PERFORMANCES & PRODUCTIONS
A total of 542 international (non-Cuban) productions were submitted to the call.
The selection was made in two steps. First, an international group of 21 specialists in different performing arts genres shortlisted 91 shows out of the 542 applications.
The following jury selected 15 works out of 91 finalists that had been shortlisted:
Irene Borges Lara, Playwright, Artistic Director & Cultural Activist (Cuba)
Dayana Delofou, Actress, Writer, Oral Storyteller, Board Member of ASSITEJ Cuba & President of the Oral Storytellers Section of UNEAC (Cuba)
Yamina Guilbert, Theatrical Advisor & Director of the Department of Artistic Development of CNAE (Cuba)
Isabel Cristina Hanser, Theatrical Advisor (Cuba)
Carmen Thompson, Puppeteer & Actress (Cuba)
Sue Giles, President of ASSITEJ International, Artistic Director (Australia)
The selection of the Cuban performances was made by:
Yamina Guilbert, Theatrical Advisor & Director of the Department of Artistic Development of CNAE (Cuba)
Blanca Felipe Rivero, Theatrical Advisor, Playwright, Researcher and Professor at ISA (Cuba)
Maikel Chávez, Actor, Playwright & Theatrical Advisor (Cuba)
The following productions and performances are the final selection and will be presented in Havana during the ASSITEJ World Congress & Performing Arts Festival for Children & Young People:
A las 3 de 1 vez
La Andariega – Cuba
Two children, victims of family abuse, flee from their peculiar realities and find themselves in an abandoned amusement park which they then take as a refuge to play and tell each other their secrets, and then, together, seek a solution to their conflicts.
Aventuras del soldado desconocido
Salamandra-Retablos – Cuba
During the First World War, Hiliodomiro del Sol, a Cuban soldier, dies “gloriously” in the French countryside a few days before the end of the war. From the underworld, Hiliodomiro insists on his return to life with the fervent desire to return to dance in a Santiago conga in his hometown.
B A T U
Artefactos Bascos – Brazil
B A T U is a great game of lines, paths, intersections, spaces, maps, constructions, combinations and discoveries, where creativity and play meet to paint, fold, glue, join, compose, and build. The game begins with a rectangle, which invites young artists to join together and explore inquisitively to create a unique artistic experience. A collective event for the whole family it starts with this question: ‘What if we start playing from a rectangle?’
Beautifully Different/Schön Anders
Ceren Oran & Moving Borders – Turkey & Germany
A dance piece exploring identity and belonging. Five dancers and one musician reflect on personal experiences, depicting the tensions between self and society in playful, poignant ways. This is a thought-provoking and enjoyable production for adults and children aged 6+. This performance is supported by Kulturreferat der Landeshauptstadt München and Goethe Institut.
Bedtime!
Drak Theatre & The International Institute of Figurative Theatre – Czechia
This devised production borders on poetic physical theatre and clownery, and explores that notorious moment when children ought to go to bed, but suddenly discover a surge of energy! Directed by Veronika Poldauf Riedlbauchová, this delightful non-verbal performance about bedtime is suitable for audiences aged 3 and up.
Bounced
Magnet Theatre – South Africa
An energetic and playful production exploring the dynamics of a group of young friends. Young audiences are invited to consider their own lives and friendship groups, and to think about questions such as: Who is in, who is out, who leads and who follows?
Guest Performance: Carnaval
Teatro de las Estaciones – Cuba
On a carnival night anything can happen. Fantasy overflows and things happen that are as absurd as they are magical.
Cartas de Niños
La Negra María Teatro – Chile
Cartas de Niños, or ‘Children’s Letters’, is a family play inspired by the perspectives of those who grew up in a dictatorship. The story follows Pablo and his two friends, Ana and Miguel, living in Chile at the height of the military coup. Pablo’s father is kidnapped, leaving his son to communicate with him through letters, and to fantasise about their reunion.
Clowncierto
Teatro Tuyo – Cuba
A group of musiclowns are looking for a place to offer their concert, made up of a repertoire of international rhythms, but they will have to overcome different obstacles in order to achieve it, but not before unleashing amusing adventures with fine humour, dance and theatre. The whole production defends the solid premise that sustains it.
Con Ropa de Domingo
Pálpito – Cuba
The son of a rural family wants to go to the capital to achieve his dream of becoming a puppeteer. The mother tries to stop him and plays with him with puppets the story of El Cangrejo Volador by Onelio Jorge Cardozo until the father bets in favour of his son so that his will is fulfilled as in heaven. The disintegration of the family.
Danny y las Tíasaurias
PEN Proyectos Escénicos para Niñeces – Mexico
A puppet show which seeks to contribute to the development of new masculinities through the performing arts, this piece tells the story of Danny, a boy who spends his time going “GRRRR!” One day, Danny is kidnapped by the terrible, horrible Tiasaurias. In order to return home to Mummy, Danny will have to learn to name his emotions. Along the way, he will discover the truth about his mother’s situation, the origin of his own violence and how to avoid reproducing it.
El Modelo
Teatro Andante – Cuba
The Papuchos help Pepari to find a good idea for the painting competition; a model must be found, and this situation generates a series of vicissitudes to discover the ideal person. The presence of the chosen one motivates various actions to attract his attention; the eagerness to find the ideal person ends with the birth of a new family.
