During the three days of Imaginarius – Festival of Performing Arts in Public Space, the Santa Maria da Feira Municipal Market will host a space dedicated to vinyl records, comics, fanzines, and independent books. Between 21 and 23 May 21st, this iconic meeting place will bring together dozens of publishers, booksellers, musicians, and visual creators.
This transformation of the Municipal Market is happening in conjunction with aMOSTr – Mostra de Edições Independentes (Independent Publishing Showcase), a project with a consolidated track record at the national level, which finds a new configuration here, specifically designed for the context of the festival.
Through a selective and compact curation by Cabe Cave – Associação Cultural, the market reaffirms itself as a meeting place, bringing together publishers, booksellers, musicians and visual creators, in a space that aims to be intimate and unusual, where searching, browsing, listening and conversing are all part of the same experience.
Between stalls, exhibitions, and moments of sharing, a vibrant network is built here between creators, publishers, and discoverers. The parallel programme, which includes readings, launches, conversations, listening sessions, and workshops, reinforces the market as an active space where independent publishing engages with the city and the present time, celebrating processes, voices, and ways of working outside the dominant circuits.
There are three confirmed exhibitors for this Independent Artists Showcase – Chaputa Records, Fanzine/Flan de Tal and Livraria Snob – and 18 independent publishers who have joined this project: Associação Tentáculo, Barba ao Vento, Carcassa Carlos, Chili com Carne, Cir.cuns.tan.cial, Edições Drmakete, Editora dos Tipos, Estrela Decadente, Flanzine, Ideias no Escuro, Imprensa Canalha, Marta Fanti, Marta Santos, ODC Comics Group, Paperview, Ultra Violenta and Último Ediciones.
The programme includes four permanent exhibitions and activities, as well as a dozen free talks and workshops (subject to prior registration).
While the Municipal Market follows its new rhythm during the three days of the festival, the rest of the historic centre suspends its routines and exposes public space to other uses.
This edition of Imaginarius brings together 42 companies and more than 200 artists from 16 countries, who will present 39 shows – five world premieres and 23 national premieres – in a total of more than 125 performances.
All activities in the programme are free of charge.
Full program here.
