Bringing Theatre to Algarve Schools on Wheels
Almost 20 years ago, an innovative project was born in the Algarve. It has amazed children and promoted theatrical arts in schools across the region.
VATE – Vamos Apanhar o Teatro (“Let’s Catch the Theatre”) was the brainchild of Luís Vicente, director of the theatre company ACTA – A Companhia de Teatro do Algarve. In 2006, Luís Vicente proposed bringing theatre directly to children in schools. To do this, he presented the idea of a theatre bus to the 16 municipalities of the Algarve. The proposal was well received and unanimously approved by all the mayors, leading to the creation of the VATE bus, a cultural space on wheels that has helped spread the arts in southern Portugal.
Since its creation, the bus has undergone several modifications, both inside and out. Today, its exterior features illustrations of characters from past performances, telling the story of the project itself. Inside, the bus is fully equipped for performances, with a stage, seating area, control room, sub-stage and dressing rooms on the upper level, and a small travel area on the lower floor.
A small but dynamic team
The team is made up of just three people. Adriana Pereira is the bus driver and sound and light technician. Though she didn’t study theatre, she grew to love working in an artistic environment and with children. Over her eight years with the project, she has been part of eight different productions.
Ana Carolina Maio, an actress, has been involved for two years. Her first show was What Does Freedom Smell Like? For her, the VATE project holds personal meaning: “When I was little, I watched a show here with my school class.” She emphasises the importance of addressing topics that resonate with new generations: “Today’s children ask for different things; we need to find current, relevant issues that reflect what they’re going through.”
Rodrigo Gonçalves, born and raised in Faro, began his theatre journey at the age of 13 with Pana Pana and took classes at Teatro Lethes. He studied performing arts in high school and later deepened his theoretical understanding at university. There, he was encouraged to seek answers and think critically, sparking a desire to find meaning and solutions through theatre. Rodrigo believes that it takes great cultural and community effort for theatre companies to reach audiences who aren’t accustomed to engaging with the arts.
Big ideas from a small space
Due to the limited space inside the bus, VATE performances employ a variety of theatrical techniques such as shadow theatre, object manipulation, puppetry, string puppets and more.
The theatre bus must arrive at the performance location at least one hour before the show. If the school is within 30 km of ACTA’s headquarters at Teatro Lethes in Faro, the team travels back and forth on the same day. Accommodation is required for more distant locations. Between setup and performance, lunch is usually quick and eaten at the school.
Each performance is accompanied by a workshop, providing a complete educational experience. New shows begin with the selection of a timely and relevant theme, followed by the writing of the script, either by an individual author or collaboratively by the group. The staging is led by a director hired by ACTA, with creative input from all members.
Leaving a message
Productions are intended to leave a lasting message for the children. The most recent production, the 24th since the project’s beginning, was Pingo a Pingo, written and directed by Jeannine Trévidic. The play addresses the issue of water conservation freshly, avoiding overused messages like “turn off the tap while brushing your teeth”. The story follows Ícaro, an oceanographer deeply troubled by the state of the oceans and the imbalance in the water cycle. Desperate for a solution, he calls upon a higher power. In response, Coralina, a water nymph, appears. Her role is to care for the oceans, but even she is struggling due to the broken cycle. Together, they search for a way to restore harmony.
Capturing hearts and minds
In a world where many young people might feel disconnected from the arts, the VATE project stands as a beacon of creativity and inspiration, bringing theatre directly into the hearts and minds of children across the Algarve. It is a reminder that every child deserves the opportunity to catch the magic of theatre, fostering both imagination and critical thinking for a brighter future.
