The Portuguese Association of Theatre Critics – APCT – is celebrating its 40th anniversary with a conference that aims to reflect on and question the broad and political form of critical activity in newspapers, institutions, culture and society. The lack of space in newspapers and institutions, as well as the lack of remuneration for the activity, can put off young critics in particular.
A meeting that challenges us to look at the past, present and possible future of the APCT, with speeches by Maria João Brilhante, José Capela, Mónica Guerreiro, João Carneiro and Amarelo Silvestre.
Isn’t this a country for critics?
Portugal has never had enough critical activity. It always seemed too little. But in the last decade we have seen the agony of professional critical practice worsen. The few voices that are still active in the public arena are struggling with precariousness or growing amateurisation.
The Portuguese Association of Theatre Critics (APCT) was founded in 1984 by Carlos Porto, Maria Helena Serôdio, Luiz Francisco Rebello, Mário Sério, Tito Lívio, Maria Helena Dá Mesquita, Manuela de Azevedo, Fernando Midões, Jorge Listopad, José Valentim Lemos and José Manuel da Nóbrega, with the aim of ‘dignifying, structure and give responsibility to critical activity relating to the theory and practice of theatre, with critical activity meaning not only the criticism of performances, but also everything that concerns information, reflection and theorising in the field of the performing arts’ (APCT Statutes, Chapter One, Art. º 2.º).
APCT
