Ways of Occupying
Part one — Tiago Guedes
September
2019
Thu
19
A theatre should be constantly subject to various occupations. On the one hand, performances take over stages and raise new questions; on the other hand, artists and audiences call for a place where one can have access to public service that challenges us to think beyond. What are we occupied with? What fields must we occupy to be heard? What place must a theatre occupy these days?
Some of these questions will dictate the different ways of occupying put in place in the coming months, and they bring unity to the multidisciplinary programme to be presented at Rivoli and Campo Alegre. Occupyng thus takes on different meanings and sets the tone for the 2019/2020 season at Teatro Municipal do Porto [TMP].
To open the season, a joyous invasion to celebrate five years since our first season (September 2014, O Rivoli já dança!): we present “La Fiesta” [The party], a journey to the childhood of Israel Galván, the enfant terrible of contemporary flamenco, and “Party”, by the theatre collective from Porto Estrutura (Cátia Pinho and José Nunes), whose new production goes through 10 years of performances. To complement the season opening, journalist Pedro Santos Guerreiro answered the challenge presented by TMP and came up with a series of 9 lectures called “Ways of Occupying”, which derive from 9 performances taken from our programme for this season, ending in a great project to occupy the D. João I square, in July. The lectures won’t be about the performances, but rather based on issues arising from those performances that will help us reflect upon different “Ways of Occupying”. There will always be an outside guest from the most diverse disciplinary fields, and another one linked to our performances. We’ll dive into deep waters and address topics intersecting the value of tradition and social ritual (Israel Galván – Spain), identity and territorial integration (Hooman Sharifi – Iran / Norway), isolation and overcoming (Philippe Quesne – France), fears taking over us (Foco Famílias), and post-colonial issues (Hotel Europa / André Amálio
and Tereza Havlíčková – Portugal / Czech Republic).
In the next two seasons, 2019/2020 and 2020/2021, Teatro Municipal do Porto also rethinks the way it follows certain artists in the medium term, and how those same artists occupy the programme physically and most of all reflexively. We will reconsider the concept of “associated artist”, who up to now had our support in new co-productions, premieres and promotion, and start following three very young artists (all under the age of 25), whose first works’ relevance we recognise, and with whom we shall work out an individually tailored programme of artistic mentorship. Rather than immediately moving forward to challenges involving new creations, we are much more interested in understanding what artists need to enhance their work in this initial, key moment in his career. Hence, at this stage of artistic blossoming, we shall accompany dancer and choreographer Ana Isabel Castro, and the creative duo Guilherme de Sousa & Pedro Azevedo, who wander between physical theatre, installation and set design. Teatro Municipal do Porto will thus occupy the life and growth of these young artists full of inebriating juvenile energy over the next two seasons.
From September 2019 to February 2020, one may learn about all the projects and artists mentioned in this editorial. However, we have an intense programme, and I know you wouldn’t want to miss what Joana Providência & Maria do Céu Ribeiro, Alex Cassal (Brazil) and Paula Diogo, Teatro Praga, Edward Luiz Ayres D'Abreu with Ricardo Neves-Neves and Martim Sousa Tavares, Sara Carinhas, Wen Hui (China) and Jana Svobodová (Czech Republic), Cão Danado – Ana Rocha, Victor Hugo Pontes, Boris Charmatz (France), Erva Daninha, The National Ballet of Portugal, John Romão and A Turma – Tiago Correia have created, nor the animated forms of FIMP – Porto International Puppet Festival, the days of reflexion during the Forum of the Future and Rivoli's 88th Birthday.
Teatro Municipal do Porto will also host some of the most significant events in the city, such as the Porto Design Biennale and the Porta-Jazz Festival (celebrating its 10th edition with us), as well as the film festivals that no longer do without Rivoli: MICAR - Mostra Internacional de Cinema Anti-Racista, Queer Porto, The Festival of French Cinema, Porto/Post/Doc, IndieJúnior Allianz and Fantasporto.
