Tá Na Deptford has yet to create a history- given that this company is beginning in October 2010, we are currently think in terms of the present and the possibel future! However the original company from which we take our inspiration 'Tá Na Rua' has a history, a rich and compelling one at that, and this small extract barely does it justice, but for the moment it will have to do...
Tá Na Rua was founded by Amir Haddad in 1970's Brazil. Even though the company came to fruition in the 1970’s the seeds were in fact planted in the 60’s. During the military dictatorship (1964 -1985) a group of Brazilian artists and intellectuals set out to create a street performance in counteraction of the oppressions they were suffering. The development of spectacle ‘Dar não Dói. O que dói é resistir!’ sought to fuse a connection between artistic production and the political climate of the time. Forming a relationship between artist and political activator is fundamental to the Tá Na Rua philosophy and is why the company feels justified in it’s claim to producing socially driven theatre. Amir Haddad continues to make this social and political awareness an essential part of the process of producing Tá Na Rua theatre. Every Tá Na Rua workshop ends with not only a stenographic evaluation of the scenes created but also a political discussion concerning the current affairs of the time. By developing this critical senses of the actors along with their physical technique is one way Tá Na Rua ensures the productions it brings to the streets encourage political debate amongst everyone it reaches. However its also transforms society around it in a purely theatrical manner. By injecting the everyday with their spectacles, Tá Na Rua are able to transform the everyday into something beautiful, inspiring and ‘maravilhoso’- as Amir would say!
