THE MYFRIENDTITO TOUR 2013-14

WHERE DID YOU GO TITO? IN 2013 WE DECIDED IT WAS TIME FOR A TRIP. THE DREAM TOUR. WE TRAVELLED AND PER-

FORMED IN PERU, BOLIVIA, ECUADOR AND COLOMBIA. AND FROM COLOMBIA THE COMPANY FLEW

TO MEXICO, WHERE IT BEGAN TRAVELLING SOUTH THROUGH GUATEMALA, EL SALVADOR, HONDURAS,

NICARAGUA, COSTA RICA AND PANAMA. WE FLEW BACK OVER TO COLOMBIA AND PASSED THROUGH

NEW PARTS OF ECUADOR, PERU AND BOLIVIA, BEFORE RETURNING TO WHERE IT ALL BEGAN, IN

CHILE.

WE PERFORMED IN CAPITAL CITIES, FARMING VILLAGES, INDIGENOUS ISLANDS AND TOURIST

TOWNS.

WE PLAYED ON SUNNY COASTS, WINDY MOUNTAINS, WET JUNGLES AND DUSTY DESERTS.

WITH A ONE AND A HALF METRE LONG SUITCASE, WEIGHING UP TO 40 KILOS, WE MOVED ACROSS

THE LATIN AMERICAN CONTINENT IN BUSES, TAXIS, CARS, MOTO TAXIS, TRUCKS, BOATS, CANOES,

AIRPLANES, COMBIVANS, AND A LOT OF WALKING.

HOW DID YOU DO IT? WELL, INITIALLY WE WERE INVITED TO PERFORM IN SOME COMMUNITY THEATRE FESTIVALS.

THESE FESTIVALS DID NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES TO PAY US, BUT THEY COULD HOST US IN THEIR

HOMES AND FEED US.

IN THESE FESTIVALS WE MET MANY ARTISTS FROM MANY PARTS OF LATIN AMERICA, WHO BEGAN

OPENING THEIR HOMES TO US. SO WE TRAVELLED BETWEEN COMMUNITY THEATRE FESTIVALS, COM-

MUNITY ART PROJECTS AND THE HOMES OF FRIENDLY ARTISTS.

TO SUSTAIN THE PROJECT FINANCIALLY, WE PERFORMED CIRCUS AT TRAFFIC LIGHT INTERSECTIONS

AND IN PUBLIC PARKS. THANKS TO THE DONATIONS FROM THE AUDIENCES, WE WERE ABLE TO COVER

OUR DAY TO DAY COSTS.

EVERY NOW AND AGAIN, THE OPPORTUNITY AROSE TO FACILITATE WORKSHOPS AND TO PERFORM

SHOWS FOR LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES, CIRCUS CONVENTIONS AND BIGGER FESTIVALS THAT WERE

ABLE TO HOST US, FEED US AND PAY US TOO!

WHAT WAS THE EXPERIENCE LIKE? PERFORMING IN THE COMMUNITY THEATRE FESTIVALS SHOWED ME THE POWER OF THE IMAGINA-

TION AND ENTHUSIASM. YOUNG PEOPLE TRANSFORMING THEIR NEIGHBOURHOODS INTO ARTISTIC

SPACES. BASKETBALL COURTS AND SOCCER FIELDS BECAME THEATRICAL STAGES, SCHOOLS BECAME HO-

TELS, PARKS AND STREETS BECAME CIRCUSES, MEALS BECAME MOMENTS TO SHARE IDEAS AND DREAMS.

THESE ACTS OF TRANSFORMATION WERE VERY POWERFUL, DEMONSTRATING HOW A DESIRE FOR

CHANGE CAN LEAD TO THE REALIZATION OF AN INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL. BEYOND THE FESTIVALS,

I WAS ALSO MOVED BY THE EXCHANGES OF GENEROSITY AND SMILES. IT IS FULFILLING WHEN WE

INVEST OUR LOVE IN OUR ART AND THE AUDIENCE OR WITNESSES RESPOND WITH HONEST APPRE-

CIATION.

WE EXCHANGED OUR ART FOR TIPS, FOR HOMES, FOR MEALS, FOR FRESH FRUITS & VEGETABLES

AND MANY BEAUTIFUL SMILES AND IN SO DOING, FORMED THOUSANDS OF MOMENTARY YET LASTING

FRIENDSHIPS.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO GO ON SUCH A LONG TRIP? MY FIRST TASTE OF STREET THEATRE WAS IN MEXICO. IT WAS HERE THAT I FIRST SAW CIRCUS AT

TRAFFIC LIGHTS AND CLOWN SHOWS IN PUBLIC SPACES. SINCE BEGINNING TO PERFORM, I DREAMT

OF TRAVELLING THE WORLD AND SHARING MY ART. AND SINCE THAT FIRST TRIP TO MEXICO, I

HAVE ALSO VOLUNTEERED MY TIME WITH FAMILIES IN MANY RURAL COMMUNITIES IN CENTRAL AND

SOUTH AMERICA.

KNOWING THAT THESE RURAL COMMUNITIES ARE NEVER VISITED BY CIRCUSES, I FELT IT WOULD

BE A FUN OPPORTUNITY TO PAY SOME SURPRISE VISITS TO MY FRIENDS IN THESE REMOTE PLACES

AND SHARE WITH THEM MY NEW FOUND ART. (THIS LED TO PLAYING A LOT WITH THE CHILDREN,

WHO MAY BE JUGGLING AND TUMBLING AS YOU READ THIS.)

