The Doors are Open

So here I am, back again at LUME central, in Barao Geraldo (Campinas). Once again, I am staying 'chez Simioni'. I arrived last night from Sao Paulo, and this morning took the old familiar route past the Hotel for Horses – I'm sure this parkland has a proper name, but that is what I shall always know it as – to LUME's beautiful headquarters in Vila Santa Isabel. Yes, the dogs barked, yes the gas van was playing Fur Elise, yes the geese chased me down the road... I'm sure that there have been changes here, but everything at the moment feels comfortably familiar.

So, what's happening here? Well, as I write, the seven LUME actors are meeting with their production team to discuss the February programme. Elsewhere, the doors are open and the summer holiday cobwebs are being brushed away, literally and metaphorically – floors swept, bookshelves rearranged, equipment moved. The office is in full swing, and administrators, documenters, archivists, and financial managers are all as busy as bees.

Things kick off pretty soon – tomorrow, in fact...  The workshop season starts 29 January with Raquel Scotti Hirson's Mimesis Corporea. Later in the week (1 February) sees the beginning of Abre-Alas  – a week-long carnival and street theatre workshop cum performance project that will see 40 participants, under the leadership of Ricardo Puccetti and the other LUME actors, creating a cortejo (procession) which will open the Carnaval celebrations late afternoon on Friday 8 February. And yes, I'm taking part – so you'll be hearing a lot more about this one!

There are also two lecture-demonstrations to look forward to early next week: on Monday 4 February, all seven LUME actors will appear together to present Em Busca do Invisivel (In Search of the Invisible), and on Tuesday 5 February, LUME's co-founder and longest-standing member, Carlos Simioni, will present Prisao para a Liberdade.

Later in the month will see workshops from the other LUME actors, and two guest teachers. I'm pleased to say that my dear friend Yael Karavan (UK/Israel) will be here with us, co-leading a workshop called A Vida Secreta dos Objetos (the Secret Life of Objects) with Naomi Silman. These two sisters will also be treating us to a work-in-progress showing of their new project Pupik on 22 February.

Oh and I'm the other guest teacher – I'm delighted to say that I'll be leading a workshop in Site-Responsive Theatre and Performance/Art (27 February to 3 March) – which I'm very much looking forward to.

But in the meantime, I can be found here – your trusty reporter on the Terra LUME season and workshop programme 2013. Here's to a great month!