Community performance desbravar

Community performance “desbravar” premieres on November 22 and 23 at the Macieira de Cambra Cultural Center. This creation by PELE, promoted by the Vale de Cambra City Council and carried out by ADRIMAG, takes place within the scope of the Action Plan for Disadvantaged Communities.

“desbravar” is a celebration of the people and voices of the municipality — a gathering that revives memories, songs, and knowledge, reinventing them in the present. In a territory rich in human and intangible heritage, this interdisciplinary performance echoes stories and songs that travel through the valley and soar over the mountains, reminding us that past and future intertwine in every voice heard on stage.

With an approximate duration of 90 minutes, “desbravar” is the result of a creative process developed throughout 2024 and 2025, involving six community groups from the parishes of Arões, Macieira de Cambra, Rôge, Junqueira, Cepelos, and the Union of Parishes of Vila Chã, Codal, Vila Cova de Perrinho, and São Pedro de Castelões.

Blending music, theatre, video, and participatory photography, “desbravar” invites the audience to (re)discover the territory through multiple perspectives — those of the people who live, work, and sing there.

Reservations for the performances can be made by phone at 910 856 855 or by email at caminhosparaacoesao@adrimag.com.pt.

“desbravar”, rooted in previous experiences in the territory (in 2018 and 2022), began on the ground in mid-2024 and will unfold until the end of 2025.

During this period, creative processes have been developed with senior participant groups from several parishes of Vale de Cambra: Arões, Macieira de Cambra, Rôge, Junqueira, Cepelos, União de Freguesias de Vila Chã, Codal, Vila Cova de Perrinho, and S. Pedro de Castelões. In each group, the process of listening, recording, and co-creation is tailored to the interests and specificities of each place, with the aim of creating original pieces rooted in local knowledge and both individual and collective memories.

In addition to the sessions with the groups, the project involves meetings with local artisans and community agents, developing visual, authorial, and participatory recording sessions—namely through the photovoice methodology—with the aim of offering a new perspective on the territory.

The musical and visual pieces co-created with participants will be presented to the local community at various moments throughout 2025, including Showcases in several parishes and an interdisciplinary performance to premiere in November 2025 at the Macieira de Cambra Cultural Centre.

The visual and sound recordings—both authorial and participatory—will be compiled into a digital archive of the project, which will later be made available to the public.

Team:

Project Coordination: Inês Lapa

Artistic Direction: Inês Lapa, Raquel Melo, João Versos Roldão

Music Creation: Inês Lapa and Raquel Melo

Visual Recording: João Versos Roldão

Production Management: Carina Moutinho

Communication: Tiago Mogege