Following the launch of an open call in April 2018, two South American participants were selected to join the seminar organised by Pro Helvetia at the Avignon Festival 2018. Founded in 1947 by Jean Vilar, the Avignon festival is now one of the most important dramatic and performing arts events on the European calendar.

Between 13 and 21 July 2018, cultural mediator and researcher Aimé Pansera (Argentina) and actress and director Martha Kiss Perrone (Brazil) supported around 17 shows on the festival programme and were part of the critical seminar alongside another twelve directors from various countries around the world (Switzerland, Canada, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Italy and Russia). The programme was conducted by the Swiss dramaturge Eva-Maria Bertschy.

Aimé Pansera coordinates educational, artistic and social practices, specialising in training viewers and developing new audiences for the performing arts. He works to this end in Buenos Aires, in both the private sphere, at Carrusel, and public sector, at Teatro Cervantes – Teatro Nacional Argentino, as well as in educational spaces. He is also a member of the editorial team for «Segunda Cuadernos de Danza», a website dedicated to contemporary dance, collaborates with documentary filmmaker Manuel Abramovich and is currently studying for a Master’s degree in cultural sociology and analysis at the National University of San Martin.

Martha Kiss Perrone is an actress and director. She trained in the Visual Arts and her research straddles theatre and film. She directed the show «Rózà», based on the letters of Rosa Luxemburg. She also worked on the films «Elena, Olmo e a Gaivota» by Petra Costa and «Tem um vidro Sob Minha Pele» by Moara Passoni. She spent a year supporting the creation of the show «Les Naufragés du Fol Espoir» for the group Théâtre du Soleil. She also joined the Brasil – Alemanha, Haut aus Gold project at Berlin’s Marxim Gorki Theater, directed by Tilman Kolher with the Tablado de Arruar theatre group. In 2018, she designed and directed the play «Quando Quebra Queima» for ColetivA Ocupação and the show «Revolta Lilith».