Lots of exciting ways and places to get to know Circus Arts in the Northern Region

The itinerary circus project “De Volta à Praça”, that gathers the great artistic companies of the Coliseu Porto Ageas and the São João National Theatre is travelling the Northern Region of Portugal, featuring performances and puppet workshops during the easing of lockdown, with people, children and adults alike taking to the streets to get to know what circus magic really means.

The programme, which started in Porto, on 16 and 18 July at Casa das Artes, is travelling through Arcos de Valdevez (10 July and 1 August), Cinfães (24 and 25 July), Celorico de Basto (7 and 8 August), Mondim de Basto (4, 28 August and 4 September), Santo Tirso (13, 14 and 15 August), Cabeceiras de Basto (20, 21 and 22 August), Paços de Ferreira (4 and 5 September), Marco de Canaveses (11 and 12 September) and will conclude in Porto on 17, 18 and 19 September, also at Casa das Artes.

Artists from the Circo do Coliseu do Porto Ageas, the theatre companies A Palmilha Dentada and the Erva Daninha present their new tendencies with humour and even dare in a sort of café-theatre.

The circus goes beyond Coliseu Porto Ageas to recover the travelling tradition, setting the circus tents in several cities to show a glimpse of what the Circus Coliseu 2020 is, i.e., a combination of traditional and contemporary circus, featuring a mime that acts as a ringmaster, and an original soundtrack performed live by an orchestra conducted by the maestro André Lousada.

The youngest spectators will be gifted a brochure of the programme-game Circo Coliseu Porto Ageas, established in 2020, set out to make sure that children take the circus magic home; also gifted is a kit with drawings made in partnership with Balleteatro, to raise awareness on the circus arts.

In turn, the Teatro da Palmilha Dentada features the newest creation of “Circlus”, taking the café-teatro format. Erva Daninha presents “Rasto”, a performance between dance and acrobatics that uses a tractor as a prop feature, which is rather daring when thinking of a poetic relationship between body and machine, but also between urban and rural, between landscape and imagination.

In each of the travelling cities, presentations will be accompanied by circus workshops and puppets targeted at all those interested in taking part.

The programme is co-financed by the Regional Operational Program of the North (NORTE 2020), Portugal 2020 and the European Union, via the European Fund for Regional development (FEDER).

Access to the shows is free, but subject to space capacity. There is the possibility to book tickets in advance at bilheteira@devoltaapraca.pt