Filiz Bozkuş Al

Filiz Bozkuş Al is a multidisciplinary artist of Taiwanese and Turkish descent whose work moves between theatre, dance and philosophy. Born in the United States and raised in Turkey, her practice is rooted in body-centered performance, poetic inquiry, and deep listening.

She holds a degree in Philosophy from Middle East Technical University (ODTU), where she also began her journey in theater through 'ODTU Oyunculari', taking on leading roles in works by Ionesco, Brecht, Dürrenmatt, Beckett and others.

In 2011, she became one of the founding members of the independent theatre initiative 'Boş Sahne' in Istanbul. Within this platform, they adapted Ursula K. Le Guin's short story Mazes and Franz Kafka's A Report for an Academy into solo performances, which were staged in various parts of Turkey. Through these works, she began to develop a distinctly physical approach to acting — prioritizing bodily presence, gesture, and movement as primary narrative tools.

This shift marked a turning point in her practice, leading her to explore the deeper expressive capacities of the body and to pursue further research in movement-based performance.

The Mitakara Journey

Her artistic path took a decisive turn in 2011, when she began learning from and collaborating with Japanese artist Iida Shigemi — a multidisciplinary performer and director, longtime assistant to Butoh pioneer Kazuo Ohno, known for his work in ritual arts and the Mikusano Mitakara tradition. Through this encounter, she was introduced to Mitakara — a Japanese tradition honoring the "Three Treasures" of body, mind, and soul. This experience profoundly reshaped her relationship to life and art, becoming a foundation for her evolving movement practice.

From 2011 to 2014, she worked closely with Iida Shigemi as an assistant in workshops and performances across Turkey, Italy, the Philippines, and Japan. Filiz continues to work actively with Iida Shigemi to this day — assisting in his workshops, co-developing sessions, and organizing Mitakara programs in Turkey and abroad.

She also collaborated with Tetsuro Fukuhara in site-specific Butoh projects in Tokyo and London.

GONG: A Return to the Stage

After taking a long pause from the stage to raise her two children, Filiz returned in 2022 with GONG — a non-verbal theatrical dance performance co-created with her partner Kerem Al.

Drawing on her experience in theater, Butoh and Mikusano Mitakara, GONG embodies a physical language rooted in transformation, stillness, and intuitive movement. Premiered in Ankara, GONG has since been performed in over 70 shows across Turkey, earning Filiz the 2023 "Actress of the Year" award by the Özdemir Nutku Aegean Theatre Union.

In addition to continuing to stage GONG and developing new performance works, she facilitates Mitakara workshops for participants of all backgrounds. Her vision is to reawaken the ancestral tradition of embodied storytelling — not as nostalgic revival, but as a living response to today's human condition.