After the creation of a Friends of The Freedom Theatre association in Portugal, based at the Barraca Theatre at the end of 2015, The Freedom Theatre is embarking on its first tour of Portugal with long-standing partners such as the Teatro Bolhão Trigo Limpo, ACERT and Barraca Theatre.
In September 2016, the theatre’s professional company together with the third-year students of The Freedom Theatre School, will present two plays: Return to Palestine and Images From the Life of Ghassan Kanafani as well as offer workshops, lectures and cultural exchange activities between the youth of the partners involved in the project.
TOUR SCHEDULE
Lisbon
September 3: Festa do Avante
Performance of Return to Palestine and post-performance talk.
September 5-10: Barraca Theatre
September 6, at 21:30: Performance of Return to Palestine and post-performance talk
September 7, at 21:30: Performance of Images in the life of Ghassan Kanafani and post-performance talk
September 8, at 10:00-16:00: Theatre Workshop for Artists
The professional company of The Freedom Theatre will present the pedagogy of actors based on collective creation and focus on collecting and sharing stories under occupation through various forms of interactive theatre. This is accompanied by a reflection on artistic responsibility and the role of the artist in cultural resistance.
September 8, at 21:00: Performance of Images from the life of Ghassan Kanafani and post-performance talk
September 9, at 10:00-16:00: Theatre Workshop for youth
The Freedom Theatre’s artists and students talk about their work and share stories of life in Palestine interactively through theatre exercises. Young people aged 15-25 will have an opportunity to meet, share and create with young Palestinians whose everyday life is very different but also has quite a few things in common with the Portuguese youths’ reality.
September 10, at 18:00: Performance of Return to Palestine and post-performance talk
September 26: Dabke Workshop (Palestinian folklore dance)
Porto
September 12 at 21:00, in Quinta da Caverneira, Art’imagem, Maia: Performance of Return to Palestine and post-performance talk
September 13-18: ARTE PELA LIBERDADE PORTUGAL/PALESTINA at Palácio do Bolhão
The students of The Freedom Theatre School join the acting students of ACE (Teatro do Bolhão) – young people, working together under the guidance of ACE and The Freedom Theatre School teachers
Screening of documentary and fiction films:
September 13 at 21:00: ‘Journey of a Freedom Fighter’ and ‘Against the Wall’
September 14 at 18:00: ‘Remember Us’
September 17 at 18:00: ‘The Wanted 18’
Performances:
September 14, at 22:00: Performance of Images from the life of Ghassan Kanafani and post-performance talk
September 15, at 21:30: Performance of Images from the life of Ghassan Kanafani and post-performance talk
September 16, at 22:00: Performance of Return to Palestine and post-performance talk
September 17 at 18:00: Presentation of Associação dos Amigos do Teatro da Liberdade da Palestina, Portugal (Portugal Friends of The Freedom Theatre)
September 17, at 22:00: Performance of Return to Palestine and post-performance talk
September 18, at 16:00: Performance of Return to Palestine and post-performance talk
Plastic Artists Exhibition: Installation by Joana Villaverde
Vila Nova de Gaia
September 20: Solidarity event for Syrian refugees. Performance of Return to Palestine with ticket proceeds going to the League of Friends of the Health Center Soares dos Reis (LACSSR) with the goal of supporting the reception of refugee families in Vila Nova de Gaia.
Santa Maria da Feira
September 20: Workshop ‘Theatre for Change’ for artists and social intervention agents
September 21: Performance of Return to Palestine and post-performance talk
Commemorations of World Peace Day. The performance will be followed by a discussion on the subject of life in Palestine and refugees.
Tondela
September 24: Participation at the show ‘Living Viriato’
The Freedom Theatre tour is hosted by Associação dos Amigos do Teatro da Liberdade da Palestina – Portugal (Friends of The Freedom Theatre in Portugal) in partnership with Teatro Bolhão Trigo Limpo, ACERT and Barraca Theatre. The tour is supported by many individuals who through their generous contributions have made it possible for The Freedom Theatre to come to Portugal.
The production of ‘Images from the life of Ghassan Kanafani’ is funded by Sida (as part of the Palestinian Performing Arts Network) and the EU.
The production of ‘Return to Palestine’ is funded by SouthMed CV (as part of the project ‘Interactive Theatre for Social Change’), Sida (as part of the Palestinian Performing Arts Network) and the Swedish Postcode Lottery.