Since January 2025, Marionet has been a project partner, and its participation supports reflection, communication, and outreach to the community on scientific activities and results. We have been following its scientific development since the beginning and have already begun working with communities near urban rivers, conducting several interviews with people in these contexts. Based on their testimonies and the project's scientific results, we will create the theatre show ‘Play for Rivers’ (Peça para Rios), which will premiere in May 2026. We intend for the performances of this play to transform urban rivers into a stage for joint reflection on the relationship between human health and urban aquatic ecosystems.
The performances will take place outdoors at the Madrigueira urban stream in Coimbra. The audience will experience a fictional story about the streams’ ecosystem, biodiversity, ecological status, cultural significance, historical and economic importance, and relevance to the future of cities and citizens’ wellbeing. We expect that attending the performance in a stream environment will increase awareness and engagement with the subject matter.