Teatro e Marionetas de Mandrágora
Premiere.
15 Oct 2026 . ThursdayA premiere is always the culmination of a lengthy process – this way of working as a team comprising creatives, directors, stage directors, visual artists, actors, set designers, musicians, costume designers, communications staff, production staff…
It is this intense dedication that makes the premiere the moment when so many tasks are finally completed. Now everything rests with the technical crew and the actors, with the production and communications teams, but above all with the audience. Welcoming babies and very young children is a commitment to creating memories, to stirring the senses, to creating a space between the group accompanying the child and the child itself, and to developing a relationship of protection and a deep emotional bond.
Whilst this is an experience already lived by the creative teams at the ‘Teatro e Marionetas de Mandrágora’ and ‘Krisálida’ theatre companies, it is also a realisation of the forms of expression that theatre allows us. This young audience, whilst unable to verbalise or be fully aware of the narratives, perceives the artistic dialogue surrounding them through their senses, often wrapped in the safety and comfort of their family circle or of individuals who are there to support and guide them, ensuring their well-being and balance. Like all of us, this young audience needs to feel well, comfortable, safe and protected. At these early ages, the interplay of words, sound, images and performance must take into account the fragility of the audience members’ developing personalities. This gives rise to a distinct language, specifically tailored and directed, with certain defined boundaries, such as the duration of the performance, the proximity of the audience, and the necessary environment of sensory stimulation. It is essential to constantly reflect on and analyse the child’s changing state and mood. We must normalise certain behaviours that may occur, being aware of these possibilities and recognising that they are not a disruptive element, but rather a natural part of the performance. Accepting crying, hunger and restlessness during the performance, and knowing how to deal with these elements, means accepting that a show for babies is governed by different rules, which time gradually refines as the child grows.
The water that flows through me : https://marionetasmandragora.pt/aagua
Co-creation.
8 Oct 2026 . ThursdayThe desire to create this show stemmed from the importance of viewing early childhood as a space for encountering art, enabling us to create an experience enjoyed not only by the babies but also by the adults accompanying them. The co-creation with the Mandrágora Theatre and Puppet Company was fundamental to this process, allowing us to bring together different perspectives, languages and experiences to jointly develop a production truly designed for the very youngest children.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
The water that flows through me : https://marionetasmandragora.pt/aagua
360.º
8 Oct 2026 . ThursdayThe audience is immersed in the experience itself, surrounding the stage and following the action from different perspectives, in a 360° spatial and sensory experience.
The water that flows through me : https://marionetasmandragora.pt/aagua
Discovery.
8 Oct 2026 . ThursdayThe creative team has been discovering the show with every rehearsal, exploring how water, shapes, light, sounds and movement can create connections that help provide the right stimuli for babies, through their senses and even before they can speak.
The water that flows through me : https://marionetasmandragora.pt/aagua
Circulation of Creative Works
15 Aug 2026 . SaturdayTravelling across the country and abroad offers a variety of perspectives. It involves a personal journey through each of these places, getting to know our country. We say that our country feels smaller and the world feels more familiar. The act of travelling becomes commonplace and familiar. Each place has its own distinctive characteristics in terms of its landscape and people, and we gain an insight into the diversity of the country. We take artistic programmes and projects both to communities where engaging with the arts is clearly a regular part of life, and to very specific areas where culture unfolds at its own unique pace.
Whilst it is true that inland regions may lack cultural offerings, it is also true that they have their own rhythm, way of life and way of speaking. I love accents and the symbols to which a place clings to promote its culture. Whilst many cities shape their artistic life through the programming structures of their theatres, others organise their festivities by seeking to combine celebratory elements with their surrounding heritage, thereby creating initiatives that bring their population together in a diverse, shared and collective experience.
Working in urban areas is easier, in the sense that the size of the population allows for a level of choice and diversity that is difficult to achieve in inland areas, requiring companies and organisations to make a greater effort, both because of the distance and the number of people living in those areas. Life there seems to be more peaceful and calm, perhaps because the population is smaller; it is only in communal spaces that you can really see the diversity.
One interesting aspect is the journey itself. Although companies like ours travel thousands of kilometres and fatigue often builds up, the surrounding landscape sets a pattern that shapes society. I remember being on an artist-in-residence programme in an inland area; as someone who is a child of the sea, when I saw the mountains, my brain presented me with interpretative challenges and I began to see giant waves of green hues. I believe that the landscape undoubtedly shapes our very being, and that one of the characteristics of the population begins to take shape through the characteristics of the landscape that surrounds us.
The flat terrain of Gafanha da Nazaré, which encourages cycling. The slopes of Covilhã – indescribable to some – with their aerial bridges, presenting an architectural challenge that the local council is striving to address for its residents. Trás-os-Montes: crossing the mountains to see traditional houses that are still standing, and watching the children, who are always few in number. Going to the Algarve to observe the world in one place, so many people who have come from all over the world to find a place to live there, seeking a better quality of life.
