My name is Emilia Björk Perkins. I’m a Swedish actress, movement artist, singer and songwriter. I did my first performance at the age of 2, when I sang a Swedish folksong standing on my grandmothers dinner table. I fell in love with singing and performing that day, and continued to do guest performances at my dad’s concerts during my early years. My interest for the stage and the arts grew during my teens when I pursued a high school degree with special focus in theatre and dance. During these years I was also involved in ensembles that practiced musical theatre, acrobatics, juggling and fire arts during the evening hours. When I was 19, I moved to Stockholm to attended Kulturama Institute of the Arts for two years with a focus in physical theatre. During these years I co-founded the Swedish company “Teater7”.
Later in 2014 I decided to leave Sweden to pursue higher education in the US. I spent three years at Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre in Blue Lake, California, where I graduated in June 2017 with a masters degree equivalent in ensemble based physical theatre. After graduating Dell’Arte I got offered the position of Artist-Administrator in residence at Ferndale Repertory Theatre in California, where I worked for a year before moving to the Twin Cities. In 2019 Cahoot?! Physical Theatre was born and is now run by me together with Chase Perkins, Gaby Haught, Eric William Jones and Jacob Snyder Timmons.
In the summers of 2020 and 2021 I have been returning to Sweden to work as an actress and guide at Kalmar Castle, where some days I’ve been taking the shape of a princess and other days of a cartwheeling, juggling gester. I've also collaborated with the Swedish Company Strandteatern to present immersive works for children at the International Street Theatre Festival in Halmstad, Sweden. I love working with kids, both as a performer and instructor, and have experience in teaching workshops and camps to both adults and children.
In 2022 I joined The Fox And Beggar Theatre on tour with "The Lonesome Spectacular" a devised circus theatre show about a lot of things. We performed around the midwest and ended our tour at Electric Forest in Michigan.
I strongly believe the arts is a way for us humans to understand each other and connect with one another on a deeper level. The Arts is the perfect tool for integration and cultural exchange, which is something our world need more of in these days. We need to come together, share and celebrate each other and give a space for peoples stories and voices to be heard.
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