CASA DO ARTISTA, Carnide,

09.12.15; 14.30h


Ricardo Madeira is the cultural organizer of Casa do Artista (in Carnide District), a structure that shelters old artists and worker from any area of performing arts, giving them a house where they can live and join together.
The project comes form Brasil with one of the house propellers Raul Solnado, who decided, together with Armando Cortez, Manuela Maria and Carmen Dolores to create a Portuguese version of it (doors opened in may 1999, and the official inauguration was celebrated on September of the same year).

Since the first moment Ricardo welcomes me and my wish of getting closer to this special place and to its very special residents.
During our first meeting Ricardo explains and shows me the structure of the house (a House of Affections and Emotions, as he explains) bringing me around the many spaces that residents can use and occupy.
The motto of the House is “Forbidden To Get Old!” even if it is clear, that we get older since the moment we are born.
The idea is more to take care of people on the psychological, bio-psycho-social, affective and emotional side.
We start our visit form the entrance, where the informations about the events and activities (infirmary, movement lesson, physiotherapy, informatics, the monthly Missa celebration, Reiki sessions) happening in the house and in the next by Theater Armando Cortez are exposed, together with the informative newspaper written by the residents with the help of Ricardo and some collaborators.
We pass through the dining-room by a corridor whose walls are full of draws, pictures and portraits of the big names of the Portuguese Performance History.

In this moment 71 residents inhabit the House of the Artist; some of them are living there since the first days of the structure (since 16 years) and coming from different parts of the Country.
The rhythm of the house if very free, some people still work, go out of the house, so that for some of them there is not a really repetitive day format.
Guests live in single and double rooms, depending on the familiar and economic situation.
Casa do Artista is an association for social solidarity, involving the house, the gallery for dinners exhibitions and celebrations, the theater Armando Cortez, and the resident company of Children’s Theater of Lisbon.
The garden is the place where the dusts of Armando Cortez are kept in the ground, a star drawn with flowers, in the center of the garden, reminding all the people that already lived and left the House.

For Ricadro Home is a place of comfort and protection and in this House he really likes to work, with art and Portuguese old artists.
Working here he learned that also among artists there are rivaliry and competitions and that is needed some attention to overcome these kind of situations and fragilities.
People here have to learn to share and to live with the good and bad side or stories they know about each other, with the events of the past lives.
We pass by the  physiotherapy where we meet Ida and Francisco working there since 15-16 years. Residents, associated and not can use this kind of service.
We pass to the living room, where games and activities happen, but also where many people sit watching television.
In all the rooms walls are decorated with paintings and images of artists.
We visit the office and the second living room…every where is full of memories and stories.
The House of Artist does not make any distinction of gender, religion, culture, and  they have a small Catholic chapel, as the most of the residents follow this religion.
In the house residents have the possibility of medical assistance (a doctor comes 3 times a week, together with a physiatrist); analysis can be done there too, so that old people have not to move outside the structure to take care of their health.
On the first floor I visit the blue room, that really looks like a house living room with carpets, tables, sofas and nice lights. (Some objects are donations, coming from the artists houses).
Residents are free to sit where ever they want, but the most of the people sits in the rooms on the first floor, next to the dining-room.
On the same floor we visit the secretary and there is the area dedicated to the privacy of the guests, their rooms where we can not go.
To finish our visit Ricardo brings me to their gallery, a big space that can host many different events and that connects the House with the Armando Cortez theater…we enter the theater to assist some minutes of the children show “Cinderella”, before we return to the entrance of the house were the visit started!.

…to listen is to imagine…

Thank you Ricardo for your kindness and disposability, for making me feel somehow home, not just in this first meeting but along all the process!

Good Listening!