What does it mean to be a citizen? To belong to a place and to only be allowed to exercise your citizenship there? Where do I “come from”? And where do you “come from”? Who or what has the power to decide where someone comes from? Is it possible to trace the beginning of any story? Volta para a tua Terra is a project developed by Keli Freitas, a Brazilian living in Portugal, in which, through her search for her Portuguese great-grandmother, she challenges the notions of immigration and belonging.

Between 15 and 30 November, Alkantara Festival invites artists and audiences to attend an international programme of dance, theatre, performance and meetings in the city of Lisbon. Alkantara Festival is a space for experimentation and for building bridges, introducing artistic projects that stem from aesthetic, political, cultural and social examinations. At São Luiz, two creators – South African choreographer Mamela Nyamza, working in Portugal for the first time, and Keli Freitas, Brazilian dramaturg and actress living here – stage shows that defy the ideas of belonging, both in art and society.

Please be advised that this show features smoking on stage.