FOMe – Festival of Objects and Puppets & Other Foods is back in a «only national» edition, from 4 to 25 September, which will receive «about 60 shows by 18 Portuguese companies, workshops, workshops, a documentary and a concert with catos». The initiative will take place in Albufeira, Faro, Loulé, Olhão, São Brás de Alportel and Tavira, and it is «for those who have a hunger for culture».
After a year without a festival, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, FOMe returns in a different format from previous years: «we had to postpone the arrival of international companies and invite more Portuguese», begins by saying Jeannine Trévidic, artistic director of the event , in an interview with Sul Informação.
"This year's edition will bring together the best that is done nationally in the field of puppet theater and beyond, promising to provide good moments for everyone," he adds.
Organized in a partnership between ACTA – The Algarve Theater Company, responsible for the programming, and the various municipalities in the Algarve, FOMe will present «a sample of the work of Portuguese puppet companies», but will also «include all other languages, such as O clown or the physical theatre”, stresses Jeannine Trévidic.
In this year's festival program “there is a special emphasis on two initiatives, which stand out from the others”: one “for showing traditional Portuguese puppets” and the other “for using catos in a special closing concert”, highlights the artistic director.
The first highlight will take place in Loulé on the 12th of September, Sunday, at 10:30 am. The play “Teatro de Robertos” «brings traditional Portuguese theater to the sound of the piano», in what will be «an improvisation between music and the manipulation of puppets».
The initiative will be taken on stage by the company Teatro e Marionetas de Mandrágora, from Espinho.
The other will be the closure of the FOMe in which, after the workshop “Cactus Workestra”, given by the artist João Ricardo de Barros Oliveira, the participants will “explore” the sounds of catos that will serve as an instrument for a special concert.
The show will take place on September 25, at 21 pm, at Teatro Lethes, in Faro, in a concert in which «sounds with tones as foreign to our ears as strangely familiar will be heard».
And because «this festival is also for “Other Eating””, this year the organization “will bring together gastronomic experiences” throughout the event with an “exhibition specially made for the FOMe”.
After being on display in 2019 at the Municipal Museum of Faro, Jorge Cerqueira's Puppet Exhibition can be visited from this Saturday, September 4th, until January 15th, 2022, at Museu do Traje, in São Brás de Alportel.
Visitors to the exhibition will find «puppets from the universe of gastronomy, including people with a history in the kitchen, creators, but also connoisseurs», emphasizes the festival's artistic director.
On the 15th and 22nd of September, at 18 pm, the exhibition may be accompanied by gastronomic experiences, inspired by puppets, in a tasting menu prepared by Petisqueira 00 in Pipa, from Faro. It is only necessary to make your reservation to the email [email protected].
Among the 60 shows, Festival FOMe will present the play “As meu mais… puppets”, by Trulé (Évora), on September 11 in Olhão (at 11:00 am) and in Loulé (at 18:30 pm), on the 12th in Tavira (at 11:00 am) and in Faro (18:30), on the 17th in Albufeira (21:00) and on the 18th in São Brás de Alportel (10:30).
The play “Confiando (Confinado)”, by Fio d'Azeite – Marionetas Chão de Oliva, will be on stage at Teatro Lethes on September 11th (at 21 pm) and on September 00th (at 12 pm).
The schedule also includes space for puppet construction workshops, where the end result will be a puppet made from polyurethane and fabrics.
The workshops will take place in Tavira and Olhão, on the 11th of September, the 12th in Loulé, the 18th in Albufeira and the 19th in São Brás de Alportel.
As for expectations, the event's artistic director hopes that «people are very homesick, as this is a festival for those who are hungry for culture».
After last year's interruption, the wish is that “come and see the work of our puppet theater companies and all other initiatives”, he concludes.
All festival shows are free. However, shows need to be booked, and all information can be consulted at Facebook of the festival.
See the complete FOMe schedule here.
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