery wykĹ‚ady o miĹ‚oĹ›ci warunkowej]
  • IPPT 7th edition 9th-12th January 2020 “Words in, of and for Performer Training” - Grotowski's Via Negativa