Mud Mother

Guest residency in the frame of europalia georgia

Mud Mother is a solo performance by Maisie Woodford combining puppetry and dance, speculating on the multiplicity and messiness of choices surrounding motherhood. Mud Mother interrogates the narrative of the ‘monstrous’ fecundity of the female body, the institution of motherhood and its (dis)connection to femininity. Exploring different notions of care, interdependency and so called ‘maternal instinct’, Maisie considers the fears and pressures associated with the transformation into motherhood whilst recognising the potency of the reproductive capacity. She collaborates closely with Smila Zinecker, a costume and puppet maker, and Georgian-born musician Tamo Nasidze, who will both create original material for the solo. The piece will be heavily informed by the expertise of the Gabriadze Puppet Company based in Tbilisi, with whom Maisie and Smila completed a residency in April 2023.