Teatro Metaphora - Associação de Amigos das Artes
The Pitch
Teatro Metaphora tapped into community creativity by organizing annual urban art exhibitions made from solid waste by volunteers. The program kept waste out of the landfill and encouraged people to reduce the amount of waste they generate.
The Problem
Island residents were disengaged from waste management and isolated from community life. The community did not have a shared sustainability culture to encourage environmentally friendly practices.
The Process
- Collected waste for community members to use in annual urban street art installations; Iterations include:
- 2016: steam-punk street installation made of old washing machine parts
- 2017 & 2018: collected 25,000+ soda cans, 400 glass bottles and dozens of old bicycle wheels
- 2019: made chandeliers from old shirts
- 2021: used a wide variety of urban waste
The Impact
- Reduced the amount of litter on the island and sent waste to landfills
- Spurred frequent waste collection: Volunteers collect waste regularly to use in art installations
- Collaborated with local businesses to divert their waste from the landfill and turn it into art
- Attracts locals, tourists and volunteers to annual art exhibitions
- Improved residents’ and organizations’ awareness about waste reduction
- Inspired people to reuse and avoid waste
- Helped neighbors meet and bond with each other through art
