Founded by Mariana Amorim and Tommy Luther, this centre is a meeting point between artistic languages. Here, dance, theatre, music, puppets, performance and visual arts don't just coexist - they intertwine. ‘Our main goal is to have the space full of people coming and going, and for it to function as a living organism, driven by artistic crossroads,’ says Mariana. ‘Not just dance, not just theatre, not just exhibitions or performances, but a mixture of all these forms of artistic expression.’

Diversity is one of the pillars of this project, which welcomes students of all ages. ‘We don't select by level, you don't need any kind of prior knowledge, just a willingness to experiment, learn and relate to the community,’ adds Tommy.

A stage for experimentation

PAZ hosts a dynamic programme of activities - dance and theatre classes, puppetry workshops, shows, exhibitions and workshops for children. But perhaps the project that best summarises the spirit of the space is It's Alive, a quarterly presentation where artists test out new ideas in a flexible and intimate format. ‘It's an open call that is open to collaboration with other structures,’ says Mariana.

‘Each show lasts a maximum of 15 minutes, but can be as short as 30 seconds. In each edition, the public can see five or six different performances in an hour,’ explains Tommy. ‘It's not a showcase, it's not a finished product; it's a laboratory, the audience sees it, tries it out, talks about what worked. And from there, collaborations can emerge and the project is moulded.’

The first edition revealed the need to better structure the exchange between audience and artists. ‘We realised that people didn't interact naturally without us asking them direct questions,’ says Tommy. ‘Now we take them to a space where they can sit and reflect together, in a spirit of pedagogical and positive sharing.’

This conversation space also has a library for the students who frequent the space, and ends up being a social room where workshops and parties take place, which can be adapted to different needs.

Remove layers: An invitation to the city

For those who see contemporary art as something distant and hermetic, PAZ has a simple answer: play and dream. ‘Children come in here and within minutes they've taken over the space,’ says Mariana. ‘Adults lose that ability. They forget to play. And what we do here is open up a space for that. To explore, without fear.’

‘We've all been puppeteers before. We've sung, we've danced, we've created music. But at some point we say to ourselves, ‘I'm an adult now, I can't play any more’,’ reflects Tommy. ‘But the memory of the body is there. We just need a push to rediscover that freedom.’ - That ‘push’ is there, on R. Duque de Saldanha, waiting for anyone who wants to get moving.