Introduction
This workshop proposes a creative journey in which personal experience becomes scenic material. Throughout three intensive sessions, we will explore how to transform archives, documents, and biographies into theatrical narratives with documentary and emotional strength.
Led by Chilean director Ítalo Gallardo, participants will discover references from contemporary theatre, share materials from their own personal archives, and collectively experiment with staging practices. The workshop combines theory and practice to uncover new expressive possibilities and to create a first scenic prototype born from the real voices of its participants.
The workshop is aimed at stage creators from diverse backgrounds who wish to deepen autobiographical research, experiment with testimony-based dramaturgy, and engage in a collaborative creative process.
Methodology
- Session 1 (3 hours)
In this first session, we will explore key theoretical references to understand contemporary documentary theatre practices, including texts such as What Is the Contemporary? by Giorgio Agamben, Theses on Theatre by Alain Badiou, Confession as a Scenic Strategy by Óscar Cornago, and Practices of the Real in Contemporary Performance by José Antonio Sánchez. We will also analyze three creative processes by Chilean director Ítalo Gallardo: Los que vinieron antes (2016), about family memories; Amanecerá con escombros sobre el suelo (2019), presenting testimonies from survivors of the Chilean earthquake; and Aprendan del fuego (2025), a documentary scenic investigation about Carlos Lehman, a Chilean Air Force pilot who infiltrated left-wing circles during the dictatorship, crossing art and political memory. This session will establish the conceptual foundations for the collective creation process.
- Session 2 (3 hours)
In this session, each participant will bring and present personal materials from their own archive connected to significant life experiences. Through collective listening and dialogue, the group will identify the elements with the greatest dramatic and narrative potential. The session will focus on extracting emotional lines, conflicts, and symbols capable of feeding the dramaturgy. Through this collective perspective, one of the proposed stories will be selected as the basis for the next stage of scenic creation, fostering analytical skills, collaboration, and critical learning among participants.
- Session 3 (3 hours)
This final session will function as an experimental staging laboratory where selected materials will be put into practice. Participants will take on different roles —such as stagehands, technicians, and performers— in order to experiment with and rehearse different forms of staging. The objective is to create a dynamic space of trial and error that allows participants to discover new expressive, compositional, and interactive possibilities with autobiographical material. Collective creation will stimulate scenic imagination, consolidating a first scenic prototype with documentary and artistic value.
Who is it for
This workshop is intended for stage creators from diverse backgrounds interested in exploring and applying documentary theatre tools, personal research, and autobiography to dramaturgy and performance-making.
Learning Objectives
By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:
- Deepen biographical research for scenic creation.
- Develop dramaturgies based on personal testimonies and archives.
- Experiment with collaborative staging and performance techniques.
- Take on multiple creative and technical roles within theatrical processes.
Practical Information
- Location: Fabra i Coats: Fàbrica de Creació – Rehearsal Room 1, 3rd floor.
- Dates: Wednesday 22/10, Thursday 23/10, Wednesday 29/10
- Schedule: 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
- Price: Active participants €77
- Registration: Registration form (includes payment link)
- Inscripciones: Formulario (Incluye enlace de pago)
Director’s Profile
Italo Gallardo Betancourt
(Santiago, 1984)
Director, performer, playwright, and teacher.
He holds a degree in Arts with a specialization in Theatre Performance from the University of Chile (2010). He has specialized in investigative scenic practices working with archives, documents, and biographies. His works explore the limits of performing arts through different forms of experimentation, including documentary theatre, performative lectures, expanded cinema, and sound walks.
In 2008, he founded the collective La Laura Palmer, through which he developed documentary stage productions over 15 years of activity.
In 2024, he created the collective Pierre Menard, where he currently continues his artistic research.
His work has been presented in Chile, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, the United States, Spain, Italy, and Brazil.
Among his highlighted projects are:
- Aprendan del fuego (2025)
- A este lado del río solo el silencio (Guadalajara, 2020)
- Animales invisibles (Santiago, 2019)
- Amanecerá con escombros sobre el suelo (Concepción, 2019)
- Los que vinieron antes (Santiago, 2016)
As a performer, he participated in “El año en que nací” (2012-2017) by Lola Arias, performing at festivals and events across Europe, Australia, the United States, and Latin America.
He has been invited by Circuito de Centros Cívicos de Barcelona, la Universidad de la Sapienza de Roma, Festival FIBA, Teatro Galpón de Guevara, Goethe Institut México, Teatro Casa del Lago UNAM, Festival de Manizales, Centro Cultural de Guanajuato, Fundación Siemens-Stiftung, New York Theatre Workshop, Fira Tárrega, SESC São Paulo, Centro Cultural Británico de Lima, Festival Internacional Santiago a Mil, Festival Santiago Off, Paisaje Público, Festival Cielos del Infinito, Festival Temporales Teatrales, Festival Lluvia de Teatro, Teatro Nacional Chileno, Teatro Bío-Bío, Centro Cultural GAM, Teatro ICTUS, Centro de Creación NAVE, Teatro La Memoria, Matucana 100, Teatro Camilo Henríquez, Universidad Finis Terrae, Universidad Mayor, Universidad de Chile y Centro Cultural Estación Mapocho, among others, as a resident artist and teacher. In these spaces, he has developed research projects, stage productions, and workshops focused on documentary and biographical theatre.
About Fes! Cultura
Fes! Cultura is a cultural project incubator that trains, supports, and promotes cultural creators from diverse backgrounds in Barcelona. Its work focuses on collaborative learning and the development of innovative cultural proposals, especially projects defending cultural rights, migratory justice, and ecosocial sustainability. Its programs include #AccióMigrant, supporting migrant artists, and #AccióClima, promoting culture for environmental action. Fes! Cultura also organizes events, workshops, and meeting spaces to strengthen cultural networks with social impact, fostering the professionalization and visibility of creators committed to social change.
Credits
Fes! Cultura is a program by Connectats Cooperativa in collaboration with Fabra i Coats: Fàbrica de Creació. The program is supported by Fundación “la Caixa”, Ajuntament de Barcelona, and the Department of Culture of the Government of Catalonia.