Art and Community go hand in hand in Porto with MEXE

The 5th edition of MEXE - International Meeting of Art and Community will be held in Porto, from 16 to 22 September and joins over 400 participants, from six countries, offering circa 70 artistic events on the subject of "the ordinary" and focused on "Thinking, Presentation, Training and Documentation".

The war-up happens from 13 to 15 September and focus on documental cinema. In total, seven documentaries, mostly national premieres, will reveal artistic proceedings and practices that combine education and citizenship, at Cinema Trindade, at the Association of Residents of Lomba and at Casa d´Artes, in Bonfim.

The MEXE will be held in 22 venues and public spaces in the city of Porto and features conferences, performances, parades, workshops and original works and the novelty this year is Mexe Praça, a rendez-vous point and open discussion with the people and the city, at Jardim de São Lázaro. The concerts of the Choir of the Foundation Manuel António da Mota, of OUPA CERCO, of Fado Bicha and the Projeto TumTumTum will take to Jardim de São Lázaro, with philosopher Vladimir Safatle guiding a debate on "the limits of the dichotomies between mankind and bestiality, humanity and inhumanity.

The purpose is to raise awareness on the topic of participation and citizenship in times of social instability and political unrest. 

The Theatre Carlos Alberto features the national premiere of "Is this a Black?" from the Brazilian Company "EQuem Égosta?", a presentation on what it means to be a black woman and a black man in Brazil, questioning the perpetuation of structural racism.

Other artistic performance, also from Brazil, is "Quando Quebra Queima", and shares the process of occupation and expression of students who have lived the "movimento secundarista", which is connected with the education system of Brazil, namely at high school level that was terminated by the military regime in São Paulo, in 1964.

From Uganda, MEXE brings the original work by António "Bukhar" Ssebuuma and Faizal Mostrixx Ddamba, "Empty the Space", which transforms movement in a dialogue on space in modern times, in a constant combination of contemporary dance and the most traditional rhythms in Africa.

Artists will also conduct a workshop devoted to exploring the dialogue between traditional and urban dances.

The programming from the Southern Hemisphere concludes with "Children of The New World", and solo dance performance on child abuse, choreographed and interpreted by the Tanzanian dancer Samwel Japhet.

MEXE programming also includes "Synectikos", the most recent creation by the Spanish collective Lisarco, devoted to dance, and which works with Down syndrome dancers, among other dancers.

The Basket Beat Orchestra will take to the stage classic performances by the company, combining musical instruments and basket balls, and Duck March, where a march of pregnant women takes the city.

National performances feature Tânia Dinis and her partnership with residents and former residents of the neighbourhood of Fontaínhas; in adition, Flávio Rodrigues and the Students choir of the Seminário Maior do Porto, or even the Collective Suspeito with performances at the Trindade Metro Station and in Campanhã.
Besides, the Atelier "Ser" features outdoor performances at Feira do Cerco and Praça dos Poveiros. 

This is a free event and almost the entire programming is presented also in Portuguese sign language.

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