Pequeno atlas das poéticas e pedagogias do grupo de teatro Garajal: tecendo arte e vida com mestre Maninho

Abstract

In this research, I begin from the desire to reflect on aspects of the poetics and pedagogies of the Garajal theatre troupe, founded in 2003 and still active in the city of Maracanaú, Ceará, Brazil. As I map the paths walked by the collective, I also journey through my own mourning for the loss of our founding master, Mário Jorge Maninho—an enchanted presence that weaves through this writing. Some questions guided me along the way: can the experience of grief and mourning mobilize knowledge in artistic research? What contributions from Maninho remain present in Garajal’s practices? What pedagogies and poetics can be identified in the troupe’s trajectory? To investigate these questions, I sought a methodology that dialogues with cartographic approaches and with the collective’s own artistic practice, activating memories, gestures, and listening in collaboration with Garajal’s artists, creating shared devices to foster plural reflections. In weaving thought and practice, I called upon the voices of bell hooks, Paulo Freire, Leda Maria Martins, and Diana Taylor, among others, to reflect on the pedagogical dimension. In the field of theatre, I engaged with artist-researchers such as Amir Haddad, Ray Lima, and Oswald Barroso. I also drew on the perspectives of Antônio Bispo dos Santos, Célia Xakriabá Correa, Milton Santos, and Ailton Krenak to explore the connections between art, territory, and community. As a final gesture of this journey, I composed a small atlas gathering entries that identify significant aspects which shape the singularity and the main threads that run through Garajal’s pedagogies and poetics.