Throughout the month of November, Linha de Fuga presents a program of shows, performances, conversations, and workshops that propose “Facing Fears” as a way to achieve a more harmonious and just society. After a pandemic that confined us to our homes, with a real fear of death, society is now facing its hangover, in a constant suspension of the future and a global anxiety crisis, with real fears: social and economic precariousness, climate crises, wars, fascism...
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As philosopher Žižek argues, the fears instilled in society by powers that seek to control it can be confronted when we become aware of them and unite collectively, forming resistance. This edition's programming is inspired by the resilience of the artistic community in an increasingly disconnected world. Through the perspectives of national and international artists, some of whom are creating in Coimbra, we invite reflection and confrontation of these fears through works that reveal individual and social fragilities, but also hopes and the human potential to collectively resist and confront these fears.

Raquel André (PT) prompts us to think about where we come from and what our sense of belonging means, confronting us with the mercantile limitations of our DNA family. Marina Guzzo (BR) proposes an experience that explores possible choreographic relationships between people and plants, to collectively imagine a future based on ecofeminist values. Malicho Vaca (CL) takes us on a sensitive journey through his personal history, establishing a parallel between the loss of individual memory (of his grandmother) and the collective memory loss of a people. Paloma Calle (ES), in a comedic way, and Inês Campos (PT), in a poetic manner, face their personal fears and expose, respectively, the violence inflicted by society on all social and sexual deviations, the fragility of mental health, and the anxiety induced by the productive system. Francisco Thiago Cavalcanti (BR/PT) closes the festival by demonstrating how to resist collectively to escape a world that seeks to keep us within unimaginative limits.Two dance artists propose installations within the “What We Step On” project of Apneia Colectiva: Elizabete Francisca (PT) exhibits a photographic work on ancestries, while Julia Salem (BR/PT) presents a sound installation that aims to make us reflect on the paths we take. Three local artists showcase new creations through a series of small site-specific works by Malu Patury with Thales Luz, Jorgette Dumby, and Keissy Carvelli, providing further insights on the theme of this edition.The festival also hosts a series of discussions on the theme “What Are We Afraid Of?” curated by the Masculinities Observatory of CES/UC and Catarina Silva, featuring various guests from different fields of knowledge.

In parallel with the festival, an international artistic creation laboratory is taking place. Thirteen artists from various backgrounds and countries will be in residence in Coimbra for three weeks to work, provoke, think, and develop their artistic practices, bringing individual projects that aim to create a dialogue with the city and its audiences on how they confront individual and social fears.

We are happy to present another edition of a festival that exists thanks to all the partnerships we have gathered and the desire to generate encounters between artists, spectators, and organizations. We hope that together we can face and overcome all our fears and consider the good examples of collective resistance, in a year when we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Democracy in Portugal.