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BRUXAS - ensaio para a esperança
BRUXAS - ensaio para a esperança invites audiences into a walk through Cascais where feminism, witch hunts and personal memories intersect and blur. Through fragmented narratives and unexpected voices, the performance unsettles official histories and reflects on hope as a fragile yet transformative gesture.
All dates
BRUXAS - ensaio para a esperança
BRUXAS - ensaio para a esperança invites audiences into a walk through Cascais where feminism, witch hunts and personal memories intersect and blur. Through fragmented narratives and unexpected voices, the performance unsettles official histories and reflects on hope as a fragile yet transformative gesture.
BRUXAS - ensaio para a esperança
BRUXAS - ensaio para a esperança invites audiences into a walk through Cascais where feminism, witch hunts and personal memories intersect and blur. Through fragmented narratives and unexpected voices, the performance unsettles official histories and reflects on hope as a fragile yet transformative gesture.
The audience gathers for what initially appears to be a historical guided walk. “Here the witches were burned,” says the guide. But soon the narrative begins to fracture. A nearly inaudible voice interrupts: “They were not witches.” Small gestures, conflicting versions and unexpected presences slowly destabilize the official account.
BRUXAS - ensaio para a esperança invites the audience to a walk through Cascais, where feminism, witch hunt and personal memories intersect and blur. During the walk, unexpected voices and fragmented narratives unsettle recorded histories, giving way to a reflection on memory, historical erasure and hope as a fragile yet transformative gesture.
Developed with women living in or connected to Cascais, BRUXAS - ensaio para a esperança is a community-based and participatory project grounded in feminist artistic practices, listening and collective reflection.
© Bruno Simão
© Bruno Simão
A mediator with ties to the local community and the project’s artistic team accompanied the process. The meetings took place in Cascais, on a schedule decided in accordance with each woman’s availability and pace. Participation was on a volunteer basis and in several ways: sharing memories, contributing with inspiration, or being present in the performance, with no expectation of biographical exposure. The public performance emerges as an extension of this process rather than its final goal, allowing different levels of visibility and participation from the women involved, including silence or absence. In this project, ethic is an integral part of the artistic creation, and listening, fragility and ongoing negotiation are regarded as core parts of the artistic gesture.
Teresa V. Vaz
Teresa V. Vaz is a Portuguese artist and creator working across performance, dramaturgy and participatory artistic practices. Her work often explores collective memory, feminism and the relationship between biography, territory and fiction through collaborative and site-sensitive processes.
Bestiário is born from fragments, which is why it takes the name of a collection. Each fragment carries a story, and it is through the juxtaposition of these different narratives that we create an identity. We seek to explore our cultural heritage by reviving both biographical and popular stories. We position ourselves in the present, at times choosing to live it, at others to reflect upon it. We aim to foster authorship, drawing inspiration from both the natural and social sciences. We believe in works of art that spread and resonate.
Bestiário was founded in 2018 by Afonso Viriato, Helena Caldeira, Miguel Ponte, and Teresa Vaz.
Technical and Artistic Credits
Concept, Artistic Direction, and Dramaturgy | Teresa V. Vaz; Scenographic Device | Miguel Ponte and Teresa V. Vaz; Creation and Performance | Miguel Ponte and Rita Morais
Sound Installation | Filipe Baptista
Production Management | Manuela Morais
Mediation | Selma Tomásia Fernandes
Women's Group | Ana Filipa Beato, Beatriz Sousa, Catarina Oliveira, Lune Rodas, Maria José, Milena Levit, Selma Tomásia Fernandes, Vanessa Baptista, Xana Viegas
Photograph | Bruno Simão
Support | Acústica Suave, Cascais Parish Council, Polo Cultural das Gaivotas
© Bruno Simão
Practical information
Address
Cascais Marina
Accessibility
Walking performance through public space. Accessibility conditions depend on the final route.
Dates and times
Saturday, June 27, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Sunday, June 28, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Safety
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Admission is free. We recommend booking in advance; please arrive 15 minutes early to secure your spot. Walk-ins are welcome, subject to availability. The performance takes place outdoors and involves walking through public spaces in Cascais. Comfortable shoes are recommended.
EXPERIENCES On board
Immersive exhibition Presents
Created with the exceptional collaboration of the Musée du Louvre, this exhibition highlights female figures in Mediterranean civilisation, thanks to the digitisation and modeling of part of the Louvre's collections. A two-stage experience: an introductory film to provide context, followed by an immersive experience in a 16-meter-long tunnel covered by 120 m2 of LED screens.
A sound journey through the Mediterranean
An immersive sound experience designed by Ircam, inviting the public to explore the richness and diversity of the Mediterranean through headphones equipped with spatialized sound.
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© Elisa Von Brockdorff
The artists
Frequently asked questions
Yes, the boat is freely accessible on site. However, you can pre-book your time online on our website.
For reasons of safety and preservation of the boat, high heels and stilettos may not be worn on the boat.
The museum boat is open to all free of charge. To find out on which quay it will be moored, or to pre-book your slot, consult the page dedicated to your town.
Appropriate facilities have been set up on the Festival site for the reception and access of people with reduced mobility. The boat is equipped with a 1m-wide ramp, accessible to people with reduced mobility, but may require the accompaniment of a third party due to its gradient of over 6%. Access to the aft deck and immersive exhibition is possible. However, the upper deck is not accessible. Please inform us in advance of any special accessibility requirements, so that we can make the necessary arrangements.