Workshop: Magical Realism of Objects 

This practical workshop led by Colombian mime and physical theater creator Felipe Vélez will introduce three fundamental principles of the actor and object work: stage presence and energy, articulation of movement, and object manipulation, as well as the creation of physical metaphors. 

Through individual and group exercises, participants will explore how to develop stage presence, breathe life into inanimate objects, and transform emotions into concrete physical actions. The workshop focuses on the relationship between the body and the object, the use of weight, rhythm, and physical expressiveness, and the search for metaphors through improvisation.

The methodology is based on years of research by the Kiriko Theatre ensemble and draws from the legacy of corporeal mime by Étienne Decroux, the work of the Colombian group Casa del Silencio, the theatrical anthropology of Eugenio Barba, research by the Bridge of Winds group led by Iben Nagel Rasmussen, and the instructor’s own artistic practice. 

The workshop is designed for students, actors, dancers, performers, and anyone interested in physical theater. 

About the Instructor 

Felipe Vélez Martínez is a Colombian mime, actor, educator, and researcher of physical theater living in Barcelona. He is a co-founder of the Kiriko Theatre ensemble, which he creates together with his artistic partner Rigolo Huamani. In recent years, he has developed his own pedagogical and creative approach based on the study of corporeal mime by Étienne Decroux, the pantomime of Marcel Marceau, object manipulation, theatrical anthropology, and other contemporary physical theater directions. His work focuses primarily on the actor’s stage presence, the magical realism of objects, and the connection between acting training and the knowledge of anatomy, biomechanics, and the physiology of movement.