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Description
SEA GIANTS is a street performance show, with real scale puppets. The same will be created in a partnership between professional artists and the community of Horta, involving schools, cultural groups, citizens and civil society organizations, with the aim of reaching the entire Autonomous Region of the Azores through an itinerancy. Its target audience is the entire population of the Azores Archipelago.
The show will focus on one of the protected marine species that inhabits the Azores sea - the manta ray - which is an emblematic species of fauna in some Marina Protected Areas (MPA) in the Region, with the Azores being one of the rare places in the world where can be observed large aggregations of these impressive animals.
Summary of project results
GIGANTES MARINHOS consists of a performative street show, with full-scale puppets. He was created in a partnership between professional artists and the Horta Municipality community, involving schools, cultural groups, citizens and civil society organizations, with the aim of reaching, through a tour, the entire Autonomous Region of the Azores. Its target audience is the entire population of the Azores Archipelago. The show focuses on one of the protected marine species that inhabits the Azores – the manta rays – and which is an emblematic species of the fauna of some marine protected areas (MPAs) in the Region, with the Azores being one of the rare places in the world where large aggregations exist. The artistic conception was based on scientific content about the species and its habitats, transmitted to the entire team – both professional artists, school students and other participants – through of pedagogical sessions.
The project had its official start in June 2021, on World Oceans Day, with the presentation of the project on social media. In July we launched a campaign to collect materials for reuse in the construction of puppets, which was well supported by the population of Faial. During the month of August, we published content about Marine Protected Areas on social networks on a weekly basis, which reached around 10,500 people and had around 250 interactions. In early August, we opened registration for the Giant Puppet Construction Workshop, which took place between the 2nd and 17th of September and had the participation of 16 people. On the 17th of September, designated in 2020 as International Manta Manta Day, we conducted a test of manta rays, open to the public, which was attended by around 50 people. In early 2022, we started working on the theoretical content of the educational resources dedicated to Marine Protected Areas, which were developed and are part of the educational offer of the OMa Science Center for 2022/2023. In August 2022, during “Semana do Mar”, the show “Gigantes Marinhos” was presented between the 7th and 14th, with an attendance of around 3500 people. The itinerancy of the show is currently being prepared, which includes a dossier in the final stages of preparation, with trips to Terceira Island, Santa Maria and another show in Faial, within the scope of BlueFest 2023, already planned.
The use of the street as a scenic space, to recreate these ecosystems, made it possible not only to reach a greater number of the population, as well as bringing them together and making them aware of the need to protect these environments marine environments in an immersive, playful and artistic way.