To return to where we are happy is to listen again to the same thing – as children like to do – yet to find it always different. To return is to affirm that there are performances that withstand time, works that continue to matter, to make us think, feel, and grow. It is to affirm the relevance of their existence, to recognise that artistic quality does not end with a premiere, but deepens with each renewed encounter between artists and audiences. It is to affirm that creativity lies not only in inventing the new, but also in the art of revisiting, reinterpreting, and rediscovering meaning.
At a time when acceleration and reinvention are so often demanded, looking back at what has already been made is to recognise the strength of endurance – an act of cultural sustainability. Caring for works that already exist – and reprogramming them – is to value the dedication of the artists and teams who, with rigour and sensitivity, create works capable of inspiring new generations of spectators and creators – and it is precisely for this reason that they have survived the passage of time.
In the arts for childhood, “returning to where we are happy” is a gesture of learning. Children learn through repetition and discovery. To return is an opportunity to feel again, to recognise that art is a place one can visit repeatedly and yet always experience as new. It transforms, accompanies growth, and fosters a movement between the familiar and the new, nurturing the formation of lasting relationships.
The present moment invites us to rethink artistic creation for children – not merely as a space for entertainment or sensory discovery, but as a territory of thought, language, and shared imagination.
This proposal to listen once again takes the form of a programme cycle, bringing back a selection of co-productions created over eight years of activity. It reflects a shared path between creators and LU.CA – Teatro Luís de Camões, with the clear intention of safeguarding the life of these projects and enabling them to reach more children, strengthening the presence of theatre and the arts within their experiences of growth.
The works that will be on stage, with runs ranging from 9 to 25 performances, form part of a cycle that will take place over the course of a year, from January 2026 to January 2027. These are works born from attentive listening to the world of childhood, and which trust in the children’s sensitive intelligence. Works that continue to speak to us, and that we wish to see again. Through them, we encounter the wonder, the suspension, and the breath that theatre evokes, trusting that what once moved us can move us again, in a different way. And that, in theatre, is perhaps the most beautiful form of happiness.
Susana Menezes
Artistic Director
