Fernando Nogueira’s new creation will premiere in Pombal from 13 to 15 November, as part of the international programme La Nuit du Cirque. The performance has been supported by the Outdoor Arts Portugal Creation Grants, an initiative dedicated to supporting the development and recognition of contemporary artistic creation for public space.

Exploring the tension between risk and balance, resistance and vulnerability, À Deriva is a contemporary circus creation centred on an unstable, mobile Chinese pole, through which the relationship between the body and its surrounding space is explored. Traditionally rigid and vertical, the apparatus becomes an element in constant motion, challenging the performer and evoking the instability of a world in which everything seems temporary.

Through a minimalist approach and non-verbal dramaturgy, Fernando Nogueira invites reflection on the accelerating pace of everyday life, the difficulty of fully inhabiting the present and the need for human connection. The performance follows the rhythm of the city, intersects with the movements of passers-by and invites audiences to pause, transforming public space into a place for observation, proximity and encounter.

The premiere of À Deriva is part of the Outdoor Arts Portugal Creation Grants programme, which supports the development of new artistic projects for public space, encouraging experimentation, research and contemporary creation. Its presentation in Pombal, within the international programme La Nuit du Cirque, strengthens the connection between the creative processes supported by the platform and their public presentation, within an international context that brings greater visibility to contemporary circus.

The Outdoor Arts Portugal platform is promoted by Bússola. The Creation Grants programme is developed in co-production with 23 Milhas (Ílhavo), Casa Varela (Pombal) and Ponto C (Penafiel), with the support of the Portuguese Republic, Culture / Directorate-General for the Arts.