The role of FITU (Unirio Integrated Theater Festival) in the formation of new outlets for the field of theatrical production

Abstract

Within a context of economic and market crisis in the cultural and artistic field, this article intends to reflect on the possible role of FITU – Festival Integrado de Teatro da UNIRIO in the training of artists/producers. The festival, which is also an extension project, is characterized as an experimental, autonomous and horizontal field, pointing to a not so usual path in cultural production. Through interviews with students who were part of the project's production committee, we analyzed whether their experience at the festival influenced them to become producers or artists/producers after graduation. Along with this, we make some reflections on the role of the artist/producer and the discrepancy of the university curriculum in relation to this market trend (and necessity) of self-production. At the same time that it brings this training to the artists who are trained there, the discourse of self-production needs to be looked at carefully so as not to be hijacked by the myth of entrepreneurship as the only way out of the problems of the capitalist peripheries. FITU, however, continues to be a project with an important role in the training of new artists, who face new challenges for their sustainability in current times.