The extension project “Arquivos e Memórias do Teatro de Cultura Popular Chico Daniel”, developed by the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, began its activities in the first half of 2026 with the aim of preserving the memory of the Teatro de Cultura Popular (TCP), an important cultural space founded in 2004 and considered the third public theater in Natal.
The initiative arose from professor Terezinha Petrucia da Nóbrega's concern about the situation of the theater's printed materials collection, which was exposed to rain, dust and fungi, putting the preservation of documents at risk. Given this scenario, a partnership was signed between TCP and the Social History Experimentation Laboratory (LEHS/UFRN) to develop actions to restore, conserve and catalog the material.
The project also foresees the creation of an organized and systematized archive of the theater, in addition to an exhibition that should take place later this year during the reopening of the cultural space.
The collection brings together around 3,000 documents, including pamphlets, posters, newspaper articles, booklets, tickets and diaries that help tell the story of the TCP and cultural production in Rio Grande do Norte. According to the team, the materials document the presence of actors, singers, shows, exhibitions and theater companies from different regions of the country, in addition to recording aspects related to cultural life and public investment in culture.
The project activities are divided into cleaning, digitization, editing, conservation and cataloging stages, carried out at LEHS/UFRN. Currently, the team works in the cleaning and cataloging phases. To date, more than 250 documents have been sanitized and more than 200 catalogued.
To ensure adequate preservation of the originals, students and collaborators participated in document conservation workshops on paper, taught by professor Patrícia Macedo, from the Department of Information Science at UFRN. The training guided the team on techniques for cleaning, restoring, cataloging and digitizing materials.
The project also intends to expand public access to the collection. Among the proposals are the creation of a permanent exhibition at TCP, allowing visitors to learn about the history of the space and the various artistic manifestations that have passed through the theater, in addition to the organization of a digital archival fund available on the internet for researchers and those interested in the topic.
According to the organizers, the initiative contributes to strengthening the historical and cultural memory of Rio Grande do Norte, especially in a context of lack of research focused on the History of Art in the state. The proposal also seeks to draw attention to the importance of preserving public cultural facilities and valuing artists and institutions that have marked the cultural trajectory of Rio Grande do Sul.
The project team is made up of professors Carmen Alveal, Luiz Arthur Nunes da Silva, Rosie Marie Nascimento de Medeiros, Terezinha Petrucia da Nóbrega and Patrícia Macedo Penna, in addition to server Daniel Cavalcanti Fernandes Campos. Also participating are undergraduates Allana Hillary Vieira de Menezes, Ana Caroline da Silva Costa, Djalma Freitas de Andrade, Giordana Kaylane Fernandes da Silva, João Victor Medeiros de Lima, Kennedy Flávio de Souza Silva, Louane Karla do Nascimento Oliveira, Marcone Maxwell Cavalcante do Nascimento and Pedro Teodoro Alcântara.
The project also counts on the collaboration of Ivonete Albano, director of TCP, and Ronaldo Costa, director of TAM.
Photos: LEHS/UFRN