Mission: “The Enhancement of Clownery in the World of Women”

Esse Monte de Mulher Palhaça – Festival Internacional de Comicidade Feminina is an event dedicated to Female Clownery. It was created, designed and produced by four Cariocas: the clown-actresses Geni Viegas, Karla Concá, Samantha Anciães and Vera Ribeiro, who form “As Marias da Graça”, the first group of women clowns in Brazil. They also perform as mothers and family providers.

The idea of organizing a festival grew out of our need to increase the recognition of female clownery in Brazil. And since its first edition, as now in the fourth one, the festival is of unquestionable importance to the professional development and the insertion of Brazilian women-clowns in the scenario of a stage art that has historically been dominated by men.

Because one of the main objectives of the Festival is to be an open space for female clowns, one of the criteria for selecting performances has been not to ask for or watch any material sent. The performances were included in the program as each clown registered her participation. Brazilian clowns have a special part in the festival. We tried to balance national and foreign performances, and the time of their presentation, so that everyone would be privileged.

We have invited curators from other women clowns’ festivals, in order to encourage exchange and try to increase working opportunities for actresses. A tradition already, we are hosting the curators from Vienna and Andorra. As in our last edition, the festival this year receives representatives from national festivals: Brasilia’s Encontro de Palhaças and Recife’s PalhAçaria - Festival Internacional de Palhaças, both inspired by Esse Monte de Mulher Palhaça.

 

This year, we will have a new unexpected womanly surprise: for the first time we will have men on stage. Oh, men on stage with their partners?! Yes!! During As Marias da Graça’s and the Festival’s years of existence, we have encouraged women clowns that work with their husbands to take up leading roles in their companies. Many of them have successfully achieved this position. So, we have decided to pay tribute to families and the place women have in them.

 

This festival is part of a group of actions that aim at contributing to the transformation of the world we live in into a better world, a world with gender equality. “Equality does not change what is fair by law, but it fulfills the void that justice cannot reach.” We live a time of changes and accomplishments for women. We believe Esse Monte de Mulher Palhaça – Festival Internacional de Comicidade Feminina gives its important contribution to women’s development and to the history of Female Clownery in Brazil.

 

We would like to thank all of those who are here, together with us, for the IVth edition of our female clownery festival.