This show is a duet created and performed by choreographer Filipa Francisco and musician antóniopedro. Presented in March 2010 at Fábrica Braço de Prata in Lisbon, at the invitation of Madalena Vitorino and the Commission for the Commemorations of the Republic, inserted in programme Solos com Convicção.

Solos com Convicção were a set of performances created by six young Portuguese artists, stemming from the stories of outstanding historic women from the first Republic and their strong personalities.

The programme celebrated this group of charismatic and courageous women who upheld an energy somewhat similar to the energy present in dance.

At the start of the 20th century, these women were able to move forward through a territory predominated by men, firmly and cautiously conquering their place and presence. This presence still exists. Today we don’t even notice and we benefit from these achievements that seriously value the feminine contribution to society. Interestingly, in the history of Western dance it was also important — and still is — to raise women’s voices. The choreographic debate is still withdrawn from the attention of many. Because public gardens were important meeting points where people congregated and publicly debated during the 1st Republic, we decided to present these solos in lawns and gazebos, places of artistic convergence where philharmonic bands usually performed — yet another achievement for the music community during the early Republic.

Each artist took their own path, sometimes closer to the work and personality of one or more of these women, sometimes opting to grasp striking elements present in their life paths and worked them in an evocatory and more abstract manner. Atmospheres, incidents, feelings, paths, fatalities and achievements are some of the touch stones of these new pieces which are in themselves somehow republican.

Madalena Vitorino

Where are we headed? Is the title of one of the writings of Maria Veleda. For me this phrase represents all that women have achieved, but also how much is still unfulfilled in order to have a more prevalent role in every field of social and political life.

I focused on the figure of Maria Veleda by creating a performance where her words come together with others voices of women from this period. It’s a piece focused on ​​speech, where the body is immersed in words (still pertinent today). Throughout the performance the audience becomes a participant in an event,  gradually becoming protesters in a demonstration.

Filipa Francisco