The 20th edition of Imaginarius – International Street Theatre Festival is back on its usual stage, the public space and municipal facilities of Santa Maria da Feira, from 9 to 12 September. In these 4 days of programming, 338 artists from 7 countries – United Kingdom, Portugal, Belgium, Austria, Poland, France and Spain – representing 18 companies, will lead their audiences through mythological or real worlds during the 118 hours of programmatic content.
Following a first moment, in May, when Imaginarius favoured the digital stage, the time is now approaching – from 9 to 12 September – when this international festival will inhabit its natural space, the streets and squares of Santa Maria da Feira, with the presence and interaction of the public.
The programme includes different Portuguese and foreign artistic projects, with different visions and approaches in the context of the central themes of this edition – the myth and the brand. They are proposals for street theatre and art in the public space, starting from contemporary circus, dance, music, performance and physical theatre, to digital and urban art, as well as projects focused on sustainability.
The Hotel Paradiso project is part of the main programme, a proposal of contemporary circus and physical theatre by the England’s LIT – Lost in Translation Circus. Artelier? Teatro de Rua brings to the festival two distinct projects: O Nome da Rosa – A Burning Man Honoraria Grant, an installation and sustainable performance that proposes to the audience a timeless journey into society’s fears, prejudices and myths; in a model of “conscious artistic circulation”, the Por Mares Nunca (de Artes) Navegados project invites the public, in a pre-festival moment in early September, to watch, at the Porto Carvoeiro quay, the show Douro Mar Íntimo. Red Wine Cabaret, by Spanish company Sidral Brass Brand, will infect the public with its unique joy, through music, theatre and circus, visiting some of the city’s streets, namely in the Passionistas Urbanization, Comendador Sá Couto Street and Sá Carneiro Avenue.
Also part of the main programme are the contemporary circus shows Variações, by Instituto Nacional das Artes, and Rasto, by the Erva Daninha company; Sinfonia das Hortas, by the Creative Orchestra; and Retrato, a short film produced under the inclusive dance project LaB inDança.
Imaginarius Infantil presents different shows, workshops and experiences that provide our young ones with other ways to feel reality and stimulate their creativity. Será Sereia?, a show of music and storytelling by Baileia, in its world premiere; the dance show As Bailias da Guerreira Rani – Uma Lenda da Índia, by Kajal Ratanji, the dance and music show A Eurídice e Eu, by Companhia Terpsichore, and the Circus Arts Workshop, by SALTO Internacional Circus School are our proposals for children and their families.
In this edition, the Imaginarius festival integrates in its programming, in a dimension of co-production and artistic creation, Orfeo & Majnun, a transnational, intercultural, interdisciplinary and inclusive project, inspired by the Greek myth of Orfeo and Eurydice and by the Arab love story of love between Layla and Majnun. Scheduled proposals include Orfeo & Majnun na Floresta, an installation with puppets for children, Zelina & Muley: Um Amor Perdido, a short film for school audiences, and for the general public, in the auditorium of the António Lamoso Cine-Theatre, the Opera Orfeo & Majnun, performed by international artists, who will joined by local artists and community in a union of diverse origins and cultures.
All shows have free admission, limited capacity and mandatory registration, by filling out the appropriate form, available from 16 August 16 at www.imaginarius.pt. The shows that are part of Imaginarius – International Street Theatre Festival comply with the health and safety recommendations of the health authorities.
The full programme is available at www.imaginarius.pt
