FREE ART 08, the annual prison arts festival organised by the Prison Ministry will be held in the Santiago City Library during June 2008. The festival includes performing arts, literature and photography. PASMI and the Colina 1 theatre companies have participated several times in FREE ART, but this year is different…

There are now two FÉNIX and ILUSIONES companies – one in the Colina 1 prison, and the other “in freedom”. The members of this second group were founders of the company in Colina 1, and now they have regained their freedom (that is, they are working and/or living outside the prison), but they want to continue their commitment to theatre. PASMI fully supports their initiative. The participation in FREE ART 08 is their first performance “in freedom”.

The FÉNIX and ILUSIONES company working inside the Colina 1 prison will premiere a new play in FREE ART 08. “Once upon a time there was a king” is a classic of contemporary Chilean theatre, written by Oscar Castro of Aleph Theatre Company. Castro was imprisoned in Chile after the coup and went into exile to France, where he refounded Teatro Aleph.
Extract of the letter sent by Oscar Castro to the actors for the premiere: “Not everything can be caged. Many would like to imprison even the air. Theatre is a song to life. If theatre is good it must heal, firstly those who perform and secondly those who are in the audience.”

PERFORMANCE DETAILS – FREE ART 08:

- Friday 13 June, 11.00 am: FÉNIX and ILUSIONES “in freedom” – “I die therefore I exist” by Chilean playwright Jorge Díaz. This is the production that was presented at ENTEPOLA in January this year.

- Friday 20 June, 11.00 am: FÉNIX and ILUSIONES – Premiere “Once upon a time there was a king” by Oscar Castro.

We hope you can support these performances with your presence. Being able to present this work outside the prison is the result of an enormous effort by many people, and for the members of FÉNIX and ILUSIONES it represents a precious moment of freedom.

More about our work in prisons…