THE TRIP TOOK 16 MONTHS IN TOTAL; THIS WAS DUE TO US TRAVELLING OVERLAND ON MOST OC-

CASIONS. JUST TO REACH THE EMBERA COMMUNITY IN PANAMA TOOK AN ENTIRE NIGHT IN BUS, AN

HOUR IN A BOAT, AND ENTIRE DAY OF WAITING AT A PORT, AND 2 HOURS IN A LOG CANOE BEING

TOSSED ARROUND IN STORMY WATERS.

THEATRE AND CIRCUS SHOW GALLLERY

INTERNATIONAL THEATRE AND

FREE ART FESTIVAL

AREQUIPA, PERU

INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY ART &

THEATRE FESTIVAL CHICLAYO, PERU

INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY AND INDEPENDENT THEATRE FESTIVAL

PIURA, PERU

INTERNATIONAL CLOWN FESTIVAL EMPAYASADOS

LA PAZ, BOLIVIA

ITINERANT COMMUNITY THEATRE FESTIVAL

COMAS, LIMA, PERU

QUITO OVATION

QUITO, ECUADOR

QUITUMBE OVATION

QUITO, ECUADOR

INTERNATIONAL THEATRE FESTIVAL IN ZARZAL

VALE DEL CAUCA, COLOMBIA

CIRCUS ARTS AND COMMUNITY CUTURAL FESTIVAL

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO

THE INTERNATIONAL CLETA

CERVANTINO THEATRE FESTIVAL

GUANAJUATO, MEXICO

OZOMATLI FESTIVAL

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO

ANGELOPOLIS UNIVERSITY

ATLIXCO, MEXICO

SAN MARCOS SCHOOL

LAGO ATITLAN, GUATEMALA

FITMA FESTIVAL

PANCHIMALCO, EL SALVADOR

COMMUNITY DAY

TIEMPOS NUEVOS THEATRE

SAN ANTONIO DE LOS RANCHOS

EL SALVADOR

COMMUNITY TOUR

LA SIEMBRA THEATRE

TRINIDAD SANTA BARBARA

HONDURAS

COMEDY & MIME SCHOOL

GRANADA

NICARAGUA

UPALA COMMUNITY FESTIVAL

CIRCOLO CIRCUS

UPALA, COSTA RICA

VARIETY SHOW, CIRCOLO CIRCUS

SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA

COMMUNITY CULTURAL FESTIVAL DESAMPARADOS

SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA

EMBERA COMMUNITY SHOW

MOGUE, DARIEN, PANAMA

EL GLOBO CIRCUS FESTIVAL

MANIZALES, COLOMBIA

SAN JUAN DE DIOS REHABILITATION CLINIC

MANIZALES, COLOMBIA

PILOSO FAMILY THEATRE

TUMBACO, ECUADOR

INTERNATIONAL THEATRE FESTIVAL IN EL ALTO

EL ALTO, BOLIVIA

INTERNATIONAL STAGE ARTS FESTIVAL

LIMA, PERU

STREET THEATRE AND TRAFFIC LIGHT PERFORMANCE GALLERY

PLAZA DE LA MERCED

TRUJILLO, PERU

TRAFFIC LIGHT

INTERSECTION

CHICLAYO, PERU

STUPID STATUE ESTUPIDO

AREQUIPA, PERU

DINOSAUR HUNTER STATUE

QUITO, ECUADOR

100% AUTHENTIC ORIGINAL EGYPTIAN MUMMY

QUITO, ECUADOR

TRAFFIC LIGHT PERFORMANCE

QUITO, ECUADOR

PLAZA DE LA PAZ

SAN CRISTOBAL, MEXICO

PLAZA SOLOLA

SOLOLA, GUATEMALA

SLACK ROPE CONFISCATED BY POLICE FOR SWINGING BETWEEN TREES

ANTIGUA, GUATEMALA

TRAFFIC LIGHT INTERSECTION MAGIC WAND PERFORMANCE

COBAN, GUATEMALA

PLAZA DE ARMAS

COBAN, GUATEMALA

PLAZA DE ARMAS

COBAN, GUATEMALA

BASKETBALL COURT

SAN PABLO DE ATITLAN, GUATEMALA

PLAZA DE ARMAS

SANTA ANA

EL SALVADOR

FRUIT & VEGETABLE MARKETS

SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA

TRAFFIC LIGHT INTERSECTION SLACK ROPE PERFORMANCE

PANAMA CITY, PANAMA

STREET PERFORMANCE

MIRAFLORES

LIMA, PERU

CLOWN AND SLACK ROPE WORKSHOPS GALLERY

SLACK ROPE CLINICS: PERU, COLOMBIA, MEXICO & EL SALVADOR

CLOWN CLINICS: PERU, BOLIVIA, ECUADOR, COLOMBIA, MEXICO, HONDURAS,

EL SALVADOR & COSTA RICA

AND NOW WHAT?THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF EACH YEAR I AM INVITED TO PERFORM IN MANY COMMUNITY THEA-

TRE FESTIVALS. NONE OF THESE FESTIVALS HAVE THE FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO PAY MY TRANSPORT

FROM CHILE, NOR PAY FOR MY SHOWS.

AS I AM A BELIEVER IN THESE FESTIVALS AND THE TRANSFORMATIONAL POWER THAT THEY PRO-

DUCE IN COMMUNITIES, I AM ALWAYS ENTHUSIASTIC TO PERFORM AND PARTICIPATE, AND TRY TO

SEEK SPONSORSHIP FROM SUPPORTERS TO FUND THESE TRIPS.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN SPONSORING A FUTURE

MYFRIENDTITO PROJECT YOU CAN CONTACT ME AT:

MYFRIENDTITO@MYMADCAT.COM

YOU CAN ALSO KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TITO BY FOLLOWING:

HTTP://MYFRIENDTITO.MYMADCAT.COM

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/MYFRIENDTITO