Ph. Thomas Lenden. DAS Theatre, 2019.
Bio
Rodrigo Batista is a Brazilian theatremaker and educator based in The Netherlands. Rodrigo graduated with a Master's Degree at DAS Theatre Amsterdam in 2019 and also in Theater Directing at the University of São Paulo in 2015. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Theater Directing from the University of São Paulo, since 2009.
At the core of his work is the importance of performing political statements, direct and explicit messages addressed to the current world politics. Latest, he developed a collection of pieces, in the frame of the Master Program of DAS Theatre, that has the ambition of bringing insurrection and vandalization within the performance space. The most relevant work is the double-sided performance "The Furious Rodrigo Batista (Side A)" + "The B-Side". The piece was presented in Centrale Fies (Italy, 2018), Frascati Amsterdam (2019 and 2021), Spielart Festival (Munich, 2019), Berlin Performing Arts Festival (2019), Worm (Rotterdam, 2018 and 2019), Žižkovská Noc Festival (Cancelled, Prague, 2020), Santarcangelo Festival (Cancelled, Italy, 2020), Art of Performing Week (Rotterdam, 2020), Beursschouwburg (Brussels, 2020), Centro Cultural São Paulo (2021), Campo (Gent, 2021), ACT Festival (Sofia, 2022), and Murf/Murw Festival (Tilburg, NL, 2023).
In 2021, commissioned by Frascati Amsterdam, Rodrigo created the movie “Bonus Track: fires, stomach burns and the North-American Post-truth in the Tropics”. It was shown at Frascati Amsterdam (2021), Campo (Gent, 2021), and ACT Festival (Sofia, 2022).
As a teacher, Rodrigo directed the piece “Kill All Normies”, with bachelor students of KASK Gent (2022) and “Rabo de Toro” with bachelor students of Antwerp Drama Conservatorium (2022). Together with Tchelet Pear Weisstub, Rodrigo was invited to design and mentor a two-month Research Lab for the master students of DAS Theatre in 2022 titled “Forces: the line between transformation and perpetuation”.
Rodrigo directed “The Heroes Journey of Anastácia” by Carolina Maciel de França, presented at DeSingel (Antwerp, 2022), Beursschouwburg (Brussels, 2022), and Viernulvier (Gent, 2023).
As a guest performer, Rodrigo has collaborated with choreographer Flávia Pinheiro in the piece “The Magnificent Bacteria” (Amsterdam and São Paulo, 2022-2023), with Dood Paard in the piece “De Meiden” (The Netherlands, 2020-2022) and with Ehsan Fardjadniya in the piece “Dr. Strangerfolks” (Amsterdam, 2019).
As a dramaturg, Rodrigo collaborated with choreographer Bruno Freire in the piece "Matamatá" (Brussels, 2023) and with Paula Chaves in the piece “Omni Toxica” (Rotterdam, 2019). Rodrigo collaborated as an outside eye in the piece "Up your ass", a text by Valerie Solanas, directed by Lieselot Siddik and Nona Demey Gallagher (Gent, 2023), and in the durational performance "Do we dream under the same sky?" by Tom Oliver Jacobson and Flávia Pinheiro (Amsterdam, 2023).
Rodrigo participated in several artist residencies, such as Workspacebrussels (2023), WPZimmer (2023), Studio Alta (Prague, 2023), International Forum Theatertreffen (Berlin, 2022), We Act - ACT Platform for European Performing Arts (Innsbruck, 2021), LIVE WORKS Performance Act vol. 6, Centrale Fies (Italy, 2018), he was an artist in residency at WOW Amsterdam between 2017-2019 and participated in the Zürcher Theater Spektakel, Watch and Talk (Zurich, 2017). Rodrigo was granted several prizes and scholarships, such as the International Grant Scheme of the Performing Arts Fund NL (2020), Trust Foundation DAS Graduate School (2018/2019), Jan Kassis Foundation (2018), Schuurman Schimmel Van Outeren Stichting (2018), Talent Grant (2017/2018) and Holland Scholarship (2017).
Previous to his development within the European field, he worked for over 10 years with his group "[pH2]: Estado de Teatro" in São Paulo. They presented theatrical investigations in dialogue with philosophy, cinema, and dance that were awarded several funds and prizes, such as Best Short Film in Mostra do Filme Livre (Brazil, 2017), Theatre Fomenting Law of São Paulo (Brazil, 2015 and 2011), Myriam Muniz Award (Brazil, 2015), Rumos Itaú Cultural (Brazil, 2014) and ProCultura Award from the Brazilian Ministry of Culture (Brazil, 2012).
With [pH2], Rodrigo directed the pieces: “The Rite of Spring: frames of a debt not paid” (2016), “Project 85: the debt in three episodes” (project in partnership with the Mexican group Lagartijas Tiradas al Sol and the Colombian La Maldita Vanidad, 2015-2016), “Keep out of the reach of children” (2011-2013) and “Keep in a dry and ventilated place” (2009-2011). And as a performer in the pieces: “Stereo Franz” (2013) and “Atreides” (2012). With those pieces, [pH2] shown in several Festivals around Brazil, public theatres in São Paulo, and International Festivals in Germany, Mexico, and Colombia.
He also worked in several cultural and social programs in São Paulo as a theatre educator, the most notable was in the Capão Redondo neighborhood in the Program “Fábricas de Cultura” which ended up in a huge art educators’ strike in response to the financial cuts imposed by the Government. Worked in the “Projeto Vocacional” (2009-2012) and the Prefeitura de Guarulhos (2010).
And finally, as a writer, Rodrigo published the following articles: “Colonial Diary of Diarrhea” in the South Boom Boom Publication (Amsterdam, 2022) and Performance Philosophy Journal (UK, 2022), “Het theater behoort aan niemand toe”, in Theatrekrant (The Netherlands, 2020), “Dossiê n.1: Diálogos com o Trágico”, Independent Book (Brazil, 2010) and “Teia de Pensamentos: Arte e poder”, Revista Sala Preta (Brazil, 2007).