THE MYFRIENDTITO TOUR 2013-14
WHERE
DID YOU GO
TITO?
IN 2013 WE DECIDED IT WAS TIME FOR A TRIP. THE DREAM TOUR. WE TRAVELLED AND PERFORMED IN PERU, BOLIVIA, ECUADOR AND COLOMBIA. AND FROM COLOMBIA THE COMPANY FLEW TO MEXICO, WHERE IT BEGAN TRAVELLING SOUTH THROUGH GUATEMALA, EL SALVADOR, HONDURAS, NICARAGUA, COSTA RICA AND PANAMA. WE FLEW BACK OVER TO COLOMBIA AND PASSED THROUGH NEW PARTS OF ECUADOR, PERU AND BOLIVIA, BEFORE RETURNING TO WHERE IT ALL BEGAN, IN CHILE. WE PERFORMED IN CAPITAL CITIES, FARMING VILLAGES, INDIGENOUS ISLANDS AND TOURIST TOWNS. WE PLAYED ON SUNNY COASTS, WINDY MOUNTAINS, WET JUNGLES AND DUSTY DESERTS. WITH A ONE AND A HALF METRE LONG SUITCASE, WEIGHING UP TO 40 KILOS, WE MOVED ACROSS THE LATIN AMERICAN CONTINENT IN BUSES, TAXIS, CARS, MOTO TAXIS, TRUCKS, BOATS, CANOES, AIRPLANES, COMBIVANS, AND A LOT OF WALKING.
HOW
DID YOU DO IT?
WELL, INITIALLY WE WERE INVITED TO PERFORM IN SOME COMMUNITY THEATRE FESTIVALS. THESE FESTIVALS DID NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES TO PAY US, BUT THEY COULD HOST US IN THEIR HOMES AND FEED US. IN THESE FESTIVALS WE MET MANY ARTISTS FROM MANY PARTS OF LATIN AMERICA, WHO BEGAN OPENING THEIR HOMES TO US. SO WE TRAVELLED BETWEEN COMMUNITY THEATRE FESTIVALS, COMMUNITY ART PROJECTS AND THE HOMES OF FRIENDLY ARTISTS. TO SUSTAIN THE PROJECT FINANCIALLY, WE PERFORMED CIRCUS AT TRAFFIC LIGHT INTERSECTIONS AND IN PUBLIC PARKS. THANKS TO THE DONATIONS FROM THE AUDIENCES, WE WERE ABLE TO COVER OUR DAY TO DAY COSTS. EVERY NOW AND AGAIN, THE OPPORTUNITY AROSE TO FACILITATE WORKSHOPS AND TO PERFORM SHOWS FOR LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES, CIRCUS CONVENTIONS AND BIGGER FESTIVALS THAT WERE ABLE TO HOST US, FEED US AND PAY US TOO!
WHAT
WAS THE EXPERIENCE LIKE?
PERFORMING IN THE COMMUNITY THEATRE FESTIVALS SHOWED ME THE POWER OF THE IMAGINATION AND ENTHUSIASM. YOUNG PEOPLE TRANSFORMING THEIR NEIGHBOURHOODS INTO ARTISTIC SPACES. BASKETBALL COURTS AND SOCCER FIELDS BECAME THEATRICAL STAGES, SCHOOLS BECAME HOTELS, PARKS AND STREETS BECAME CIRCUSES, MEALS BECAME MOMENTS TO SHARE IDEAS AND DREAMS. THESE ACTS OF TRANSFORMATION WERE VERY POWERFUL, DEMONSTRATING HOW A DESIRE FOR CHANGE CAN LEAD TO THE REALIZATION OF AN INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL. BEYOND THE FESTIVALS, I WAS ALSO MOVED BY THE EXCHANGES OF GENEROSITY AND SMILES. IT IS FULFILLING WHEN WE INVEST OUR LOVE IN OUR ART AND THE AUDIENCE OR WITNESSES RESPOND WITH HONEST APPRECIATION. WE EXCHANGED OUR ART FOR TIPS, FOR HOMES, FOR MEALS, FOR FRESH FRUITS & VEGETABLES AND MANY BEAUTIFUL SMILES AND IN SO DOING, FORMED THOUSANDS OF MOMENTARY YET LASTING FRIENDSHIPS.
WHAT
INSPIRED YOU TO GO ON SUCH A LONG TRIP?
MY FIRST TASTE OF STREET THEATRE WAS IN MEXICO. IT WAS HERE THAT I FIRST SAW CIRCUS AT TRAFFIC LIGHTS AND CLOWN SHOWS IN PUBLIC SPACES. SINCE BEGINNING TO PERFORM, I DREAMT OF TRAVELLING THE WORLD AND SHARING MY ART. AND SINCE THAT FIRST TRIP TO MEXICO, I HAVE ALSO VOLUNTEERED MY TIME WITH FAMILIES IN MANY RURAL COMMUNITIES IN CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA. KNOWING THAT THESE RURAL COMMUNITIES ARE NEVER VISITED BY CIRCUSES, I FELT IT WOULD BE A FUN OPPORTUNITY TO PAY SOME SURPRISE VISITS TO MY FRIENDS IN THESE REMOTE PLACES AND SHARE WITH THEM MY NEW FOUND ART.
(THIS LED TO PLAYING A LOT WITH THE CHILDREN, WHO MAY BE JUGGLING AND TUMBLING AS YOU READ THIS.) THE TRIP TOOK 16 MONTHS IN TOTAL; THIS WAS DUE TO US TRAVELLING OVERLAND ON MOST OCCASIONS. JUST TO REACH THE EMBERA COMMUNITY IN PANAMA TOOK AN ENTIRE NIGHT IN BUS, AN HOUR IN A BOAT, AND ENTIRE DAY OF WAITING AT A PORT, AND 2 HOURS IN A LOG CANOE BEING TOSSED ARROUND IN STORMY WATERS.
