Sara Vilardo

born in Milan (IT), based in Brussels (BE).

actress, performer, theatre- maker

email: saravilardo@gmail.com

fb page:https://www.facebook.com/tanitafullofgrace/

website: https://saravilardo.wordpress.com

After studying theatre in IT, where I was born, I moved to Brussels in 2009 (selected to attend a project about Pasolini), where I graduated in APASS, Postgraduated Master in Performing Art, in 2010.

Meanwhile, I continued to study further theater, dance and performing arts by building it on my own way, specializing in physical theater, following different workshops/teaching from several masters

I have been working/collaborating as interpreter and co-creator with several international artists and companies.

Since 2011 I have been also making my own creations, alone or in collaboration with other artists, experimenting and trying different forms on stage and in public -space.

I am collaborating with Wunderland since 2014, with the production “Phoenix” and “Orms Rejse”.

In 2015 I co-founded ‘Leonera’, a platform to work on the realization of interdisciplinary collective projects in within the public spaces.

I believe in art as a political poetical act that has the ambition to move the consciousness of the people, look at the reality with a imaginative gaze and spread beauty in the world.

 

Bio

She got her Bachelor at the Academy of Theatre “Teatro Libero” in Milan (IT) and got a Master’s degree at the “Università degli Studi” of Milan in 2004 and in 2010 she obtained a Postgraduate Master Diploma in “APT – Advanced Performance Training”, APASS (Posthogeschool voor Podiumkunsten vzw, Belgium).

During those years she continued to study further theater and performing arts by building it her way, specializing in physical theater, following different workshops and teaching from several masters; among the most significant for her artistic and human experience Mamadou Dioume (actor Peter Brook), Jurij Alschitz (Russian school), Mum & Gipsy (Japan), sensory theater (Teatro de los Sentidos, ES) and the study of the Commedia dell ‘Arte and contemporary dance (among others, Nicole Kerbergher, Franca Ferrari) and at the same time, the discipline of yoga and martial arts.

She started in 2005 to work in Italy as an actress and performer for various theater companies (Compagnia Teatro Libero, Samadhi Collective – Collective independent theater, Teatro della Memoria, Apes Purpureae Theatre Company, Dionisi Compagnia Teatrale, LisLabPerforming Art, among others).

In 2009, she moved to Belgium, invited to participate in a project organized by the Academy of Pasolini RITS theater in Brussels, conducted the study for the Postgraduate Master in “APT”.

For her final project presentation (titled “Turning my living room into a theater and myself into an actor, desperately seeking to have an audience“), she worked as a author/ director and choreographer of the project, directing four dancers touching in scene the theme of alienation of body and identity on the Internet.

At the same time she continued to work as an actress and performer with various artists / companies and styles, among others: as ‘contemporary theater’ (Rodrigo Garcia -M / ES Davis Freeman -USA / BE), installation / street / dance performance (Tino Sehgal – UK / DE, Cie Willy Dorner – AT / BE, Verenidge Planeten – BE), interactive theater / sensory theater, (Wunderland – DK, LisLAbPerformingaArt – IT, Lundahl & Seitl -SE,), street theater / circus (Ensemble Leporello – BE, Company -BE Henry and co., which Cirque AG / BE), children’s theater (Giocofiaba- IT, the IT-Buratto Theatre, Company Leon-BE).

It ‘also starred in several short films, video clips and advertisements (among others: “A face-up cards” Happy Channel – “Round Trip”, Raidue – “The Beast”, Medulla video clips, production Flying Monkey, Short films produced by civic School of Cinema and Television Paolo Grassi, Short films produced by Slash Prod Production, Vodafone)

She started working as theater-maker/ author and director and she has been selected for several residences in Belgium (among others: kc nOna- Mechelen, Connectiv Bains, Stuk – Leuven, kc fABULEUS – Leuven, Villanella – Antwerp, WorkSpaceBrussel – Brussels, Kaaistudios- Brussels, Les Brigittines -Brussels, Neerpelt -Dommelhof, Scheld’apen – Antwerp, De Werf – Bruges)

In 2011 she created and starred in, along with another Italian interpreter, Chiara Bersani “Le mie parole sono uomini/ My words, they are men” – trailer: https://vimeo.com/23204800- (with the support of kc nOna and Operaestate Festival of Bassano del Grappa-B-Motion – BE / IT) and together with another Flemish artist Nele Vereecken, a show for children on the theme of death, in dutch language, titled “Alfred (d)o” -trailer: https://vimeo.com/35024843 -(with the support of kc fABULEUS, Villanella, Sceld’apen, and funded by the Vlaamse Overheid / Flemish authority government and the city of Brussels / Vlaamse Gemeenschapscomissie- BE). The show has been on tour to schools and cultural centers during three years.

