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On the first floor of Sparks in Broadmead, circus performers and artists can rummage through second-hand clothing to find that perfect garment for their next event. Cat\u2019s Pyjamas is a treasure trove of vintage fabrics, sequins, and bold patterns; the kind of space where history lingers in the folds of each garment.<\/p>\n
Carlota Matos is looking for something 1970s\u2014a time of resistance, reinvention, and radical self-expression. Her fingers graze a mustard-yellow blouse, the fabric soft from years of wear. \u201cCostume isn\u2019t just decoration,\u201d she muses. \u201cIt carries history, identity. It\u2019s another way we tell stories.\u201d<\/p>\n
Unheard voices reclaiming space<\/strong><\/p>\n Storytelling is at the heart of Carlota\u2019s work. Born in Portugal, she has built an international career exploring social change through performance art and theatre. Her work delves into migration, identity, and mental ill-health, often bringing those without formal training onto the stage. \u201cTheatre should belong to everyone,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s a place where voices that are often unheard can claim space.\u201d<\/p>\n This ethos runs through everything Carlotta does. Facilitator for Firebird Theatre, a company of learning-disabled actors supported by Bristol Old Vic; she has also worked extensively with refugee women, leading projects that explore their stories through performance, workshops, and cultural exchanges. <\/p>\n \u201cTheatre is not just about what happens on stage,\u201d she explains. \u201cIt\u2019s about the connections we forge, the confidence we build, the way we see ourselves reflected. I remember one woman from my project with Borderlands\u2014she told me that before she joined, she had never spoken in front of a group before. By the end, she was leading an entire session. That\u2019s why I do this work.\u201d<\/p>\n Lifting a pair of flared trousers from the rack, she studies the cut before holding them up to the light. \u201cThese tell a story too,\u201d she smiles. \u201cAnd that\u2019s what I\u2019m always searching for. What was this pair of trousers witness to? Who danced in them, who walked down the street in them, feeling invincible?\u201d<\/p>\n Working with refugees<\/p>\n One of her most ambitious projects to date is Refugee Week Portugal, an arts and culture festival celebrating migrant and refugee communities. \u201cThere\u2019s a misconception that migration is a crisis rather than a human experience,\u201d she notes. \u201cI want Refugee Week Portugal to be about joy as well as struggle\u2014because we don\u2019t just survive; we create, we thrive, we contribute.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s not just about performance\u2014it\u2019s about belonging. It\u2019s about who gets to tell their story and who gets to be heard<\/p>\n Carlota Matos<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Carlota\u2019s work has earned recognition and support from organisations such as Arts Council England, Film Hub South West, and Les Th\u00e9\u00e2tres de la Ville de Luxembourg. Her project POUR UNE VIE MEILLEURE, which examines Portuguese migration under the Salazar dictatorship, was selected for TalentLAB 2024. She is also developing a deeply personal performance with her mother and musician MoYah, exploring the colonial history of Mozambique and its lasting impact. \u201cIt\u2019s personal and political,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/p>\n Carlota\u2019s journey into theatre wasn\u2019t linear. \u201cI didn\u2019t come from a theatre family,\u201d she says, tucking the blouse over her arm. \u201cBut I found my way in through the stories I wanted to tell.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt should be about shared experiences\u201d<\/p>\n She first trained at Bristol Old Vic\u2019s Made in Bristol programme before going on to work with organisations including Local Learning, Lightbox Theatre, Many Minds, and Travelling Light. She was also part of Future Laboratory, a research residency project aimed at identifying missing narratives in contemporary theatre. \u201cTheatre can be an elitist space, but it doesn\u2019t have to be,\u201d she reflects. \u201cIt should be about shared experiences.\u201d<\/p>\n That belief fuels Carlota\u2019s commitment to participatory arts. In 2022, she was awarded a DYCP grant from Arts Council England to expand her practice. One of the key projects to emerge from this was a partnership with Borderlands, a refugee charity in Bristol, where Carlota worked with migrant women to co-create Taste\u2014a performative encounter exploring identity, gender roles, and food rituals across cultures.<\/p>\n She pulls a jacket from a rail, its bold lapels and earthy tones catching her eye. \u201cThis is it,\u201d she nods. \u201cThis is the kind of thing that holds a time period in its seams.\u201d<\/p>\n Theatre as a force for change<\/p>\n Carlota sees theatre as a medium of transformation. \u201cI don\u2019t believe in art for art\u2019s sake,\u201d she states. \u201cIt should have meaning, impact. It should ask something of us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not just about performance\u2014it\u2019s about belonging. It\u2019s about who gets to tell their story and who gets to be heard. I\u2019ve seen people step onto a stage and realise, for the first time, that their voice matters.\u201d<\/p>\n From costume shops to rehearsal rooms, community centres to international stages, Carlota Matos continues to weave stories that challenge, uplift, and resonate. Her work is a testament to the belief that theatre is not just an art form\u2014it is a force for change.<\/p>\n Independent. Investigative. Indispensable.<\/p>\n Investigative journalism strengthens democracy \u2013 it\u2019s a necessity, not a luxury.<\/p>\n The Cable is Bristol\u2019s independent, investigative newsroom. Owned and steered by more than 2,500 members<\/b>, we produce award-winning journalism that digs deep into what\u2019s happening in Bristol.<\/p>\n We are on a mission to become sustainable, and to do that we need more members. <\/b>Will you help us get there?<\/b><\/p>\n\n
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Carlota Matos rummages for clothes at Sparks, Broadmead. Credit: Jaldeep Katwala<\/p>\n