05/10/2026
Meet Alice Cummins, interdisciplinary artist and somatic practitioner.
“I think Sensorium has enormous integrity, and Snuggleplay, the baby project, exemplifies it. There has been extraordinary engagement with both mothers and babies.”
Alice Cummins has a long history with Sensorium Theatre – and with its Co-Artistic Director Michelle Hovane. “I met Michelle when she was at university; she is one of my longest-term colleagues, but I met her as an undergraduate.”
Alice left Perth in 1999 to live and work in Sydney and Melbourne, returning in 2022. During those years away, Michelle continued to attend her workshops.
“In the early stages of Sensorium, they asked if I would do a PD class. Since then, a lot of that early crew have done my classes, and my methodology has become folded into the fabric of Sensorium.”
That long relationship has continued to shape Alice’s work with the company. “Michelle has engaged constantly with me for 30-plus years, and before I returned to live in Boorloo/Perth, we started talking about the baby project, so there has been a wonderful long gestation for Snuggleplay, a real labour of love.”
When it came to the second development stage of Snuggleplay, Alice didn’t want to perform. She remained involved as movement consultant and ‘artist provocateur’, a name given to her by Michelle.
“I have also worked with the brilliant Matthew Morris, (a renowned local interdisciplinary performing artist) and been dramaturg, creative consultant and co-devisor with his work… he is currently performing in Europe.”
For Alice, being an artist provocateur goes beyond the traditional role of a dramaturg.
“A dramaturg attends rehearsal infrequently and gives an idea of what the narrative arc is doing, asking is the work making sense? But I am more than that – I am more like a midwife. I was there every day with Matthew, as I was with Snuggleplay, making sense of why we are doing this and how things connect.”
“As the provocateur, I follow this sensorially; at a feeling level, an intellectual level, and an intuitive level. I follow the meaning-making of the work deeply. And I’m also questioning: ‘Why did you do that?’ and making people understand what they’re doing and the effect on the performance.”
It is a role Alice takes seriously.
“I provoke and I challenge. I consider that my responsibility, and I mean that deeply from my heart. We live in troubling times, and it is important that the work we make holds that integrity and delivers.”
“I love collaborating with interesting artists and interesting and intelligent performers. We are not machines. This is our humanity that we’re talking about here. I like the entanglement with the artists. Another thing I have done in Boorloo since returning is fashion modelling for Megan Salmon … another fabulous collaboration!”
Alice’s own creative practice continues to evolve. Two years ago, at the age of 74, she made a major work, terra, and she is still performing. She is also a writer, working on a book about her somatic scores that she hopes will be accessible to anyone who wants to feel more connected to their bodymind.
When she is not performing or writing, Alice can often be found in the natural world.
“I love the intimacy of the early morning with a good cup of tea. I have a deep love of the natural world, and I live in a unit between the river and sea, surrounded by the bush. I’m involved with bush regen and help care for Mosman Park’s bushlands. I love walking in the bush.”
“The natural world here in Boorloo is so special, and I am doing my part, and trying to take responsibility for the natural world at this stage in my life.”
She is also a mentor to a group of young artists through Strut Dance, who invited her to become involved almost immediately after she returned to Perth.
“I love being around these young artists, and I love being in conversation with them. I feel immensely privileged, I never expected my life to get richer professionally when I got older, but I can choose now; I don’t have to teach all the time. I can choose who I spend time with.”
For Alice, that sense of connection extends to the wider creative community around her.
“I feel very committed to the performance culture in Boorloo. The new music scene here is also rich. New music composers taught me how to listen. My somatic practice is a practice of attunement and listening with the whole bodymind. As artist provocateur – I listen to the space between.”
Visit https://www.alicecummins.com/
