Mary Pearson
Artist & performance maker, SEP, RSME/T
SEP Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner, EASE
Registered Somatic Movement Educator/Therapist, ISMETA
Performance - Dance - Improvisation - Contact Improvisation - Multi-artform Collaborations
Choreography - Direction - Movement Direction - Devising - Writing - Teaching
Curation - Organising - Facilitation - Project Management
Languages: proficient French, Italian, German, basic Spanish
PERFORMANCE: COLLABORATIONS
KUDERA+MPEARSONATER Longstanding collaboration with textile artist and garment designer Alena Kudera. Wearable sculptures made from waste. Choreography, Somatic movement performance, Immersive installation
2026 ‘Elegantly Wasted’ choreography, bespoke performance for supporters of Liverpool Biennial
2025-6 Artists in residence, Curator of Learning Stef Bradley, Tate Liverpool with Bellerive School, workshops culminating in student movement performance with wearable sculptures and exhibition of portraits by photographer Tony Knox
‘What Have We Become?’ (episode ii)
Noel Jones – immersive visuals, Caterina McEvoy – immersive sound, Amy Voris – outside eye, Laura Doehler – dancer, Lauren Wright - producer
2025 Turn at Contact Theatre, Manchester, Digital Moves as part of LEAP festival at Unity Theatre, Liverpool
2024 Artlab at OH Design Foundation, Chester. exhibition of project documentation with performances
2023 'From Stage to Gallery' to learn and experiment with immersive technologies
'Anthropo+Screen by products’ (episode i)
with research collaborators Anne Gaëlle Thiriot, Anya Cloud, Deborah Black, Karen Schaffman, William Lang, Yoav Admoni
2022 Lake Studios Berlin residency and work in progress performance
2020 Ponderosa unFestival, Stolzenhagen (Berlin), site specific outdoor performance
2019 Outdoor residencies: The Mothership (Dorset) and Penpynfarch (Wales)
Residency Liverpool John Moore’s University, Video screening at Metal Culture, WIP performance Unity Theatre (Liverpool)
'Witnessed In Translation' Remote international collaboration. Livestream Improvisation
Performed and directed by Mary Pearson with pavleheidler (Stockholm), Carolina Van Eps (Ghent), Elvan Tekin, Michael Kaddu (Berlin) Ava Riby-Williams – Facilitation, Aleasha Chaunte - Evaluation George Maund – Technologist, Harriet Warnock - Producer
Funded by Arts Council England (ACE) in partnership with Independent Dance (ID)
2023 online study group and course, hosted by ID
2022 Livestream Improvised performance screenings at FACT Liverpool, Kitty's Laundrette, ID
'How to Be Afraid?' Transatlantic collaboration with mayfield brooks (NYC)
2021 Residency and performance at Newstead Abbey as part of Dancing Museums 2.
Co-commissioned by dance artist Eleanor Sikorski with support from ACE in partnership with Dance4 (Nottingham). ‘Haunting Newstead Abbey’ Livestream panel conversation with Seke Chimutengwende, facilitated by Season Butler
2021 Research Space: hybrid live/online workshop (London) co-produced by Independent Dance (ID) Funded by ACE. online talk and performance with collaborators Seke Chimutengwende, Akeim Toussaint Buck, Amy Voris, Anne Gäelle Thiriot
2021 'Improvisations with Interference: Haunted by histories, guided by ghosts' livestream performance trio with Seke Chimutengwende
2020 'Proximity: New Directions in Art and Social Repair', online symposium with Migrant Artists’ Mutual Aid (Liverpool) Funded by ACE
2019 'How to Be Afraid?' Performance, Improspekcije festival, Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb
2017 'How to Be Afraid?' Works in progress, Metal Culture, Liverpool and Chisenhale Dance Space, London. Funded by ACE
PERFORMANCE: SOLO WORKS
'Burt Turdgirth & companions'
2022-present Drag King cabaret performances.
Seen at Duckie's The Posh Club (London, St Helens), Word of Warning's Emergency '25 (Manchester), Merseyside Kings' Cabaret of Manarchy, Eat Me, Strike A Pose (Liverpool)
'FoMO, mofos!'
