For one night only, art, music and performance will inhabit once again the public spaces, shop windows and empty venues sprawled across Rua Poço dos Negros. W—MANPOWER ‘16 keeps reflecting the meaning of our first festival title – MANPOWER ’08 – Out of Many We are MORE than One!

The word manpower, which translates to mean man+power, originated in the mid nineteenth century and is defined as “power in terms of people available or required for work or military service.” On the other hand, womanpower, first used around 1940s, was the influence exerted by women as a group, especially in the workforce and in social and political activities.

For the 2016 edition of W—MANPOWER ‘16 we want to celebrate both feminine and masculine powers, as well as everything in-between as a way to explore the past, the present and the future of work, which can manifest as artworks or a variety of practices that extends into livelihood and social practice.

Our open call takes a playful approach, asking participants to explore the different kinds of power related to gender, race, ethnicity and lifestyle preferences, responding to everyday phrases that rhyme with ‘WOMANPOWER’, like:
happy hour,
flower power,
whisky sour,
baby powder,
coffee hour,
Ivory tower,
police power,
golden shower,
white flour,
quarter hour,
staying power,
virgin’s bower…

W—MANPOWER ‘16 celebrates endurance, fluidity, subversiveness and the perspective shifting potential of art. In homage to the tricksters!

MANPOWER International Arts Festival in Rua Poço dos Negros:

This engaging live arts street festival on Lisbon’s Rua Poço dos Negros presents one night of art, music and performance which inhabit public spaces, occupy shop windows and revive old houses and abandoned historic venues. This street’s name, that translates to the ‘well of the blacks’ is a poignant and heavy reminder of slavery, which contrasts with its timeless and multicultural charm. Presently, a new sense of industriousness is merging with traditional linchpins of commerce, creating linkages to art, architecture and design studios, theatre companies and a museum.

MANPOWER ‘16 is organized in collaboration with Rés do Chão, Polo Cultural Gaivotas|Boavista, Filho Único, Teatro Praga, Rua Gaivotas 6, Poço de Ideias, Bar Irreal, Oficina Colectiva, Cão Solteiro Teatro and the shop owners and street residents.

We are looking for exciting works to re-inhabit this (interior and outdoor) spaces through experimental (or otherwise) approaches to performance, film, installations, photography, paintings, illustrations, sculptures and public art interventions that will boldly confront the audience outside conventional art spaces.

If you are interested in participating, please send the following:

1. Project proposal or artist’s statement in english (max 500 characters)
2. Up to 5 images (max 1MB each)
3. CV and website

Email: [email protected]
Submission Deadline: April 15th
Selection Results: April 30th
Festival Day: June 3rd