As Sete Vidas da Argila
As Sete Vidas da Argila (The Seven Lives of Clay) was an artistic intervention project in Aveiro, consisting of a theater performance (premiered on September 23, 2021, Teatro Aveirense, re-performed in July 2022, Claustros da Misericórdia de Aveiro, January 2024, Fábrica Campos) and a documentary (premiered on September 25, 2022). The project was artistically directed by Jorge Louraço Figueira and performed by professional and amateur artists. The production was by Teatro Aveirense, under the direction of José Pina, and the creation also involved the collaboration of Red Cloud, a puppet theater group based in Aveiro, founded by Sara Henriques and Rui Rodrigues.
The Play
The play begins on the anniversary of the (fictional) oldest ceramics factory in the Ria de Aveiro region, founded at the end of the last century (or, in fact, the other). The siren mingles with the bells, and finally the workers arrive to help with the preparations for the party; soon after, the guests. The host, however, is stranded in the workshops due to a late order, along with his main assistants, including the indispensable selector Clorinda Boca-de-Barro. Well, actually, at that time, Clorinda wasn't yet called Boca-de-Barro. What happened next—and how Clorinda earned her nickname—is what we'll see in the show.
The experiences of those who bring the region's ceramics factories to life are the raw material for the documentary "The Seven Lives of Clay—Voices and Portraits of the Ria Ceramics Factories," airing on November 23rd. To create the theater show, research was carried out in the Ria de Aveiro region, accompanied by the recording of testimonies, images and sounds from the world of clay, mud and pottery, materials that gave rise to a journey through time with sound by Sofia Saldanha and images by João Garcia Neto.
The play is set on the anniversary of the biggest factory in the region. Many scenes and situations were inspired in stories told by the actresses. The project promoted local cultural heritage and community arts, two subjects in the agenda of the city council, as they supposedly coincide with voters concerns. For many of the participants, rehearsals and presentations were an opportunity to comment on local politics and present their views to a broader audience. Important points, woven into the text during rehearsals, were gender inequalities, exploitation and abuse, mostly in work contexts, either historically or presently. This in a context where, on one hand, historic amateur groups across the country share a repertoire of conservative comedies; and, on the other, people abstain from discussing political subjects openly, because local elites control a big part of employment and business opportunities. Is amateur theatre still an arena for political debate, as it had been after the 1974 revolution and, even previously, since the late 19th century? I’ll argue yes, and how.
The Documentary
The Seven Lives of Clay: Voices and Portraits of the Ria Ceramics Factories (46 min.)
The experiences of those who bring life to the ceramics factories of the Aveiro region are the raw material for this documentary, which accompanied the research for the play "How Boca-de-Barro Earned its Nickname" through the recording of testimonies, images, and sounds from the world of clay, earthenware, and pottery.
- Director and Sound: Sofia Saldanha
- Image: João Garcia Neto
- Production Director: Amarílis Felizes
- Artistic Director of the Project "The Seven Lives of Clay": Jorge Louraço Figueira
- Production: Teatro Aveirense
References
- ↑ As Sete Vidas da Argila, Edições Humus, 2022