The Place of Each One

In the process of the BOWING performance there were two boys, Abhijot and Ivan, who had just one interest: playing badminton. We bought racquets and shuttlecocks so they could use them. For two months, at every rehearsal, the boys played. That's also what they did in the performance: they surprised the public by playing badminton in a square of São Teotónio. Sometimes there are participants whose interests are very specific: Nusaiba liked stories and did not like to dance; Daniel wanted to dance alone with his red fan; Lian only had eyes for his guitar. We don't always manage to expand individual interests into less familiar areas. After inviting everyone to take part and experiment with different creative materials, we allow each participant to occupy whatever place they want. Their interests gave us clues as to their role in the performance and fed the creative processes throughout the year. Not everyone has to do everything: some people are open to dance, spoken word, music; and some just want to play badminton. Through affirming individual desires, we explore and maximise the participants’ paths.