Manuel RuizBack

Manuel Ruiz

"My name is Manuel Ruiz and I was 17 years old when I joined the BOWING project. I was studying at the Cascais Professional Theater School when I heard about the Open Call, and after the workshop/audition at the São Teotónio School, I was presented with the proposal to participate in rehearsals on weekends: in the morning with the artistic team and at night with the community. Now, I'm traveling on different paths at almost 20 years of age. BOWING was undoubtedly one of the most important and transformative journeys for me, as a person and an artist. Having the opportunity to follow and look at BOWING as an ongoing project, many transformations occurred: What I feel was most special about this project was its continued nature after the first show. Sessions in schools, as well as sessions with adults, strengthened the relationships created and yielded many fruits during the most intensive rehearsal period. The renewal of the team and the choice of members of the Nuclear Team who composed BOWING BACK were extremely positive points; these were people who enriched the spirit, atmosphere, and artistic component of the project. I feel that we used the experience of rehearsals and presentations from the first show to understand the social dynamics of these people who have a culture so different to ours. We used this understanding to improve the well-being of all participants. In May 2022, I revisited the room of the São Teotónio School, the place where the audition had happened and where everything began for me. I returned to this place to collaborate in facilitating a BOWING session. It was a moment with the community where we didn't have the goal of preparing a presentation. I learned the true importance of strengthening long-term personal relationships for the creation of impactful artistic objects. Other memories that stand out with great intensity were the "midnights” of my 18th and 19th birthdays. I spent both with the BOWING team, and having the luck to share these moments with people who turned my birthday days into memorable occasions is something I hold with very genuine fondness. I feel that BOWING helped me define my professional path and reaffirmed in me the values of respect, collaboration, and proactivity in the face of the problems around us."