Despite this very superficial view, it is interesting to note that, whilst the circulation of projects has two sides to it, time is always in short supply and perceptions are always tangential to reality; sometimes we manage only to perceive postcard-like glimpses of places, without truly being there, which would allow for a genuine immersion. Sometimes we get to know these regions through their cultural venues without going any further than that. In a moment of candour, we often say that we know the backstage areas where we spend endless hours, and this often boils down to our interactions with the technical and artistic teams at these venues. This leaves us with the feeling of having merely a superficial impression of the region.
Are these perceptions real, or merely sensations?
CriArte is open to people with and without DID
5 Aug 2026 . WednesdayFrom July 20 to 24, 2026, Ponte de Lima will host another edition of the “CriArte” project, which this year will focus on the theme “As It Happens.”
Organized by the Viana do Castelo APPCDM—Ponte de Lima Branch—and co-funded by the Institute for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, I.P.’s funding program for NGOs, CriArte serves as a space for artistic encounter, creation, and sharing, bringing together professionals, amateurs, and anyone interested in participating in an inclusive and multidisciplinary creative experience.
In this edition, the project invites participants and the community to immerse themselves in an artistic process centered on the present, on listening, on connection, and on the transformation of individual gestures into collective expression. “Enquanto Acontece” invites reflection on art as a lived experience, valuing the encounter between different artistic languages, sensibilities, and life paths.
CriArte is open to people with and without DID, ages 8 and up, and combines training, experimentation, and collaborative creation, culminating in a final performance in a public space as part of the Percursos da Música Festival.
As It Happens : https://marionetasmandragora.pt/enquantoacontece
We’ll be at Praça das Artes in Felgueiras.
5 Aug 2026 . WednesdayA program to engage young audiences through puppet-making—in this case, giving wings to birds and setting them in motion within the space, creating a story that bridges the construction of objects and the physical environment of Parque da Bouça.
We present a proposal that leads us to discover the lightest, calmest, and most tranquil movement; weights and displacements, suspended puppets that move through the air, carried by the wind and the breeze.
Here we are the creators, but nature also empowers us to be puppeteers through its force and gravity. The theater is vast.
Figures that move through space and, like children, live in the constant motion of their restlessness. We will each create a piece based on the prompt “flying animals” and transform it into a creature that inspires us to imagine, color, cut out, and paint.
The Mandrágora workshops, designed for families, use simple materials so that parents, teachers, and—above all—children can become familiar with them and discover their potential. With the support of adults, they will be able to explore art through the simplicity of creating while playing and turn play into a vast theatrical space.
The puppet, often associated with childhood, is part of our imagination, history, memory, and tradition. This art form offers endless possibilities for artistic and theatrical experiences—from creation to manipulation—constantly renewing itself and bringing it to the stage. It is up to teachers to equip themselves with the knowledge needed to provide students with hands-on experiences and learning opportunities in puppet-making, exploring various materials and techniques, and using tools that enable them to develop creative projects in the field of theater.
Work has begun on the co-production.
5 Aug 2026 . WednesdayWork has begun on the co-production between Krisálida and Teatro e Marionetas de Mandrágora; “A água que por mim passa” will be a production dedicated to babies. Following meetings, gatherings, discussions, and many sketches and planning sessions, the visual artists are the first to design the stage set and the puppets that will take the stage starting in November.
The water that flows through me : https://marionetasmandragora.pt/aagua
We have been collaborating with Viagem Medieval for 20 years, since 2006.
5 Aug 2026 . WednesdayThese recreational, historically themed events are moments of leisure and relaxation. They are also opportunities to connect with Portugal’s history—or the fragments of it that have come down to us. Theater emerged in Portugal during the medieval period, and although written records are scarce, there are illuminated manuscripts and fragments that point the way forward. It is always a challenge to be part of a project that has been developing over the past 20 years in Santa Maria da Feira, as part of its “Medieval Journey.” Our stage production features minstrels and court jesters who perform, underpinning the historical narrative of the event’s setting. The audience is a powerful driving force, as it has always embraced these projects with great warmth. Whether it’s the “pageant wagons” or Ingmar Bergman’s wagon in *The Seventh Seal*, one thing is certain: the performance brings theater to life, brought to you by a team of outstanding actors.
New cultural mediation project.
5 Aug 2026 . WednesdayIncreasingly, cultural institutions—museums, monasteries, castles, etc.—feel the need to become vibrant, accessible, and communicative spaces, appealing to creativity and the public, and drawing visitors in. To this end, puppetry combined with history and heritage has proven to be a highly rewarding endeavor, complementing each institution’s own programming and fostering broader communication with the public. Since 2003, we have collaborated with various institutions to implement long-term programs and activities.
We feel that these initiatives have successfully taken root and expanded within the framework of our Educational Services, both because of the segment of visitors who consider them an integral part of their visit and because of the recreational, artistic, and educational role they have come to play in the space and the surrounding heritage.
We believe that institutions can benefit from this project by expanding the scope of historical and heritage reconstruction in the surrounding areas and enabling a broader audience to enjoy the spaces and the historical content that the project has helped to preserve.
the clay girl : https://marionetasmandragora.pt/ameninadobarro