Founded in Évora, Portugal, in 2000, ExQuorum is an artistic structure that approaches social intervention through artistic creation. It works mainly on memory and geopolitics, in close relation with the heritage and regional reality of Alentejó. ExQuorum intends to implement artistic interventions, at local and international level, to encourage young active citizenship. In collaboration with students, amateur actors, young people with fewer opportunities and other local institutional groups, they carry out intergenerational research; young people are invited to collect the memories of older generations within the same community, thus not only breaking the generational gap but also preserving local historical narratives essential to maintaining regional, national and trans-European identities.
Main projects
Since 2006, ExQuorum has worked tirelessly on cultural programming and artistic production, drawing on its theatrical experience and expertise in the performing arts.
ENCONTRO DE ANi+ 2007 (international meeting of artistic research projects, with the University of Évora), LIKE A PADDLER ADRIFT performance tournament (Aveiro/ Évora/ Paris/ Kraków, awarded Theatre Young Creators Portuguese 2008 and 2009), 30 AND SOMETHING IN THE SLOW DEATH CAMP (initiative on Tarrafal, with the Lusophony Creations award, developed between Portugal and Cape Verde, 2009), WAR/CRISIS 2011/2012 (local programme to share, record and recreate the memories of the Portuguese colonial war)
ExQuorum has also participated in the International Conference on Oral Tradition (Ourense/Spain 2010 and Évora 2012), has been co-organizer of European projects such as SIFNOS CRISIS 2013 (supported by Youth in Action), WORLD CRISIS THEATRE 2012-2014 (supported by Prog. Culture).
In addition, ExQuorum co-organised the TADEUSZ KANTOR CENTENNIAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ́S 2015 (with CHAIA/ Centre for Artistic Research of the University of Évora, Colecção B, and the Polish Embassy in Portugal), as well as THE POWER OF CRISIS 2013/2014 (supported by DGArtes – the public funding for the arts in Portugal).
In summary, ExQuorum has produced/created 40 shows (most of them with original texts, Portuguese or bilingual), involving long creation processes in relation with several local institutions, promoted more than 100 workshops and 24 artistic residencies, streamlined and participated in 20 festivals and hosted more than 40 creators.
Network
During these years, ExQuorum’s activities have been supported by several entities, such as the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, the Eugénio de Almeida Foundation, the Mediterranean Institute, the Spanish Embassy, the Acto Drama Institute, the National Centre for Culture/Portuguese Institute for Youth, the Municipality of Évora, D.G.Artes – the public funding of the arts in Portugal, and IEFP – the Public Institute for Employment. The company has also worked closely with different institutions, such as Cricoteka (Krakow), the Universities of Washington, Malta and Cape Verde, the Centre for Humanities Studies and the Theatre Department of the University of Évora, the Higher University of Évora, the Portuguese Cultural Centres of Praia and Mindelo (Cape Verde), CEAI, CENDREV, Cercidiana, Cáritas, the Portuguese Red Cross – Évora Delegation, etc. More recently, ExQuorum has focused on socio-educational intervention and inclusion, as projected by art.
ExQuorum has also focused heavily on international artistic cooperation, most recently in the form of SAY IT LOUD 2016/2017, TRUST2 2017, EUROPEAN INTEGRITY GAMES (Erasmus+/ Strategic Partnership 2019)
ExQuorum has worked for many years in collaborative projects (small, medium and large scale), both locally and internationally – so has considerable experience of working in transnational partnerships, with partners from different countries and institutional backgrounds.
ExQuorum has experience in developing methods to question social issues, including identity and cultural memory, through the arts, having worked for years on art/theatre and nature/science fusion, political and social issues, health, memory and heritage.
ExQuorum also has relevant experience in using video and theatre to explore these social themes. Among the team members who will be most active in this project, Hugo Miguel Coelho has a long experience in theatre and community; Ana Silveira Ferreira has experience in theatre practice and production; Vicente de Sá is an actor who has studied history and is involved in political movements.
ExQuorum also collaborates with a network of researchers, teachers, social workers, image and sound technicians, writers, art and prop designers and other artists when engaging in a project.
ExQuorum always strives to involve qualified collaborators and effective strategic partnerships, to ensure that the project is carried out with the most accurate result possible. In partnership, it has developed projects with elderly people, disabled people, migrants, young students, the gypsy community and unemployed adults in projects with the Red Cross (“Programa Escolhas” and “Programa de Recolocação de Refugiados”), the Municipality of Évora (workshops in several schools – from basic to secondary education), CIMAC – Inter-municipal Community of the Central Alentejo. ExQuorum works with theatre, music, vídeo, visual art and writing to propose bridges for reflection on geopolitics, society and memory.
Since 2008, it has developed or participated in more than 15 long-term projects (one to three years) and almost 25 short-term creation and inclusion projects (local/national and international).
The team
Hugo Miguel Coelho, artistic director
Ana Silvera, artistic collaborator
Vicente Sa, artist
Fu Qiang, video