Alkantara is an international festival and an organisation dedicated to the performing arts, based in Lisbon, Portugal.
Like its predecessor, Danças na Cidade (1993–2004), it co-produces and presents projects developed by artists from different geographical and cultural backgrounds, and is also an important meeting place for professionals. Taking its name from the Arabic al-qantara, meaning “bridge,” Alkantara’s mission is to meaningfully connect artists and audiences within shifting artistic, cultural, and political contexts.
International cooperation is at the core of Alkantara’s activities, developed through networks, partnerships, and collaborative projects that support artistic mobility and strengthen cultural ecosystems. Every November, the Alkantara Festival presents a programme of international and local work across theatre, dance, and performance at partner venues in Lisbon. Espaço Alkantara is the organisation’s year-round operational hub and studio space, hosting artistic residencies, public programmes, and the development of new work.
Brief history
The Alkantara Association carries forth the legacy of Danças na Cidade, founded by dancer Mónica Lapa (1965-2001) in 1993.
Danças na Cidade began as a dance platform. Its mission was to promote the work of the first generation of contemporary dance artists in Portugal, but the platform quickly evolved to become a dance festival of an international scale.
In 2005, Danças na Cidade became Alkantara, formally embracing other disciplines in the performing arts and strengthening collaborations with the main performing arts venues in Lisbon. Alkantara, from the Arabic word meaning 'the bridge', repositions itself as a bridge-builder between artists, audiences, cultures, and artistic disciplines.
In addition to the Danças na Cidade festival (1993-2002) and Alkantara Festival (2006-), the association has developed significant international partnerships and projects. Many of these projects created contexts for artists to meet and exchange practices, as well as to create new work in collaboration. Alkantara has coproduced and presented performances on several continents.
In 2007, the municipality of Lisbon granted Alkantara the use of the heritage building at 99 Calçada Marquês de Abrantes. Espaço Alkantara is the centre of the association's operations, with a year-round programme of arts residencies, informal showings, and training and research activities.
Beginning in 2020, the Alkantara Festival takes place every year in November.
Board (September 2025 - September 2029)
Board of Directors
Carla Nobre Sousa (President), David Cabecinha (Vice-President), Magda Bizarro (Vice-President), Ana Teresa Ascenção (Member), Ionara Silva (Member), Liliana Coutinho (Member), and Nádia Yracema (Member).
General Assembly Board
Maria João Guardão (President) and Vítor Roriz (Secretary)
Supervisory Board
Henrique Entratice (President), Susana Simplício (Secretary), and Anabela Rodrigues (Reporter)
Legal documents
Activity Report - 2025 (In Portuguese)
Activity Report - 2024 (In Portuguese)
Activity Report - 2023 (In Portuguese)
Activity Report - 2022 (In Portuguese)
Activity Report - 2021 (In Portuguese)
Activity Report - 2020 (In Portuguese)
Activity Report - 2019 (In Portuguese)