ABOUT ME
My work grows from a life dedicated to theatre, somatic practice, and the deep intelligence of the body. With roots in both acting and directing, my research was shaped over many years at the Grotowski Institute and furthered through collaborations with diverse international ensembles and artists.
I’ve drawn on Jerzy Grotowski’s legacy of laboratory theatre to develop a personal approach that integrates psycho-physical awareness with martial arts, choreography, ritual, pedagogy, and philosophies of embodiment. My research has focused on the expressive power of the body in performance, the impact of group dynamics, and the layers of somatic memory—personal, cultural, and transgenerational—that shape how we move and create.
This inquiry became the foundation for my own methodology: the TRIAD system and Contradictions—a movement-based storytelling and awareness process that connects professional theatre with practices of self-development and well-being. I am committed to sharing these tools as pathways for awakening creativity, supporting emotional regulation, and expanding embodied presence—on stage and in life.
Alongside my artistic work, I’m a father of four children—engaged and present in the complexities of parenting while remaining active as an international performer, teacher, and director.
ARTIST BIO
Matej Matejka is a multi-award-winning movement director, theatre-maker, and physical performance specialist whose work bridges immersive storytelling, ensemble training, and somatic awareness.
From 2005 to 2018, he led research on actor’s physical expression at the Grotowski Institute, a role that deeply shaped his understanding of embodiment in performance. During this time, he also founded and directed Studio Matejka, creating original works such as Awkward Happiness, Charmolypi, and Angry Man (nominated for Best OFF, Poland).
In recent years, Matej has served as movement director for Romeo & Juliet and Paper Swans with Flabbergast Theatre (London, 2024–2025), as well as Rhinoceros at the Slovak National Theatre. He co-created Stamping in the Graveyard, a headphone-based immersive performance (Cockpit Theatre), and choreographed KOD-ex, blending Slovak traditional dance with contemporary physicality. His work also includes devising interactive performances at Sladovna Písek and teaching in India at the Arunachal Mahotsav Festival.
Between 2021 and 2023, Matej was movement director for Macbeth (Flabbergast Theatre, Edinburgh Fringe), and co-directed Prayers for a Hungry Ghost (Barbican Centre) and Promised Land (Bloomsbury Festival) with Saksi Bisou.
Earlier, he was a founding member of Farm in the Cave (Prague) and for 14 years a key performer and creator in Poland’s Teatr ZAR, with acclaimed works like Anhelli: The Calling and Caesarean Section, both awarded at the Edinburgh Fringe.
He has directed seven short films, including Pearadise (Best Foreign Film, LA Underground Festival) and Conflict of Apathy (NUDANCE Festival).
Matej studied acting at the State Conservatory in Bratislava and musical acting at JAMU in Brno. He lives in Poland and works internationally.
His work has been presented across Europe, India, the UK, South America, and the US, and continues to evolve across theatre, film, and somatic education.