CTR_matrix

Herdade do Freixo do Meio

The first week of this five-week course will take place at Herdade do Freixo do Meio, an important Mediterranean ecosystem, about an hour from Lisbon, with almost 600 hectares of protected area, a biodiversity refuge recognised worldwide, where you can discover wildlife and domestic life as well as observe the integration of these two worlds in an agro-ecological model.

In this absolutely unique environment, our day-to-day life will be divided into three parts:

• • 9h30 às 12h30
    During the morning, we’ll have AI (Artisanal Intelligence) sessions with the estate’s employees, in practices ranging from prehistoric archaeology to syntropic agroforestry and olive picking.
  • 14h30 às 18h30
    In the afternoon, we’ll have sessions focused on the ‘matrix’ dimension of Real Time Composition (RTC), through sharing and studying its equations, premises and structuring principles; practices on the ‘board scale’ and the ‘body scale’; with exercises designed to address the different challenges and focuses of this proposal. This process will be accompanied, across the board, by peer feedback sessions, mediated by João Fiadeiro.
  • 21h00 às 22h30
    In the evening, there will be screenings of films and documentaries by artists and thinkers who have more or less directly influenced João Fiadeiro’s imagination, both as an artist and as a researcher. The viewing and subsequent discussion of the work of artistic proposals other than his own has proved extremely effective in sharing the issues, forces and affections that run through his CTR practice.

The meals that take place between the different activities are also important moments for socialising.

Lunch will be served by Herdade do Freixo do Meio, where you can savour a traditional Alentejo meal served in the rustic ‘Cabana dos Bois’ canteen. All the ingredients are fresh, grown and reared by them, following the sustainable practices of agroecology. Most of the dishes will centre on acorns, a symbol of the estate with a history as long as human presence in the region.

Dinner will be prepared by the group itself (in groups of 3 to 4 people per night) with ‘mystery’ ingredients (à la Masterchef) placed at the time of the meal.

At the start of the week

On Sunday 28 September, the conference-performance ‘I Was Here’ by/with João Fiadeiro will be presented, open to participants and the local community. ‘I Was Here’ (2014) revisits the piece “I Am Here” created in 2003, which in turn explores the universe of Portuguese artist Helena Almeida (1934-1918).

Forum Dança

The following four weeks – from 6 to 31 October – will take place at the Forum Dança facilities in Lisbon, where we will continue the study and practice of the CTR matrix in the morning – from 10:00 to 13:00 – and explore one synthesis and performance device per week in the afternoon – between 14:30 and 17:30. There will be informal presentations of processes at the end of each week – 10, 17, 24 and 31 October – at 18:00.

This workshop is aimed at artists with experience in improvisation but is open to anyone who identifies with the premise of the proposal and feels available and comfortable experimenting with composition and improvisation practices with the body.

From 28th September to 31st October 2025.

First week at Herdade do Freixo do Meio:

9.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. | 2.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. | 9 p.m. to 10.30 p.m.

Following weeks at Forum Dança, Espaço da Penha, Lisbon:
10.00 a.m. to 13.00 p.m. | 2.30 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.
At the end of each week, informal process presentations at 6pm (10th, 17th, 24th and 31st October).

Herdade do Freixo do Meio
7050-704 Foros de Vale Figueira
(on the border between Alto Alentejo and Ribatejo, near Montemor-o-Novo)

More informations here

Forum Dança / Espaço da Penha
Travessa do Calado, 26B
1170-070 Lisboa

Participation fees:

• • 350 € – CTR_Matriz programme;
  • 100 € – accommodation and one meal at Herdade do Freixo do Meio.

Please note:

Travelling, breakfast and dinner (to be held in collaboration between the participants) are not included in this price.

We ask that applications be written in English or Portuguese and include:

• • Motivation letter explaining why you are applying (max. 1 A4 .pdf page);
  • CV with photo and biographical note included;
  • Portfolio in pdf format and/or website with a history of creations, published texts or collaborations, with links to video recordings.

! IMPORTANT NOTE !
We do not accept links to download videos.
The links sent must give direct access to viewing the files online (Youtube, Vimeo, etc.).

The application process has the following dates and deadlines to fulfil:

• • Applications: until 16 June 2025;
  • Selection: Online chat (Zoom), to be scheduled during the week of 23 June 2025;
  • Results: by 30 June 2025.

All fields are mandatory.