Tamayo Okano

Tamayo Okano put her ear to the ground of women who are often burdened with caregiving responsibilities. Her own experiences, as well as through those of her mother and grandmother, inspired her. These voices, present in all generations and cultures, are often overlooked. Tamayo wants to regain her sense of self. That was buried under social roles that kept her from seeing and feeling herself. ‘What does it mean to take care of myself? How can we stand our ground?

By writing, Tamayo researched for Care (Past/Present/Future) the complex mother-daughter relationship, which resonates with both personal and universal themes. This creative process allowed her to reconcile different voices and experiences within herself. As Kae Tempest put it, “in the particular lies the universal. Tamayo learned to pay more attention to her own experiences, which allowed her to connect with others on a deeper level.

Tamayo Okano was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1974 and studied classical ballet. She moved to Belgium in 1995 and studied at p.a.r.t.s. She worked as a dancer and performer with several companies, including les ballets c. de la b. and ZT Hollandia / NTGent. Tamayo participated in several projects at kunstz and worked for several years as an international liaison and programmer for an international theater festival for children and young audiences in Japan. Tamayo’s work on care began during a three-week residency as part of the Shared research, Shared practices residency collaboration between Mestizo Arts Platform, Rataplan, detheatermaker, C O R S O and Monty in 2023.

“James Joyce once said to me, ‘In the particular lies the universal.’ I appreciated the advice. It taught me that the more attention I pay to my ‘particular,’ the more likely I am to reach you in yours.” – About Connection by Kae Tempest. –

Concept & Performance: Tamayo Okano – Outside Eyes:Tijen Lawton, Lotte Heijtenis and Goele van Dijck – Coach: Mike Van Alfen – With the support of Mestizo Arts Platform / WIPCOOP, Rataplan.