“Inside the Bell Jar” – Contemporary Portuguese Performance at the Valley of Arts

The production, created by the Portuguese artistic network Artemrede, arrives at the Valley of Arts Festival as part of the Creative Europe – PRODUCTION³ project. The performance will be presented in English on July 22 at 3:00 PM on the Theatre Stage.

We write letters. Close books. Open notebooks. Through the pages of novels, we search for ourselves—familiar fragments, unspoken sentences, unvoiced desires. Inside the Bell Jar invites the audience on a unique inner journey: at once sensitive and lyrical, personal and universal.

On stage, young performers share their experiences—about themselves, about us, and the feelings of a generation. Text, music, and movement together evoke inner landscapes: a sinking ship, an island ruled by children, a wishing well that echoes our voices. Every sentence is a promise, every text a confession.

Creators Marta Carreiras and Martim Rodrigues collaborated with a Portuguese youth group, supported by a psychologist and an artistic mentor. The performance also features composer Vicente Costa and technical director Zé Rui, responsible for lighting and stage management. The result is not just a theatrical event but a deeply personal and collective process.

This production exemplifies artistic mobility and European cultural cooperation. The co-production between Portugal’s Artemrede network and the Valley of Arts, supported by the Creative Europe program, gives space to young voices and stories that cross languages and borders.

“Inside the Bell Jar” – an English-language Portuguese performance on the Theatre Stage, July 22 at 3:00 PM.

Water rises to the knees. Walls crumble. The inner world speaks.