Residui Teatro Participates in Asta's Premiere

Asta from Portugal presented its premiere of the Green E.Th.I.Cs performance. Eirini Sfhiri and Denis Lavie from Residui Teatro collaborated on the show and shared their experiences with us.

The Green E.Th.I.Cs project artistic partner,  Asta from Portugal, presented the premiere of its performance.

One of the goals of this European project is to connect different artists working in Europe and create parts of the shows in collaboration. Collaborative creation is very satisfying for artists and provides the opportunity to engage with diverse audiences, enriching them as human beings.

Eirini Sfyri and Denis Lavie from Laboratorio Internacional Residui Teatro participated in the premiere with the group Asta. They prepared a show with a seniors' choir, and we asked them a few questions about their experience.

Which kind of collaboration did you contribute to the Asta performance and how was the experience?

We arrived in Covilha 5 days before the premiere of the Green E.Th.I.Cs performance by the group Asta to work on a scene created in collaboration with the local community. The collective we worked with is a local choir composed mainly of women, and some men, between 50 and 87 years old. They sing traditional songs accompanied by percussion and live music.

How was your experience with a seniors' choir group?

Our experience with the group was wonderful.
They were very willing to play with us, creating a theatrical scene based on their reflections on climate change as individuals who are part of the generation leaving the planet in the hands of their grandchildren.

They were very excited to share their views on the environment, practices their mothers and grandmothers used to do that were entirely ecological and have been lost over the years, and to recall local landscapes that have been lost due to climate change, such as the Serra da Estrela Forest that was destroyed by a fire in 2020.

Did the initial idea change thanks to the ideas of the choir?

Our initial idea was to work with them on the theme of eco-anxiety, bringing reference texts with data about this phenomenon. However, a few days before our arrival, the choir met to write a collective text with their thoughts on climate change, so we preferred to give voice to their own words.

What did you learn and what was the reaction of the audience?

The audience was moved to see a group of older people share a message of hope with the new generation.
For us, it was very beautiful to see the different groups from the local community of all ages, as Asta has worked on this theme with children, adolescents, young students, and older people, providing a comprehensive range of reflections from our society on climate change.