The final conference of the project A Manual on Work and Happiness (15-16 October 2018) will share experiences and results achieved in the scope of this project coordinated by Artemrede with the support of the Creative Europe programme.

One of the project’s main aspects was Audience Development and the involvement of communities in the creative process of a stage show from Portuguese company mala voadora. A Manual on Work and Happiness premiered in Patras (Greece); then it was presented in Montijo (Portugal), Alcobaça (Portugal), Pergine (Italy) and, finally, in Lisbon, in the framework of the festival Os Dias de Marvila. In each one of these cities, the cast included members from the local communities, who participated in a residency of three weeks coordinated by stage director Jorge Andrade.

This conference will unveil some of the less visible aspects of the whole process, while debating with the audience several reflections which emerged throughout the process and which are inherent to participatory artistic projects.

PROGRAMME

OCT 15

3pm – 6:15 pm

Opening session

Marta Martins, Artemrede (Portugal)
Welcoming
What is the Manual
Why are we promoting this conference and why in Marvila
Program for the 2 days

Presentation: experience and results achieved by the project A Manual on Work and Happiness

Marta Martins – Artemrede (Portugal) The challenge of leading an European project; how to make it relevant locally; participatory work as a main strategy of Artemrede but the difficulties: the conditions, the commitment, the pressure of presenting a final object.

Rui Morais – Cine-teatro João d’Oliva Monteiro (Alcobaça)
Ana Lopes – Cinema-teatro Joaquim d’Almeida (Montijo)
What were the benefits of participating; what were the main obstacles. What changed in us as professionals and in our organizations?

Carla Tommasini – Pergine Festival (Italy)
How is relevant to a festival in a small village to participate in an European project as the Manual; what were the main obstacles, what went wrong. What has changed in the relation with the community of Pergine?

Linda Valenti – L’Arboreto Teatro Dimora (Italy)
The contribution to the Manual; the involvement of the community of Mondaino in the writing residency. What has changed in Arboreto’s idea about working with foreign artists

Stavos Tsakiris – Municipal and Regional Theatre of Patras (Greece)
How this project fits in the mission of the theatre; the impact on the audience and on the community involved; the challenge of the premiere; it corresponded to the expectations? what has changed in Patra’s programming

Jorge Andrade – mala voadora (Portugal)
The proposal and the final result – what were the differences and why? How a company as Mala voadora relates with participatory work? It is possible to be participative and still present a great performance? What has changed in Mala voadora’s work and positioning?

Participants from the stage show from Montijo, Alcobaça and Pergine
Why to participate in this project? How was the experience and why? (good and bad aspects). What was the previous relation with the theatre/festival? What changed in this and in the understanding of the artistic processes. What would you suggest to the director of the theatre/festival?

Presentation

Susana Costa Pereira – Creative Europe (Portugal)
Presentation of the program and focus on the audience development priority

Félix Dupin-Meynard (Be SpectACTive / University of Montpellier)
The BS1 experience
The challenge of participatory creative residencies: managing the expectations of participants, artists, programmers / organizations and audience. What are we doing wrong? What has to change to be a better experience?

Debate

Coffee Break

7 pm

Documentary: A Manual on Work and Happiness
Screening of the documentary directed by Elena Goatelli e Angel Esteban.
Introduction Vítor Pinto
Free admission

OCT 16

10 am – 12:30 pm

Roundtable with international guests to share experiences and good practices on participatory projects in the peripheries

Sonja Soldo – Pogon (Croatia)
Rarita Zbranca – Cluj Cultural Centre (Romania)
Angeliki Lamperi – Eleusis 2021 (Greece)
Fanny Hadjun – Pro Progressione (Hungary)
Lídia Jimenez – Festival TNT (Catalonia/Spain)

QUESTIONS TO ADRESS
. Present the organization
. How the peripheral condition has impact in: contents of the programming, relation with audience, financing, human resources, national and international partnerships

Free admission through registration until October 10 to the email: artemrede@artemrede.pt.
Languages: Portuguese and English