MOSTRA ZLGBT+ reaches its third edition at Teatro Flávio Império.

Idealized by the Acuenda Collective, the event presents a diverse program with theater, dance, music, and storytelling performances by artists from the periphery and LGBTQIAPN+ communities. The event also includes the 10th edition of the Drag D’água Contest, dedicated to veteran Drag Queens, aiming to celebrate and honor their histories and artistic journeys.

The third edition of MOSTRA ZLGBT+ promises to energize the Teatro Flávio Império in the East Zone of São Paulo. Held from September 18 to 21 by the Acuenda Collective, the showcase will be a stage for artistic performances connected with diversity. The 10th edition of the Drag D’água Contest, aimed at artists with over five years of career, will also take place during the event.

The free program begins on September 18, Wednesday, at 6:30 pm, with the dance performance Encantos Amazônicos by the Yandê Transpará Cultural Group, presenting rhythms, dances, and typical Amazonian choreographies, such as carimbó, lundu marajoara, dance of the boto, Pretinha da Angola, and mermaid dance. The performance is accompanied by a band (banjo, maracas, curimbó, and flute) that intersperses dances and stories about these cultural expressions.

On the same day, at 7:30 pm, 12 drag queens take over the theater to showcase their worldviews through performances in O Grande Cabaret by the Cia Canastra. Directed by Alexia Twister and Thelores, this cabaret aims to involve the audience, offering more than just a show from the opening to the closing of the lights.

On September 19, Thursday, at 6:30 pm, Ana Cacimba presents a pocket show. The quilombola-descendant singer explores the universe of the Orixás and elements of Brazilian popular culture mixed with pop music. Later that same evening at 7:30 pm, the Ximbra Group presents Um Dia a Gente se Mete a Besta Para Fazer Uma Massa. The choreography by this contemporary peripheral dance group draws a parallel between the concept of mass, from concrete to the notion of population.

On Friday, September 20, at 3:00 pm, Drag Queen Helena Black tells the story A Princesa e a Costureira. In this experience for all ages, Helena transforms into a fairy godmother, using her imagination to help Princess Cíntia realize that love is found in the details, and often arises from the unexpected. The story is told using a suitcase, dolls, and objects that transform during the narrative, with an interpretation in Brazilian Sign Language (Libras).

The theatrical show DESCAMINHOS - se você me vê, não sou eu, by Trupe em Trânsito, kicks off the Saturday activities on September 21 at 3:00 pm. In this performance, seven characters navigate between the dreamlike and ordinary worlds, inviting the audience to find a path. They go through crossroads, dreams, rivers, planets, and nightmares to find a common place to land. At 6:30 pm, the Cortejo de Maracatu presents Sem Nome + Com Endereço, echoing the beats of their drums. The repertoire includes original songs from the group and Pernambuco nations, along with other rhythms from popular culture, accompanied by poetry and references to maracatu.

The showcase closes on Saturday, starting at 7:00 pm, with the 10th edition of the Drag D’água Contest, dedicated to Drag Queens, Drag Kings, and Transformist Actors with over five years of career. This event aims to support the decentralization of drag art, giving artists the opportunity to showcase their work. The panel of judges, made up of renowned Drag Queens from the Brazilian scene, will evaluate five criteria: charisma, stage presence, makeup, costume, and lip-syncing. The contest offers cash prizes for the top three winners.

10 YEARS OF THE ACUENDA COLLECTIVE
The third edition of MOSTRA ZLGBT+ is part of the Acuenda Collective's 10th-anniversary celebrations, supported by the 8th edition of the Periphery Culture Funding Program from the São Paulo Municipal Secretary of Culture. Formed by artists from the Jardim Romano neighborhood in the East Zone of São Paulo, Acuenda develops various activities focused on LGBTQIAPN+ issues, mainly at its headquarters, the Mansão das Queens Cultural Space.

David Costa (Warralla Blackberry), a member of the Acuenda Collective, emphasizes that organizing a performing arts showcase with peripheral and LGBTQIAPN+ artists for the third consecutive year is a significant act of resistance and cultural appreciation. "This continuity demonstrates a commitment to inclusion and diversity, giving a voice and visibility to groups that have historically been marginalized and underrepresented in the arts. Furthermore, by providing a platform for these narratives, the showcase challenges stereotypes and prejudices, fostering a broader and more inclusive dialogue in society."

Bruno Fuziwara (Dhiana D’Água), a founding member of the Acuenda Collective, highlights that the showcase contributes to strengthening networks of support among artists, creating an environment of exchange and collaboration that can lead to new projects and partnerships. "It is a celebration of talent, creativity, and resistance, reaffirming the importance of everyone having the right to express themselves and be represented in the performing arts. The continuation of this project serves as an example of the transformative impact that art can have over time, not only in the lives of the artists involved but also in the shaping of a fairer and more equitable society."

ABOUT THE ACUENDA COLLECTIVE
Founded in June 2014 by artists from the Jardim Romano neighborhood, in the extreme East Zone of São Paulo, the Acuenda Collective emerged from the cultural event Cabaret D'água, with the desire to engage with the community, discuss LGBTQIA+ issues, and bring a focus on diversity and inclusion to the neighborhood. The collective also organizes the Drag D'água contest, which reveals new Drag Queen/Drag King artists and their creativity. In December 2015 and 2016, the collective organized Rolezinho Drag, an artistic occupation on the CPTM's Line 12 Sapphire train, between Brás and Jardim Romano stations. In 2017, they premiered their first play PERIFERIDA, which returned to the stage in 2018 and premiered online in 2021. In 2019, the collective was awarded the PapoMix Diversity Award in the Activism and Collectives category, and in 2020, they received funding for theater production and premieres. In 2021, they began developing the online play BRILHO E BATOM - Uma Vivência Editada, inspired by the pioneers of drag art in São Paulo and their relationship with aging in contrast to today's youth.

Service:

MOSTRA ZLGBT+
September 18–21
Teatro Flávio Império – Rua Prof. Alves Pedroso, 600 – Cangaíba, São Paulo.
September 18, Wednesday
6:30 pm – Encantos Amazônicos [dance] – 60 minutes | Free
7:30 pm – O Grande Cabaret [theater] – 70 minutes | Free

September 19, Thursday
6:30 pm – Pocket show with Ana Cacimba [music] – 30 minutes | Free
7:30 pm – Um Dia a Gente se Mete a Besta Para Fazer Uma Massa [dance] – 80 minutes | Free

September 20, Friday
3:00 pm – A Princesa e a Costureira [storytelling] – 30 minutes | Free

September 21, Saturday
3:00 pm – DESCAMINHOS - se você me vê, não sou eu [theater] – 70 minutes | Free
6:30 pm – Sem Nome + Com Endereço [music] – 30 minutes | Free
7:00 pm – Drag D’Água Contest – 120 minutes | Free

Press Office:
Nossa Senhora da Pauta
Frederico Paula – MTb-SP: 28.31