The Transatlantic Paths of Theatre: America, Europe and Africa theatrical and live performance architectural spaces

Mérida, Yucatán, México Noviembre 28 – Diciembre 1, 2018

In May 2017, the TTLA-TELA research group (The Theaters of Latinn America) held its 1st International Colloquium under the auspices of OISTAT, the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Lisbon and the University of Lisbon, in the city of Setúbal, Portugal. City Council of Setúbal.

The members of this project are architects, historians, stage directors and art historians.
The issue which brought together specialists from more than ten countries was The influence of theatre, dance and music of Portugal and Spain between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries in the development of scenic spaces in Latin America*.

In that meeting the need was seen to continue the research work on this important fact of the theatrical presences from the architectural and scenic perspectives, but now with a broader look, a round trip from the two Atlantic coasts. It also established the need to hold meetings in an alternative way in Europe and in America, with the characteristic of carrying out the event in a peripheral city to the political capitals (as was the case of Setúbal).

The city of Mérida offers ideal conditions for holding a second meeting of the TTLA/TELA project. Its geographical location, its cultural wealth and its infrastructure capabilities allow the activities of this meeting to have great possibilities for its realization.
The Scenic Research Center of Yucatan celebrates 15 years of uninterrupted activities, among which three international Performance congresses, the AMIT International Meeting and the publication of the book Petrona: a life in the theatre, among others, stand out among its activities. The above makes CINEY the natural space for the celebration of the TTLA/TELA Colloquium.

The objective of this event will be focused on the revision of the different routes that, especially during the XVII century, inhabited the Atlantic seas carrying merchandise, but also transported theatre companies, architects, plans and experiences that began to have presence in the different transit points. The corral and the coliseum as formats of coincidence in the times of this complex cultural transit.
On the other hand, the meeting will be relevant for the exhibition and report of different theatrical spaces from which there is no vestige led or, perhaps, they have undergone renovations, modifications or destructions. Another point of interest will also be the situation that the different theatres have had (or still have) as urban references in the cities of the Atlantic neighborhood.
In particular, the architectural case of the city of Mérida is more than relevant due to its diversity of scenic genres and the architectural resolution developed from the end of the 18th century to the 21st century. For the theme proposed for the colloquium, Mérida is located in one of the most important routes of the evolution of Latin America of mobility of repertoire companies of theatre, circus and opera.
We propose for this occasion the holding of practical sessions of work in two emblematic sites for researchers who agend this Colloquium: Teatro Peón Contreras and Chichén Itzá, the lager because of the enormous interest that the visit to a pre-Hispanic city has for foreign participants and the use that Mayan culture had of its spaces of representation.

Further information can be found in the attachment:

Copia de PROG FINAL Coloquio MEXICO