El Puente de Piedras y la Piel de Imágenes
Tijuana Hace Teatro – Mexico
Momo and Mung don’t speak the same language, but they have a common past: the violence in their country has forced them to separate from their families. Using empty space, five performers make use of the body and the voice to tell a tale of survival, where music, dance, masks, costumes and play speak directly to those who listen.
Entre Sombrillas
Teatro Guiñol de Remedios – Cuba
Entre Sombrillas is a musical variety that includes theatrical narrations, is composed of songs that are intertwined with text, respecting the style of the group and ends with a play.
Érase Una Vez Un Pato
La Proa – Cuba
The news about the existence of a strange and dangerous bird is the trigger for the puppeteer Gatillo to seduce his friends, the Forest Ranger and the Biologist, and make them interpret the story of a vain and dissatisfied Duck who tries to become King. To achieve this, the Duck tricks the animals in his path, from whom he steals. By transforming himself with other people’s attributes, the Duck falls victim to his ambition and loses possible love and other valuable things. Once upon a time… a duck is a puppet parable against selfishness and superficiality; it is a hymn to self-acceptance and the recognition of the true values of life.
Famiglie
La Baracca Onlus – Italy
In a shop window, two characters use non-verbal language to tell stories. As they interact with their mannequins and each other, the audience is led to reflect on the complex and shifting concept of family.
Fantasía
Cuenteros – Cuba
A show inspired by the rod puppet Eumel by Stabfigurencompany from Germany. Palmiro is a figure of 1.94 metres tall, animated by five puppeteers in a very peculiar interaction with the audience, together with entities of nature, puppets that bring him to life. Thus, a routine of gestures, attitudes and actions of popular communal enjoyment is performed from a visual perspective that goes from the common close-up image to trees, buildings and the sky.
HUGO
Os Náufragos teatro – Spain
Hugo is different. He loves planes and also plays the piano. Laia visits Hugo every day. Laia loves to talk and take care of her plants. Hugo has ASD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, but that just means he communicates differently. Maria Casares Award 2022 in Spain
La Casa de las Historias
Teatro de Ilusiones Libres – Cuba
The play has a tableau in the form of a house where the story takes place represented by puppets and live actors. It deals with the theme of care and acceptance of animals but from a fantastic point of view in which the animals have artistic talents taught by their owner so that they are different from the rest. It includes magic, music, dance, etc., in an attractive visual environment and with a musical selection that proposes the rescue of traditional Cuban music little heard by the child audience.
La Odisea Contada Como Sea
Grupo de Teatro Dionisio – Argentina
Professor Anita must unexpectedly challenge her memory to tell the story of the Odyssey, using whatever materials she can find. Through music and fantasy, Professor Anita must break through the seriousness of the classroom, allowing the characters of Homer’s myth to appear to tell the story in their own words.
Little Frank – A Story in Little Pieces
Projeto Gompa – Brazil
This classic story is a starting point for discussions about childhood, growth, loss, isolation, bullying, friendship, self-esteem, creativity, and acceptance of oneself and others. Victor Frankenstein is a weird and lonely young man who, almost accidentally, creates someone to keep him company. However, the Creature doesn’t come out exactly as he intended! But this is not something bad – on the contrary, the two have great adventures together as they transform themselves and accept their differences.
Guest Performance: Los Ibeyis y el Diablo
Teatro Papalote – Cuba
It is a symbol of Afro-Cuban mythology. It represents a universe of our nature, two children Jimagua Gods, with games and natural skills, fight against the devil until they defeat him and return tranquillity to the divine mountain.
Mirabella
Mirón Cubano – Cuba
Once upon a time, there was a little girl who lived in a village far away. Everyone in the surrounding area called her Mirabella. Mirabella was so witty that she liked to put a tie on the hummingbirds, a parasol on the ladybirds and a bowler hat on the mountain horses. Little Mirabella is very ill and her animal friends will have to accompany her on a long journey.
The Boy and the Ball
Stephen Noonan in partnership with The Paperboats – Australia
A heartwarming story about friendship, told through visual magic and theatrical illusion. Engaging for 3-4 year olds, with moments of audience participation. Presented at international festivals in 2023.
The Sound Kitchen
Kuskus Institute, Art Production – Slovenia
The show combines animated sound theatre and a musical workshop. Audience can participate by playing instruments, actively engaging with the performance and experiencing synesthesia, the link between hearing and taste. The story is set in a kitchen, where a chef without taste uses sound to create food. The performance ends with a workshop for the audience to cook their own dishes.
To Hell With Paradise
Teatergruppen Batida – Denmark
A visually captivating performance which reimagines The Fall of Man and the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, through a forbidden love between Adam and Julie. As tension rises, suicide is contemplated, but life (and lies) prevail.
Ttok, Ttok, Ttok
Play BST – South Korea
Ttok, Ttok, Ttok is a sensory-friendly performance specifically designed for children with developmental disabilities, as well as their non-disabled families and guardians. Through participation and play, the audience can observe and appreciate each other’s diverse neural abilities in a comfortable environment, and can forge connections and friendships.
