The event is taking place in the coastal parishes of Costa da Caparica and Trafaria. According to the organizers, it aims to showcase artists who draw from real-life situations, focusing on documentary theater or utilizing documentary techniques and methodologies.
Meanwhile, the festival, known as Sul, offers free admission, although prior registration is required due to space limitations. It serves as a platform for reflection, learning, and discussion on contemporary issues such as collective memory, democracy, colonialism, and resistance to fascism and totalitarianism.
The festival’s opening day, April 2, is set at Escola Básica Cardoso Pires (Costa da Caparica) with a family-friendly performance titled ‘Manda os teus pais Passear, outra vez’. This creation by the Teatro Experimental do Porto aims to continue a project that encourages contemplation of city streets, challenging both children and adults to explore their surroundings.
On April 3, the Portuguese premiere of ‘Antiwords’ by the Czech Spitfire Company will take place at Recreios Desportivos da Trafaria.
Inspired by the works of Václav Havel, particularly the play ‘Audiência’, this performance features two actresses, a crate of Czech beer, original masks, and absurd humor.
April 4 will also see performances at Recreios Desportivos da Trafaria, with ‘Desver – Uma Breve Performance sobre Um País Ocupado por Outro’, a project by Joana Craveiro/Teatro do Vestido based on collections and archives regarding the Palestinian issue.
On April 5, as the festival nears its conclusion, there will be a guided visit and conversation at the NATO base area in Fonte da Telha, detailing the first armed action by the Revolutionary Brigades in 1971 at that location.
This tour will be led by Isabel do Carmo, a co-founder of the Revolutionary Brigades.
Also on April 5, at the Auditório Costa da Caparica (O Pescador Shopping Center), Marisa Paulo will present ‘Fragmentos’, a dance piece created from interviews with various Black women in the diaspora.
The inaugural edition of the Sul – International Festival of Performing Arts will conclude on April 6 with the performance “Portugal não é um país pequeno”, a production by Hotel Europa.
According to the organizers, the text of this performance was crafted by reproducing the words of individuals interviewed about their lives in Africa during the colonial period, resulting in a piece that captures the complexity of Portugal’s recent history and the end of Portuguese colonialism.
The festival’s program also features concerts by Joana Guerra, Mbalango, Pedro Salvador, and a DJ set by Nelson Makossa.
