Some activities had been planned to celebrate CBTIJ/ASSITEJ Brasil’s 25th anniversary this year. Although, as everywhere else, we had to redefine our plans and try to continue working in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Since early 2020 we have finished:
– World Day of Theatre Video, a celebration of the diversity of Brazilian culture;
– 6th CBTIJ TYA Awards, which celebrates the artistic achievement of theatre practitioners in Rio de Janeiro city; and
– 1st CBTIJ Annual Honors, offered to distinguished artists, researchers, theatre companies, festivals and other innitiatives for their outstanding contribution to our field nationwide. In 2020, the honorees were: Blumenau National TYA Festival (Festival Nacional de Teatro Infantil de Blumenau/SC – FENATIB); La Casa Incierta Theatre Company – Art for Babies; and the specialized website Pecinha é a Vovozinha.
After the online meeting of ASSITEJ General Assembly, in May, and the subsequent virtual ASSITEJ Coffee Sessions, CBTIJ/ASSITEJ Brasil went on to organize national, regional and state Coffee Sessions (our Rodas de Conversa). So far, four of them have been held, all of them following the virtual format proposed by ASSITEJ:
– Roda de Conversa nacional (National), on June 22nd;
– Roda de Conversa Rio Grande do Sul (Rio Grande do Sul State) , on July 1st;
– Roda de Conversa Nordeste, Norte e Centro-Oeste (Northeast, North and Midwest Regions), on July 17th; and
– Roda de Conversa
On September 17th, we held another regional Coffee Session. Nearly 50 theatre practitioners from Minas Gerais state got together to know each better and to discuss projects, networking and how to keep connected beyond the pandemic.
This meeting brought a new insight for all of us, introducing the “Refreshing Break” (Momento Respeito), where a couple of short artistic performances or games where facilitated by some of the participants. This “Refreshing Break” brought some relief from the discussions and also introduced some of our peers to artistic approaches to Arts for Young Audiences.
The Roda de Conversa Minas Gerais was produced by our Regional Representatives in Uberlândia (with Trupe de Truões Theatre collective) and Belo Horizonte (Insensata Theatre Company). By the end of the year, a new Regional Representation will be established in São João del Rei, a historic city in Minas Gerais, with Teatro da Pedra Theatre Group.
– Roda de Conversa Minas Gerais (Minas Gerais State), on September 28th.
These virtual meetings gathered over 300 theatre practitioners, some of which have decided to become members of our centre. Professionals committed to TYA in creation, education, administration and research areas from 25 out of the 27 Brazilian states joined us in the discussions, strengthening our networks and bringing new opportunities for new connections.
Over the past months, two new projects have been developed, in a partnership with the ASSITEJ Iberoamerican Network of Theatre for Young Audiences:
– Catálogo de Peças (TYA shows Directory), an online directory of TYA shows produced by Iberoamerican companies, on rediberoamericana.assitej.net and the network channel on the YouTube; and
– Dramática Ibero-Americana (TYA plays in Spanish and Portuguese), an online bilingual directory of theatre scripts by Iberoamerican playwrights, in a partnership with ATINA – ASSITEJ Argentina and CELCIT – Latin American Centre of Theatre Creation and Research.
Right now, our centre is collaborating with another project of the Iberoamerican Network: the 1st Iberoamerican Artistic Gathering, to be held at the 15th Paideia International TYA Festival, in November 2021, in São Paulo, Brazil.
Nationally, by the end of the year, CBTIJ/ASSITEJ Brasil will have reached nine Regional Representations (Núcleos Regionais). Along with the Uberlândia/MG, São Paulo/SP, Porto Alegre/RS, Brasília/DF, Belo Horizonte/MG and Salvador/BA, other three Representantions are being designated: Goiânia/GO, Curitiba/PR and São João del Rei/MG.
– Art as Science
All knowledge fields are connected by collaborations and tensions that generate the complexity of life. From a scientific point of view, what is the social role of art? “Art as Science” reflects on this issue when dialoguing with artists who build their praxis through the articulation between creation and reflection.
Monthly interviews with arts researchers are broadcast live via YouTube, every first Tuesday, at 06:30PM (Brasília). The project offers translation into English, Spanish and German, via Google Meet rooms.
On October 6th, Jessé Oliveira, theatre director, researcher and administrator will be interviewed. He will talk about his experience with his theatre group, Caixa Preta, and historic aspects of Black Theatre in Rio Grande do Sul.
CBTIJ/ASSITEJ Brasil is a partner of “Art as Science”, a project idealized by theatre researcher Viviane Juguero (a prior Regional Representative in Rio Grande do Sul state and an active member of our community). The project is produced by Bactéria Filmes.
– III FETICO – Festival de Teatro para Crianças “O Casaco Encantado”
The city of Goiânia, capital of the state of Goiás, has a new Regional Representation of CBTIJ/ASSITEJ Brasil. The FETICO and Sala 3 Theatre Company will be our first representative in a Midwestern state in Brazil.
The third edition of the Festival will be totally online and counts on the collaboration of CBTIJ/ASSITEJ Brasil in two meetings: “Networks in the Arts for Young Audiences” and “Children and Schools in the Pandemic”.
– AKIN Project
Rio de Janeiro, October 2020
Board of Directors
CBTIJ/ASSITEJ Brasil
www.cbtij.org.br / cbtij@cbtij.org.br
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