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| Festival de Curitiba | |
|---|---|
| Name | Festival de Curitiba |
| Location | Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Founded | 1992 |
| Founders | Grupo RBS |
| Dates | annually (June) |
| Genre | theatre, performing arts, music, dance, circus, visual arts |
Festival de Curitiba Festival de Curitiba is an annual arts festival held in Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil, known for programming international theatre productions, contemporary dance pieces, circus shows and emerging music performances. The festival attracts companies and artists from across Latin America, Europe, North America, Africa and Asia, and collaborates with institutions such as the Sesc network, Instituto Moreira Salles, Ministério da Cultura (Brazil), Fundação Cultural de Curitiba and international festivals like the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Avignon Festival and Berliner Festspiele.
The festival was founded in 1992 by cultural organizers associated with Grupo RBS and municipal partners including the Prefeitura de Curitiba and Secretaria de Cultura do Paraná, emerging from local initiatives such as the Teatro Guaíra programming and community projects tied to Universidade Federal do Paraná and the Fundação de Ação Social (FAS). Early seasons featured exchanges with companies from Argentina, Chile and Uruguay, and later expanded to invite ensembles from Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Japan, South Korea, India and South Africa. Over the 1990s and 2000s the festival established partnerships with institutions like British Council, Goethe-Institut, Instituto Cervantes, Alliance Française, Instituto Camões and producers from Lincoln Center and Sadler's Wells Theatre. Major milestones include the introduction of street programming influenced by the Edinburgh Festival Fringe model, collaborations with the Bienal de São Paulo, touring agreements with the Olivier Awards circuit and the hosting of retrospectives dedicated to figures such as Ariane Mnouchkine, Peter Brook and Augusto Boal.
Programming spans categories modeled after international platforms: mainstage theatre seasons, experimental dance labs, contemporary circus showcases, music concerts, children's programming influenced by Cirque du Soleil aesthetics, and site-specific work commissioned with partners like Museu Oscar Niemeyer and Paço da Liberdade. The festival curates competitive and non-competitive strands including a fringe curated in collaboration with Teatro Oficina, a professional market inspired by Mercado das Pulgas formats, residency programs linked to Fundação Bienal de Curitiba and pedagogical modules with Universidade Federal do Paraná and the Escola de Comunicações e Artes. Guest programmers have included directors with credits at Comédie-Française, Teatro Nacional Dona Maria II, Teatro de la Zarzuela and Teatro Real.
Primary venues include Teatro Guaíra, Teatro Paiol, Teatro Novelas Curitibanas, and non-traditional sites such as Museu Oscar Niemeyer, Parque Barigui, Jardim Botânico de Curitiba, Paço da Liberdade, Memorial de Curitiba and the historic district of Largo da Ordem. The festival has staged outdoor spectacles on Praça Santos Andrade, collaborations with Universidade Positivo and pop-up stages in commercial centers near Rua XV de Novembro. International exchanges have extended programming to sister-cities like Lisbon, Porto Alegre, Belo Horizonte, São Paulo and Buenos Aires.
The festival has presented touring works by companies and artists associated with Complicité, Royal Shakespeare Company, Staatsballett Berlin, Ballet de l'Opéra de Paris, Teatro Cervantes, La Fura dels Baus, Pina Bausch Tanztheater Wuppertal, Companhia de Dança Deborah Colker, Grupo Galpão, Teatro de los Andes and solo creations by artists linked to Heiner Goebbels, Robert Wilson, Suzanne Farrell, Sylvie Guillem and Martha Graham. Musicians and ensembles from the festival circuit such as Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo, Orquestra Filarmônica de Curitiba, Sepultura-era artists in crossover presentations, and chamber groups connected to Festival de Campos do Jordão have appeared. Special projects have involved collaborations with curators from Biennale di Venezia and directors from Festival d'Avignon.
The festival has influenced cultural policies in Paraná and inspired programming strategies in municipalities like Porto Alegre and Florianópolis, contributing to the internationalization of Brazilian performers from institutions such as Teatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro and Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil. Its street and educational components echo practices promoted by Augusto Boal and pedagogues from Universidade de São Paulo, while market activities have strengthened ties to international festivals including Edinburgh International Festival, Vienna Festival and Festival d'Automne à Paris. The festival’s model is cited in municipal cultural plans and academic research at Universidade Federal do Paraná and Universidade Estadual de Campinas.
Organizationally, the event is produced by a consortium involving media groups like Grupo RBS, municipal bodies including the Prefeitura de Curitiba, state cultural foundations such as Fundação Cultural de Curitiba, and federal programs like Lei Rouanet incentive mechanisms. Sponsors have included private companies with cultural programs, partnerships with international cultural institutes—British Council, Goethe-Institut, Instituto Cervantes—and philanthropic support from foundations akin to Instituto Moreira Salles. Operational logistics engage local unions and associations including Sindicato dos Artistas, technical crews affiliated with Sesi and volunteer networks coordinated with Secretaria Municipal da Educação initiatives.
The festival has received accolades from national and international bodies, earning mentions in cultural rankings alongside Bienal de São Paulo, Festival de Gramado and Festival Internacional de Cinema de São Paulo, and recognition from municipal honors in Curitiba and cultural awards from entities such as Ministério da Cultura (Brazil), Associação Brasileira de Críticos de Teatro and regional distinctions from Governo do Paraná. Its productions and participating artists have been shortlisted for awards connected to Prêmio Shell de Teatro, Prêmio APCA and international citations from festivals like Fringe First and Golden Lion-adjacent circuits.
Category:Festivals in Brazil Category:Culture in Curitiba