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BRUXAS - A Test of Hope
BRUXAS - ensaio para a esperança invites the audience on a stroll through Cascais, where feminism, witch hunts, and personal memories intertwine and blur. Through fragmented narratives and unexpected voices, the performance challenges official narratives and offers a reflection on hope—a fragile yet transformative act.
All dates
BRUXAS - REHEARSAL FOR HOPE
BRUXAS - ensaio para a esperança invites the audience on a stroll through Cascais, where feminism, witch hunts, and personal memories intertwine and blur. Through fragmented narratives and unexpected voices, the performance challenges official narratives and offers a reflection on hope—a fragile yet transformative act.
BRUXAS - REHEARSAL FOR HOPE
BRUXAS - ensaio para a esperança invites the audience on a stroll through Cascais, where feminism, witch hunts, and personal memories intertwine and blur. Through fragmented narratives and unexpected voices, the performance challenges official narratives and offers a reflection on hope—a fragile yet transformative act.
The crowd gathers for what appears to be a historical guided tour. “This is where the witches were burned,” the guide announces. But soon, the narrative begins to unravel. An almost inaudible voice interrupts: “They weren’t witches.” Subtle gestures, conflicting accounts, and unexpected presences gradually undermine the official version.
BRUXAS - ensaio para a esperança invites the audience on a stroll through Cascais, where feminism, witch hunts, and personal memories intertwine and blur. Along the way, unexpected voices and fragmented narratives challenge established historical accounts, paving the way for a reflection on memory, historical erasure, and hope—a fragile yet transformative act.
Developed in collaboration with women who live in Cascais or have ties to the city, BRUXAS - ensaio para a esperança is a community-based, participatory project rooted in feminist artistic practices, active listening, and collective reflection.
© Teresa V. Vaz
© Teresa V. Vaz
A facilitator, who was closely connected to the local community and the project’s artistic team, guided the process. The meetings took place in Cascais, following a schedule tailored to each woman’s availability and pace. Participation was voluntary and could take various forms: sharing memories, offering an inspiring contribution, or attending the performance, with no expectation of revealing personal details. The public performance appears as an extension of this process rather than its culmination, allowing for different levels of visibility and participation on the part of the women involved, including silence or absence. In this project, ethics is an integral part of artistic creation, and listening, fragility, and ongoing negotiation are considered essential elements of the artistic gesture.
Teresa V. Vaz
Teresa V. Vaz is a Portuguese artist and creator whose work explores performance, dramaturgy, and participatory artistic practices. Her work often examines collective memory, feminism, and the connections between biography, place, and fiction through collaborative and site-specific processes.
Bestiário was born from fragments, hence the name of the 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 bringing biographical and folk tales back to life. We are situated in the present, sometimes choosing to live it, sometimes to contemplate it. We aim to encourage artistic creation, drawing our inspiration from 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.
© Teresa V. Vaz
Practical information
Address
Cascais Marina
Accessibility
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
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.