CODOMESTICATION

As artists and performers, we have more to learn from children than we might be willing to admit. In CODOMESTICATION, artists who are also parents invite their children to become their collaborators in performing and directing the work. The result is a “play” in the most literal sense of the word: adults attempt to join their children in play, trying to be as focused, curious and creative together as they can. In the process, we also explore how to move away from obligation and towards joy. In a theatre context, this kind of playfulness is, of course, also experimental. CODOMESTICATION is at once a family portrait in the form of a live performance and an open situation whose outcome is uncertain.

CODOMESTICATION is a project initiated by Krõõt Juurak in 2018, when they invited their then one-year-old child to join them in an artist residency. One year later together with partner Alex Bailey they developed the first version of the performance, which they performed over several years. With the support of Perform Europe and Renata Piotrowska-Auffret, since 2025 CODOMESTICATION has become a travelling concept, allowing families from more than five European countries to perform the work in their own local contexts. It is now presented at Skogen with artist Lisen Ellard and her three-year-old daughter, Rut Ellard.

Bios

Lisen Ellard is a choreographer and dancer with a background in vocal performance and radio. Ellard is often engaged with themes such as death and slowness, as well as practices that expand and alter sensory perception. She moves between different media and artistic forms, exploring various modes of collaboration and ways of coexisting with other artists. This includes the duo Ellard/Lech, formed with fellow artist Mattias Lech, which has resulted in a number of larger-scale stage works that have toured extensively in Sweden and internationally, as well as a range of performance and art installation works presented at theatres, museums, and art institutions across the country. Ellard´s work and collaborative projects have been presented at venues and institutions including Unga Klara, Dansens Hus, Uppsala City Theatre, and Riksteatern, and have also toured internationally.

Rut Ellard has explored the world and play since 2023.

Krõõt Juurak born in 1981 in Tallinn, Estonia, is an artist, performer, and stand-up comedian based in Vienna. They studied choreography at ArteZ and Fine Arts at the Sandberg Institute, Amsterdam. In their inter-disciplinary and immaterial work they have taken moods and inter-personal conflicts and turned them into performances, performed for pets, and assigned the role of theatre directors to children. Recent exhibitions and performances include the The Bare Minimum (2026) at Steirische Herbst, Graz; School (2023), Lesson (2024) and Dancing with (2025) at Tanzquartier Wien (2025); Codomestication at Perform Europe (2025).

Alex Bailey is a UK artist and performer based in Vienna. He studied in Amsterdam and together with Krõõt Juurak they created Performances for Pets an evolving 10-year series of interspecies performances across Europe and the US. Alex Bailey is the author of Humourology a study into humour related cosmic to comic communications. With Le Studio Film und Bühne they worked with differently abled children to make performances with and for young audiences. They also performed alongside their young child and co-parent as a non-nuclear family entitled Codomestication. It has been shown at the Baltic Triennial Vilnius, Tanzquartier Wien, CNDB Bucharest and Temporary Gallery Köln.

More info on the project How Parenthood Opens New Paths in Performance-making and Touring

More on Lisen Ellard

On 7 October only: dinner and talk with Lisen Ellard

Concept: Krõõt Juurak and Alex Bailey // Concept development and coaching: Krõõt Juurak // Performers and co-creators: Lissen Ellard, Ruth Ellard // Supported by MA7 Kulturabteilung der Stadt Wien and Perform Europe // Special thanks to: Renata Piotrowska-Auffret // Coproduction Tanzquartier Wien 2019