Corpo Rastreado was founded in 2005 in the city of São Paulo with the aim of developing collaborative partnerships in the production of performing arts artists and groups. Over the two decades we have worked with more than a hundred dance and theater companies, we have become convinced that production, as a mediator between artists and audiences, is also a fundamental field of knowledge for the development of the arts scene.

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The desire to compile a collection of reflections on the relationship between art and the public stems from the needs observed in the daily work of our collective of producers and other professionals involved in the production of performances. In general, we have not found, on the part of various cultural institutions, a clear and structured understanding of this relationship. It is from these concerns and gaps that the present study arises.

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We decided to use interviews as a starting point. The goal was to learn from artists and other professionals how they conceive of the relationship with the public and how it plays out in practice; how this relationship is affected by communication, institutions, public funding mechanisms, and the requirements of grant proposals. We also listened to their observations regarding the behavior of various audiences, the approaches adopted, and the possible or imagined solutions for attracting people to the theater.

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Over the course of three years, we have interviewed 64 professionals working in the city of São Paulo. Similar questions were posed to all interviewees in order to facilitate the comparison of different points of view. The geographic focus was chosen because this is the primary market in which Corpo operates.

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The list of interviewees included artists, producers, press officers, managers of public and private institutions, critics, curators, and specialists in accessibility and mediation. The result of this work is a unique overview, rich in practices and reflections on the harsh reality of the performing arts in the country’s largest and wealthiest cultural hub. The interviews were transcribed unedited, and the texts underwent only the minimum necessary editing. This first volume of the collection, containing nine interviews, will be followed by others until all interviews are published. In principle, we anticipate approximately eight volumes, released every two or three months.

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In selecting the interviews included in each volume, we sought to combine varied professional profiles to also offer multiple perspectives on the issues addressed. Some of the professionals interviewed no longer hold the positions they had when interviewed, but this circumstance does not diminish the value of these testimonies, which are always based on relevant experiences. In any case, it is important to note the dates of the interviews to understand the context in which they took place. Although the public is the subject of the interviews, their opinions are not included in the collection because that would require a different type of survey, as well as resources to conduct more comprehensive research on cultural behavior and consumption.

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It takes time to sift through all the collected content. Once the notebooks are published, outreach tours will be organized to bring this discussion to technical training schools, universities, festivals, and interested institutions. The goal is to widely share the material so that it fosters debate and also becomes a source for research and new studies. References to people, groups, performances, and events are accompanied by notes whenever possible, to facilitate reading and also to revive memories of the history of the performing arts.

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Corpo Rastreado thanks all the interviewees who agreed to collaborate on this project. Thinking collectively broadens and deepens the work that Corpo believes is the role of production. It is through the collective power of minds and hands that we will find ways for the performing arts to reach an ever-growing audience.