Francisca Pinto in residency at Espaço Alkantara

Motherland is an artistic creation project developed as part of the research initiative The Islands: Research, Visibility, and Transformations – Motherhood and Fatherhood in the Arts Today, led by Francisca Mantas Pinto and Patrícia Soares. Throughout March, they will be in residency at Espaço Alkantara to develop Motherland, a performative and reflective action that invites the presence of all—adults and children alike.

Islands appear isolated and disconnected on the surface, yet they share a deep, hidden connection—the seabed, the earth.

Motherland, or motherland, gives visibility to motherhood as the oldest and most natural form of work. The invitation to immerse in this creative space is also a claim: the assertion of the possibility to continue existing as a performing arts professional while being a mother to two young children. A space that thrives on the contradiction of wanting to do nothing or prove nothing—of not seeking to entertain, but simply to be with, alongside, while inevitably entertaining and recreating. Motherland is also a chaotic place, yet one where life unfolds at its own rhythm, challenging and reshaping expectations of work time and production. Imagination seeks to open new ways of sharing the performance space—a space that is also for rest, nourishment, learning, and care—calling for the engagement of all in the questions that move us.


During the second week of the residency, we will open the doors of the space for a Fórum Cultura dedicated to the theme Work-life balance in the performing arts, moderated by Francisca Mantas Pinto and Patrícia Soares. They will bring their experiences and insights gathered through The Islands project.

An Open Studio event is also scheduled for March 21 at 5:00 PM. Later in 2025, Motherland will be presented at Espaço Alkantara.

Credits

Research Francisca Pinto and Patrícia Soares Creation Francisca Pinto Production Patrícia Soares

The Islands: Research, Visibility, and Transformations – Motherhood and Fatherhood in the Arts Today

A project by Francisca Mantas Pinto and Patrícia Soares, dedicated to research and artistic creation on parenthood in the Portuguese arts sector. Through data collection and analysis on the subject, as well as conversations with various professionals in the field, they seek to create spaces for dialogue and action that collectively foster strategies for inclusion and support. The Islands serve as a metaphor, reminding us that while we may sometimes feel isolated on the surface, we remain deeply connected beneath. Considering motherhood as the world’s oldest and most natural form of work or state of being, the project evokes a sense of feminine solidarity that grows stronger in plurality.