2018 UK tour: Liverpool John Moore’s University, University of Chester, Vital Signs festival at University of Salford, Capstone Theatre at Liverpool Hope University, Edge Hill University
2017 UK/US Tour: LEAP Festival Liverpool, Edge Hill University, Chisenhale Dance Space (London) Waterside Arts Centre, Plymouth University, Studio 408 (Portland, ME, USA), The Finnish Kaleva Hall (Berkeley CA, USA)
2016 Works in progress: Unity Theatre, (Liverpool) DanceKiosk 48 Hrs Nomads festival (Hamburg)
Funded by Arts Council England, supported by ‘Time and Space Residency’ Metal Culture, Liverpool
'The Sand Dog Cometh'
2014-16 UK/US tour: Capstone Theatre at Liverpool Hope University, SPRINT Festival London, Decoda presents at Coventry University, Unity Theatre Liverpool, Edge Hill University, Plymouth University, Noh Space (San Francisco, USA), PADL West presents at California State University San Marcos (San Diego, USA)
2015 'Wild Trio' (director/choreographer) site-specific dance installation Physical Fest, Liverpool with performers: Laura Döhler, Genevieve Say, Cathy Walsh performance outcome from solo research
2013-14 Works In Progress: Physical Fest Liverpool, The Bike Shed Theatre, Con|Verge at Ponderosa (Germany)
Funded by Arts Council England
'FAILURE (& other opportunities for non-linear success)'
2013-14 UK Tour: Tempting FAILURE Festival Bristol, Unity Theatre Liverpool, SPRINT Festival London, Nightingale Theatre Brighton, Bike Shed Theatre, Summerhall and Performing Arts Studio Edinburgh, Ponderosa Tanzland Festival (Germany)
2012 Works in Progress: Earthdance, (USA), The Bluecoat and Physical Fest Liverpool, RRR festival at PROGR Switzerland, and Ponderosa Tanzland Festival (Germany)
Funded by Arts Council England
AWARDS and RESIDENCIES
2025 Culture Liverpool Dance Commissions UK Shared Prosperity Funding (SPF) in partnership with Culture Liverpool, Leap Dance festival
2023 Dance Consortia North West Awarded to 24 Hope Street Collective: Digital Open Labs. Worked as outside eye on digital dance research project
2023 Arts Council England, Developing Your Creative Practice 'From Stage to Gallery' to learn and experiment with immersive technology 2006-21 Project grants
2016 BLANK CANVAS artist residency at Firkin Crane (Cork, Ireland)
2016 //at HOME with BUZZCUT// bursary to attend Buzzcut festival Glasgow from Home Live Art (London)
2015-2016 ‘Time and Space Residency’ Metal Culture, Liverpool 6 months’ artist residency
2015 Au Brana Creative Development Residency 2 weeks artist residency at Au Brana (Pauilhac, France)
2015 Liverpool Ireland Cultural Corridor (LICC) Travel Grant, Bluecoat and Create Ireland
2015, 2013 L’Âme-de-Fonds Instant Composition, artist in residence, La-Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland (CH)
2014 ‘Making Space’ Residency, Summer Dancing Festival, artist residency, Decoda at Coventry University
2011 RRR/Switzerland, co-facilitator, artist in residence, PROGR Center for Culture Production, Berne, CH
TEACHING: INDEPENDENT
2025 Let Me Hear Your Body Talk! Somatics Into Performance Making Intensive with Amy Voris at Bidston Observatory Artistic Research Centre (BOARC)
2022-present 24 Hope Street, Liverpool weekly classes, Contact Improvisation, Movement for Wellbeing
2021 Moving On The Edge, Exit Map audio guide series for outdoor personal movement practice, London
2020-21 Morning classes, Monday Night Improvisation, Research Lab Independent Dance online, London
2019 Improvising While Black & FAILURE Lab Improspekcije festival (Zagreb) with mayfield brooks
2017 FAILURE Lab & Rupture meets FAILURE Lab at Goldsmith’s (London), weekend workshop, workshop with mayfield brooks
2017 WCCIJam, (West Coast CI Jam, Berkeley, CA) festival teacher
2016 contactfestival Freiburg (Germany), festival teacher
2016 FAILURE Lab at Live Art Bistro (Leeds), Interdisciplinary improvisation, weekend workshop
2016 Contact Improvisation, The Berkeley Jam (USA) Guest Teacher, Saturdays in January
2015 Improvisation Exchange (Leeds), Dance International Glasgow @The Glasgow Jam CI Workshops
2014 Contact Improvisation Workshop, Liverpool Hope University, with Miriam Wolodarski (Berkeley)
2013-14 FAILURE Lab Summerhall (Edinburgh), Ponderosa 2012 (Germany) performance workshops
2011-13 Ponderosa P.O.R.C.H. Summer School Mentor and Facilitator: performance module (Germany)
TEACHING: UNIVERSITY
