The "Festival Extremus" promotes inclusion through arts

The International Festival Extremus kicks-off 25 October in several schools and auditoriums throughout the cities of Porto and Gondomar and runs till 28 October.

This event is sponsored by the Portuguese Cerebral Paralysis Association (APPC) and it is aimed at joining on stage handicapped and non-handicapped actors in order to raise awareness on the value of social inclusion. 

The Theatre Company "Era uma vez... Teatro" (Once upon a time...Theatre) from APPC hosts cultural and educational projects presented both by foreign and domestic companies.

More than two dozen activities are scheduled for the four days of the festival, including theatre performances, workshops, music and dance sessions, just to name a few.

Director and organiser of the festival, Mónica Cunha, speaking to the Lusa agency, highlighted the importance of the musical, dance and theatre performances that will be featured at the festival as well as the formative experience of such an initiative. The director also mentioned the importance of involving young people more in theatre, saying that the labels "inclusive or special needs" should not be used. For Mónica Cunha "There is no inclusive or special needs theatre, there is theatre".

The children's festival is themed Extreminhus and will travel along several schools as part of the educative project towards awareness raising.

Absolute novelty this edition is the premiere of the play "Epidemia Urbana" (Urban Epidemic) based on the novel "Blindness" by José Saramago, Nobel Prize for Literature in 1998.  This play is presented at José Rodrigues Foundation, 28 October, at 4.30 pm.

According to APPC, since its inception, in 1999, Extremus Festival, held biannually, has already presented 130 shows, by 95 Theatre Companies both professional and amateur of handicapped people.

Extremus is co-financed by the Project Funding Programme of the National Rehabilitation Institute.

See here for more information.