In 2012 she directed, along with Dominique Willaert, the show “De Gedroomde Stad” a production of Victoria Deluxe vzw, which was also performed in the Enter Festival 2012 (BE).

She worked together with SoundLab, Rits and Theatre de la Liberté, on the creation and playing of the performance”Identity (?)” in the Cinquantenaire Museum, tin the occasion of Museum Night Fever in 2012.

In 2012 she also created and starred in, together with Flemish artist Soetkin Demey, a new performance entitled “I’m looking for the face I had before the world was made“, addressing the theme of identity and gender, through the look as a central element. The performance was presented in the frame of WorkingTitleFestival # 5, WorkSpaceBrussel (with the financial support of the Flemish Community, the residence at De Werf, Kaaistudio, Bain connective – BE)

In 2013 she was commissioned by Victoria Deluxe vzw (BE) on the creation and direction of a show entitled “Misschien zal ik toch blijven” with twenty-three women actresses on stage, based on real interviews of women’s stories. The show has been on tour for theaters and cultural centers in the following year.

In 2014 she worked mainly as a co-creator and interpreter in the making of the “Phoenix” show, a production of Wunderland / BoraBora / LisLab Performing Art, Aarhus (DK), and as an interpreter of co-creator for the performance “Soup”, production LisLabPerformongArt / perCORPI Visionaries / Teatro Coccia (IT). Both of the two productions are still on tour.

In 2015, in addition to continuing the tour of these two productions, she worked on the creation of a new play with the Flemish company “Hendrik & co” on creating and playing “Haimoon”, a story inspired by the tragedy “Antigone” , where she plays, acting in Dutch, the main female character.

In the same year, she founded Leonera asbl / vzw (non-profit-making association), a platform for the development and production of Performing Art, made up of national and international artists who are based and work in Brussels and all over the world from different years. The Association has already developed several projects in Belgium and Latin America. (Fb page: https://www.facebook.com/Leonera-asblvzw-940247652683426/?fref=ts).

For the current year 2016 she is going to play in the “Phoenix – Reykjavik Edition” performance (Wunderland, Dk) in the Reykjavik Art festival in Iceland. She will be direction assitant and actress for “Soup Arkiev”, a new production of the Italian company LisLabPerformingArt. She will be busy with the creation of a new production of “Het stille stuk”, by the Flemish Company “Hendrik & co”.

She is also proposing different new project with her Leonera vzw.

From 2011 to date she has gained several public funding for her performances by the Flemish Government / Flemish authority and the Municipality of Brussels / Belgium Vlaamse Gemeenschapscomissie-.

Sara has achieved, over the years, some official recognition for her artistic activities:

2015: Winner of the grant Artishock – Bureau International Jeunesse, for the proposed projects with the Association Leonera asbl / vzw

2013: Winner of the grant “MIP – MOVE, IMPROVE, TESTS”, a project of the Cariplo Foundation and NABA – Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti in Milan

2012: Winner of the prize “Nieuw talent” – from AANBOD PODIUM, (Belgium), with the show ‘Alfred (d) or’, which she co-wrote, co-director and interpreted

2011/2015 Granted for different projects by the Flemish Government/ AuthorityVlaamse Overheid and the the city of Brussels / Vlaamse Gemeenschapscomissie- BE

2011: Winner of the prize “Parco dei Talenti Creative and Innovative (creative and innovative Talent Park)”, a project of the Foundation Projects Milan and the Lombardy Region.

2010: Selected for the Masterclass “Mal El Camino” by Rodrigo Garcia in the Venice Biennale, Teatro Fondamenta Nuove;

2010 Selected for the Masterclass “Performing an actor”, 200 hours of paid training during the “Festival Operaestate” in Bassano del Grappa;

2010 Winner of “FAREWORK”, a project of the Province of Milan, Department of Youth, Civic Education in collaboration with the Civic Schools of Milan.

Sara speaks Italian, English, Spanish, French and Dutch.