2020 LIPA Visiting professional on Acting route: 1st year Artistic Practice, 2nd year Movement Direction
2019 Liverpool John Moore’s University Visiting Artist, 3rd Year choreography Student Performance Project
2014-18 Liverpool Hope University Visiting Lecturer, Seminars in Drama, Dance, Creative and Performing Arts
Visiting Lecturer, Dance: Choreography and Performance module (2010)
2010-18 Edge Hill University, Ormskirk (UK), California State University San Marcos (USA), Plymouth University (UK), P.A.S.S. Performing Arts Studio Scotland (Edinburgh), Liverpool John Moore’s University, University of Chester (UK) Visiting Artist, master classes in Dance, Drama, Improvisation, Choreography, Movement for Actors
2014 University of Liverpool, Continuing Education Creative Writing for Performance: FAILURE Lab
2009 Liverpool John Moore’s University Visiting Lecturer, Dance: Contact Improvisation module
SOMATIC EXPERIENCING®
2020-present Somatic Experiencing Practitioner in private practice, individual client sessions
SOMATIC DRAMATURGY
Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner, trauma-informed direction, movement direction and mentorship
2024-present 'The Raven' by Charles Sandford
2024-6 DYCP: 'Drag Me Home' by Michal Salansky / Baba Yagga
2022 DYCP: 'Journey to Joy' by Ithalia Forel
2021 'Out of the Narrow Place: A Ritual for Black descendants of slaves' by Aleasha Chaunte Funded by ACE
CURATION/ORGANISING
2023- 25 24 Hope Street Dance Collective collective management, artist-led studio in Liverpool city centre
2023- 25 'Dance Makers Labs' curated series of guest teachers, improvisation classes and choreo labs at 24HS
2020 PROXIMITY: New directions in art and social repair with Migrant Artists’s Mutual Aid, The Bluecoat Liverpool, online conference
2017 contactfestival Freiburg 2017 on-site performance curator
2017 REMIX residency Co-curator, Ponderosa Dance and Betonest, Stolzenhagen and Stolpe (Germany)
2013-15 Con|VERGE artist residency Co-curator, co-organiser Ponderosa Dance, Stolzenhagen, (Germany)
2013-14 European Contact Improvisation Teachers’ Exchange ECITE 2014 Ponderosa, Organising Team
2010-14 ‘If Only..!’ Co-Curator, artist-led new performance series, The Bluecoat Liverpool
2010 RAW ROAR RARE Co-organiser, performance conference and festival with Liverpool Improvisation Collective, The Bluecoat Liverpool
EDUCATION
The Extimacy Process, 2023, The Center for the Practice of Political Extimacy, 9-month online intensive, political theory and somatic education inspired by black feminist and existential thought, with Kesha Fikes
Somatic Experiencing Practitioner training 2017-20, Instytut Terapii Psychosomatycznej (Poland) European Association of Somatic Experiencing certification, body-based trauma therapy
Kiklos Scuola International School of Theatre Creation 2002-04 Lecoq-based pedagogy (Padua, Italy)
Oberlin College 1999, B.A. Visual Art and English Literature, with dance (Oberlin, Ohio, USA)
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: DANCE
Contact Improvisation: Kirstie Simson/Laura Doehler 2026, Kontaktland Festival (Hungary) 2026 Tribute to Steve Paxton: Kirstie Simson, Ray Chung, K.J. Holmes, Andrew Harwood, Eszter Gál and Eva Karczag. contactfestival Freiburg: Teachers’ Meeting and Festival 2014-19, 2024 (Germany) intensives with Leilani Weis, BodyCartography Project, Keith Hennessy, Benoit LeChambre, Eva Karzag, Peter Pleyer & Eszter Gál, Sara Shelton Mann, Nancy Stark-Smith 2005, Andrew Harwood 2006, Underscore CI Workgroup 2012 Roehampton University (UK), Nancy Stark Smith January Workshop 2012 Earthdance (Plainfield, USA) E.C.I.T.E (European Contact Improvisation Teachers’ Exchange) Germany 2014, Poland 2013, Spain 2011, Finland 2010
Experiential Anatomy: Amy Voris BodyCartography Project: Embryology and Nervous System Intensives Embody Move: Body Mind Centering Skeletal System module, FRESH Festival 2016 (San Francisco), Kathleen Hermesdorf, Sara Mann, Keith Hennessy, Abby Crain, Violeta Luna, Sherwood Chen, Jess Curtis Ponderosa Tanzland Festival & P.O.R.C.H. Performance module (Germany), 2010-13 Keith Hennessey, Jess Curtis, Miguel Gutierrez, Jules Beckman, David Lakein Summer Dancing Festival (Coventry, UK) Adrian Russi, Charlie Morrissey, JH. Miredin 2010, Eva Karzag, Miranda Tufnell, Chris Crickmay, Emilyn Claid, 2014 B.I.D.E - Barcelona International Dance Exchange 2010, Independent Dance Winlab (London) Lisa Nelson 2009, Frey Faust 2014