I hope this programme occupies you and offers you a joint reflexion, which is critical to be able to move forward.
TIAGO GUEDES
Artistic Director
Some of these questions will dictate the different ways of occupying put in place in the coming months, and they bring unity to the multidisciplinary programme to be presented at Rivoli and Campo Alegre. Occupyng thus takes on different meanings and sets the tone for the 2019/2020 season at Teatro Municipal do Porto [TMP].
To open the season, a joyous invasion to celebrate five years since our first season (September 2014, O Rivoli já dança!): we present “La Fiesta” [The party], a journey to the childhood of Israel Galván, the enfant terrible of contemporary flamenco, and “Party”, by the theatre collective from Porto Estrutura (Cátia Pinho and José Nunes), whose new production goes through 10 years of performances. To complement the season opening, journalist Pedro Santos Guerreiro answered the challenge presented by TMP and came up with a series of 9 lectures called “Ways of Occupying”, which derive from 9 performances taken from our programme for this season, ending in a great project to occupy the D. João I square, in July. The lectures won’t be about the performances, but rather based on issues arising from those performances that will help us reflect upon different “Ways of Occupying”. There will always be an outside guest from the most diverse disciplinary fields, and another one linked to our performances. We’ll dive into deep waters and address topics intersecting the value of tradition and social ritual (Israel Galván – Spain), identity and territorial integration (Hooman Sharifi – Iran / Norway), isolation and overcoming (Philippe Quesne – France), fears taking over us (Foco Famílias), and post-colonial issues (Hotel Europa / André Amálio
and Tereza Havlíčková – Portugal / Czech Republic).
In the next two seasons, 2019/2020 and 2020/2021, Teatro Municipal do Porto also rethinks the way it follows certain artists in the medium term, and how those same artists occupy the programme physically and most of all reflexively. We will reconsider the concept of “associated artist”, who up to now had our support in new co-productions, premieres and promotion, and start following three very young artists (all under the age of 25), whose first works’ relevance we recognise, and with whom we shall work out an individually tailored programme of artistic mentorship. Rather than immediately moving forward to challenges involving new creations, we are much more interested in understanding what artists need to enhance their work in this initial, key moment in his career. Hence, at this stage of artistic blossoming, we shall accompany dancer and choreographer Ana Isabel Castro, and the creative duo Guilherme de Sousa & Pedro Azevedo, who wander between physical theatre, installation and set design. Teatro Municipal do Porto will thus occupy the life and growth of these young artists full of inebriating juvenile energy over the next two seasons.
From September 2019 to February 2020, one may learn about all the projects and artists mentioned in this editorial. However, we have an intense programme, and I know you wouldn’t want to miss what Joana Providência & Maria do Céu Ribeiro, Alex Cassal (Brazil) and Paula Diogo, Teatro Praga, Edward Luiz Ayres D'Abreu with Ricardo Neves-Neves and Martim Sousa Tavares, Sara Carinhas, Wen Hui (China) and Jana Svobodová (Czech Republic), Cão Danado – Ana Rocha, Victor Hugo Pontes, Boris Charmatz (France), Erva Daninha, The National Ballet of Portugal, John Romão and A Turma – Tiago Correia have created, nor the animated forms of FIMP – Porto International Puppet Festival, the days of reflexion during the Forum of the Future and Rivoli's 88th Birthday.
Teatro Municipal do Porto will also host some of the most significant events in the city, such as the Porto Design Biennale and the Porta-Jazz Festival (celebrating its 10th edition with us), as well as the film festivals that no longer do without Rivoli: MICAR - Mostra Internacional de Cinema Anti-Racista, Queer Porto, The Festival of French Cinema, Porto/Post/Doc, IndieJúnior Allianz and Fantasporto.
I hope this programme occupies you and offers you a joint reflexion, which is critical to be able to move forward.
TIAGO GUEDES
Artistic Director