THEATRE AND CIRCUS SHOW GALLLERY
INTERNATIONAL THEATRE AND FREE ART FESTIVAL AREQUIPA, PERU
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY ART & THEATRE FESTIVAL CHICLAYO, PERU
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY AND INDEPENDENT THEATRE FESTIVAL PIURA, PERU
INTERNATIONAL CLOWN FESTIVAL EMPAYASADOS LA PAZ, BOLIVIA
ITINERANT COMMUNITY THEATRE FESTIVAL COMAS, LIMA, PERU
QUITO OVATION QUITO, ECUADOR
QUITUMBE OVATION QUITO, ECUADOR
INTERNATIONAL THEATRE FESTIVAL IN ZARZAL VALE DEL CAUCA, COLOMBIA
CIRCUS ARTS AND COMMUNITY CUTURAL FESTIVAL MEXICO CITY, MEXICO
THE INTERNATIONAL CLETA CERVANTINO THEATRE FESTIVAL GUANAJUATO, MEXICO
OZOMATLI FESTIVAL MEXICO CITY, MEXICO
ANGELOPOLIS UNIVERSITY ATLIXCO, MEXICO
SAN MARCOS SCHOOL LAGO ATITLAN, GUATEMALA
FITMA FESTIVAL PANCHIMALCO, EL SALVADOR
COMMUNITY DAY TIEMPOS NUEVOS THEATRE SAN ANTONIO DE LOS RANCHOS EL SALVADOR
COMMUNITY TOUR LA SIEMBRA THEATRE TRINIDAD SANTA BARBARA HONDURAS
COMEDY & MIME SCHOOL GRANADA NICARAGUA
UPALA COMMUNITY FESTIVAL CIRCOLO CIRCUS UPALA, COSTA RICA
VARIETY SHOW, CIRCOLO CIRCUS SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA
COMMUNITY CULTURAL FESTIVAL DESAMPARADOS SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA
EMBERA COMMUNITY SHOW MOGUE, DARIEN, PANAMA
EL GLOBO CIRCUS FESTIVAL MANIZALES, COLOMBIA
SAN JUAN DE DIOS REHABILITATION CLINIC MANIZALES, COLOMBIA
PILOSO FAMILY THEATRE TUMBACO, ECUADOR
INTERNATIONAL THEATRE FESTIVAL IN EL ALTO EL ALTO, BOLIVIA
INTERNATIONAL STAGE ARTS FESTIVAL LIMA, PERU
STREET THEATRE AND TRAFFIC LIGHT PERFORMANCE GALLERY
PLAZA DE LA MERCED TRUJILLO, PERU
TRAFFIC LIGHT INTERSECTION CHICLAYO, PERU
STUPID STATUE ESTUPIDO AREQUIPA, PERU
DINOSAUR HUNTER STATUE QUITO, ECUADOR
100% AUTHENTIC ORIGINAL EGYPTIAN MUMMY QUITO, ECUADOR
TRAFFIC LIGHT PERFORMANCE QUITO, ECUADOR
PLAZA DE LA PAZ SAN CRISTOBAL, MEXICO
PLAZA SOLOLA SOLOLA, GUATEMALA
SLACK ROPE CONFISCATED BY POLICE FOR SWINGING BETWEEN TREES ANTIGUA, GUATEMALA
TRAFFIC LIGHT INTERSECTION MAGIC WAND PERFORMANCE COBAN, GUATEMALA
PLAZA DE ARMAS COBAN, GUATEMALA
PLAZA DE ARMAS COBAN, GUATEMALA
BASKETBALL COURT SAN PABLO DE ATITLAN, GUATEMALA
PLAZA DE ARMAS SANTA ANA EL SALVADOR
FRUIT & VEGETABLE MARKETS SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA
TRAFFIC LIGHT INTERSECTION SLACK ROPE PERFORMANCE PANAMA CITY, PANAMA
STREET PERFORMANCE MIRAFLORES LIMA, PERU
CLOWN AND SLACK ROPE WORKSHOPS GALLERY
SLACK ROPE CLINICS: PERU, COLOMBIA, MEXICO & EL SALVADOR
CLOWN CLINICS: PERU, BOLIVIA, ECUADOR, COLOMBIA, MEXICO, HONDURAS, EL SALVADOR & COSTA RICA
AND
NOW WHAT?
THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF EACH YEAR I AM INVITED TO PERFORM IN MANY COMMUNITY THEATRE FESTIVALS. NONE OF THESE FESTIVALS HAVE THE FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO PAY MY TRANSPORT FROM CHILE, NOR PAY FOR MY SHOWS. AS I AM A BELIEVER IN THESE FESTIVALS AND THE TRANSFORMATIONAL POWER THAT THEY PRODUCE IN COMMUNITIES, I AM ALWAYS ENTHUSIASTIC TO PERFORM AND PARTICIPATE, AND TRY TO SEEK SPONSORSHIP FROM SUPPORTERS TO FUND THESE TRIPS. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN SPONSORING A FUTURE MYFRIENDTITO PROJECT YOU CAN CONTACT ME AT: MYFRIENDTITO@MYMADCAT.COM
YOU CAN ALSO KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TITO BY FOLLOWING: HTTP://MYFRIENDTITO.MYMADCAT.COM WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/MYFRIENDTITO