A Moving Lecture Performance

Exploring embodiment as a multi-species entity — through dance, science, and sound.

Created by Nella Turkki & Janis Heldmann
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Janis and Nella in performance

Modern biology has redefined the human body as a holobiont — a multispecies entity composed of bacteria, fungi, microbes, and human cells. For centuries, humans have colonised the body as strictly human territory, but the sterile image of the individual has now been overturned.

I, Holobiont? begins from the question of what happens when, instead of ignoring our microbial companions, we live in service of them. What new perceptions arise when we acknowledge our bacterial, fungal and microbial selves not as threats or strangers, but as partners in a delicate ecology of survival?

Through artistic practice we dive into the lived sensation of being more-than-human, exploring what it means to carry vulnerabilities and fears alongside curiosity and wonder. Skin is no longer treated as a boundary between inner and outer, but as a porous interface.

01

The Lecture Performance

A full-evening duet work blending science, humour, choreography, and sound into a body- and mind-bending journey. Premieres autumn 2026 in Vaasa.

02

Holobiont Jams

Embodied participatory explorations where anyone can imagine and sense their microbial entanglements through touch, movement and imagination — playful yet profound tools for collective care.

03

The Website

An experimental platform launching August 2026, offering open-access practices, texts, and soundscapes that extend the project beyond theatre spaces to anyone, anywhere.

Microscope image
Photos: Oliver Look / pexels.com

Our working methods intertwine embodied exploration, biological studies, sound recordings, writing and shared practices in different locations and communities. We allow our microbial clouds to evoke skin-inspired movement improvisation — always aware of how our bacteria are constantly shedding, merging, and reshaping one another.

We analyse our gut microbiomes, ferment food, and build homemade bioreactors that cultivate bacterial cultures, learning to sense and balance our microbial selves not only through data but through intuition.

We create soundscapes inspired by quorum sensing — a microbial communication process where chemical signals trigger collective behaviour — translating this phenomenon into sonic worlds that pulse through the performance.

Bus rides, meals, and walks in nature all become laboratories of microbial awareness.

April 2026

Residency at AgitLab, Águeda, Portugal

Land journey from Vaasa to Portugal — three weeks of research, fermentation practices, movement explorations, and Holobiont Jams with the local community. First demo showing of the performance.

July 2026

Rehearsals in Haihatus Art Center

Continuing the creation at the Haihatus Art Center in Joutsa Deepening experiments indoors and outdoors, recording sound and movement material.

August 2026

Website Launch & Production

Refining the performance, preparing costumes, and hosting community sessions. The I, Holobiont? website launches with open practices and artistic materials.

Autumn, 2026

Premiere

Full-evening performance in English, designed for audiences aged 16 to 110.

December 2026

Reflection & Post-production

Reflecting on the process, post-production work, and arranging further performances of the lecture performance.

Janis Heldmann

Janis Heldmann

Dancer · Choreographer · Sound Designer

A German dancer, performer and musician with roots in both street dance and contemporary performance. Twice German champion and world-level breakdance finalist, later shifting toward contemporary dance with an MA in Acoustics and Audio Technology from Aalto University.

Nella Turkki

Nella Turkki

Choreographer · Dramaturg · Performer

A Finnish multidisciplinary dance and theatre artist and certified embodiment coach. Previous works include ILMA (Zodiak 2020), Metsän alaiset (2022), and Lavatanssit (Tanztausch Festival Köln 2023). Holds an MA in Dance Arts from Uniarts Helsinki.

Since 2019 Janis and Nella have developed a collaborative practice that merges dance, sound, and scientific engagement — producing participatory and interdisciplinary performances that challenge cultural assumptions and open imaginative spaces of ecological reflection.

Regional Dance Centre in Ostrobothnia

Rehearsal space, marketing and production support, and touring phase coordination.

AgitLab, Águeda, Portugal

Residency with dramaturgical guidance from artistic director Paulina Almeida.

Haihatus Art Center

Residency and rehearsal spaces in July 2026

Arts Promotion Centre Finland / Finnish Cultural Foundation

Funding support for artistic working periods, travel, residency, and production costs.

For booking enquiries, press materials, or information about bringing I, Holobiont? to your venue or community, please reach out directly.

The performance is in English and available for touring. We welcome invitations from international university seminars, theatres, and alternative venues.