Currently lives and works in: Switzerland / Latvia
I am a performer, theater maker, and mask maker born in Latvia. I hold a BA in Physical Theatre from Accademia Teatro Dimitri in Switzerland and an MA in Expanded Theatre from the Bern Academy of The Arts. Throughout my career, I have lived and worked in Denmark, Italy, Switzerland, and Latvia. Across these diverse locations, I explore themes of belonging, vanishing traditions, and individual and collective experiences revealed through people’s life stories.
Areas of interest: Mask theatre, peoples stories, games, swamps, movement
Why are you a part of Magic Carpets: I wanted to work with the asylum seeker community in Latvia, and I was approached by Sandra (from the New Theatre Institute of Latvia) and Linda Krūmiņa, who invited me to take my first steps in this work in the Magic Carpets Residency.
Magic Carpets project
During the residency, I delved into the art of welcoming by collaborating with the asylum seeker community in Latvia. Together with the association “I Want to Help Refugees,” artist Eva Vēvere, and non-formal education trainer and supervisor Lauma Žubule, we organised various activities and workshops at the asylum seekers’ accommodation center “Mucenieki,” and the accommodation center for detained foreigners “Daugavpils.”
Throughout the residency, we engaged in a variety of games, conversations, and activities aimed at fostering connection, communication, and the sharing of experiences among individuals who speak diverse languages. Following a month and a half of intensive classes and meetings, the theme of welcoming people emerged as a focal point. This prompted discussions about the reasons behind and the methods of welcoming others into our homes, cities, and countries, alongside the concerns and expectations associated with such acts.
At the end of the residency, workshop participants, alongside representatives from the participating organisations, reflected on their collective experiences, celebrated their encounters, and engaged in discussions regarding the meanings and practical applications of terms such as “we,” diversity, inclusion, integration, respect, emotional and physical boundaries between people, and more, within the Latvian context.
Past projects
Type: Travelling performances on rafts
The performance “Water of Life” features actors, singers, and musicians arriving by sailing boat, disembarking at the harbor, and carrying bottles of Water of Life to share hope and dreams with the people they encounter. Through song, dance, new circus acts, and storytelling, the audience is led on a journey through the area, where they witness imaginative and poetic scenes unfolding on the raft and in the surrounding spaces.
What inspires you as an artist? I am attracted to playfulness as a strong connection to people, their nature, and life stories.
What do you think is the purpose of art? As I naturally tend to focus more on the process and the moment itself, rather than questioning the purpose, I’ve always found it challenging to answer this question about the purpose of art. Today, I will choose the image of bread—one left without will always stay hungry.
Contacts
Email: vita.malahova.teatro[et]gmail.com | Instagram | www.vitamalahova.com