MOCHILA - INTERNATIONAL THEATRE FESTIVAL FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH

MOCHILA – International Theatre Festival for Children and Youth is a festival dedicated to the performing arts, promoted by LAMA Teatro, with its first edition taking place in 2021 in the city of Faro, Portugal. The choice of the Algarve region for hosting the MOCHILA festival aims to contribute to the decentralization of a diverse and high-quality cultural offering and, consequently, to the democratization of access to culture. The initiative also aims to contribute to the development of critical thinking about the contemporary world through the empowerment of the festival's primary audience, as well as its local communities, occupying various cultural facilities and public spaces in the city, curated by João de Brito (the festival's artistic director). This initiative offers an annual program of quality theatre (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024) by presenting performances from renowned Portuguese companies and artists across various disciplines. Emerging companies and artists also have a regular presence at the festival, without neglecting the work of our “peers” in the Algarve region. The international dimension has been enriched by artists from various parts of Europe who have participated in some of the leading festivals. We are currently heading towards the fifth edition of the festival. The MOCHILA festival focuses its programming on ages ranging from 0 to 99 years. LAMA Teatro intends to include performances designed for the youngest to those aimed at young adults. This focus is quickly extended to the general public, through a strong connection created with parents, educators, and teachers. Therefore, it is a program designed for and with everyone, promoting the exchange of ideas and perspectives from participants from different backgrounds. The festival takes place at various locations within the city of Faro.