PIA Projectos de Intervenção Artística (Artistic Intervention Projects) was founded in May of 2002, in Pinhal Novo Village (Portugal), as an professional platform directed for the Street Performance and Visual Arts.
With a Multidisciplinary character, the creations of this company address the Physical Theater, the body language as the primary basis for the motion and drama, illustrated by Animated Forms; the New Circus using in a singular way with sense and perfect domain the balance techniques, in particular the Stilts; the Aesthetics Plasticity that explores the concept of the artistic Installation, in its processing capacity of the public space perception, in its ephemerality within a place, that allows to absorb the singularities, making it unique on the different paths that cross, but at the same time with different meanings from its essence and from what it awakens on those who see it.
Directing it's pieces for the public and non-conventional spaces as a choice (not necessarily as a lack of alternative), PIA assumes the STREET as a "state of consciousness"; a "stage"; for excellence, for its most direct way to reach a artistic process among the populations, a vitality to social relations, where are possible other links through the integration of art, which, at first sight there is none, making possible the proximity and accessibility of the public to the arts, and achievablethe the work of this company, to any citizen of the world, regardless social, racial or religious divisions.
It is since 2007 that PIA includes, the Programming Team as artistic consultation for street theater performances for FIG International Festival of Giants (Portugal), an unprecedented festival of animated traditional forms, that cross the traditional arts with the most contemporary artistic expressions.
Responsable for the Artistic Direction of CIÊNCIA NA RUA International Festival of Science and Art, between 2008 and 2014 (last edition), a unique event organized by Centro Ciência Viva de Estremoz, with the aim to promote the crossing of artistic and scientific languages, annually turning the city of Estremoz in an open stage for experimentation and creativity, grounding, inspiring and better making known the scientific processes through Imaginary Universe.
Both of these festivals were recognized with the Quality Label EFFE Europe For Festivals | Festivals For Europe.
With 23 years of existence, PIA’s work is fundamentally marked by the several projects, that more than 100 artists and technicians, gave life with their excellent work, making them travel through Europe, Asia and South America, trough places that have contributed and influenced strongly the continuous growth and consolidation of this group.
From its international trajectory, highlights include participation in the Ibero-American Theater Festival of Bogotá (Colombia); the Bergen International Festival (Norway); the B-Fit in the Street International Street Theater Festival in Bucharest (Romania); the Castilla y León Theater Fair, where with the play CARICATURE it received in 2025 the Award for Best Performance and recognition for the company’s career, granted by ARCA Encuentro Internacional de Artes de Calle; the Kotor International Theater Festival for Children, where it was awarded by ASSITEJ MONTENEGRO – International Association of Theaters for Children and Young People – with a Special Mention for the artistic relevance of the project PASSAGEM and the new level of sensitivity it achieved; a work with which it also received, in 2022, the Jury Award for Best Performance at TAC – International Street Theater and Performing Arts Festival of Valladolid; and the FETA International Street and Open-Air Theater Festival of Gdansk (Poland), where in 2014 it was acclaimed by Anna Jazgarska as the best performance of that edition of the festival in Teatralny.pl Theater and Performance Magazine. It also received invitations in 2011, 2013, and 2018 from the Cultural Institute of Macau to create performances with local entities for the Commemorations of the Handover of Macau to China, among many others.
Currently the Cultural Cooperative PIA is constituted by:
Helena Oliveira - Direction President and Production Direction
Pedro Leal - Direction Treasurer and Artistic Direction
Kátia Prior - Secretariat
João Macau - General Assembly President
Catarina Rosa - General Assembly Vice-President
Cláudia Fulgêncio - Economic Council
