Espaço Travessia, at the Nise da Silveira Institute, celebrates 10 years, uniting art, culture and health.

Throughout the day, the space hosted workshops, artistic performances, exhibitions, and meetings - Pâmela Perez / IMAS Nise da Silveira

Where once there were closed doors and isolation, today music, poetry, encounters, and creative freedom echo. For 10 years, Espaço Travessia has been reinterpreting a place marked by exclusion into a territory of art, culture, conviviality, and affection. To celebrate this journey, the space held, last Thursday (May 21st), the special program “A Day of Poetry, 10 Years of Travessia,” integrated into the Nós na Luta Festival: For a Society without Asylums. Throughout the day, the space hosted workshops, artistic presentations, exhibitions, and encounters that reaffirm the power of art and culture as tools for care in freedom.

In the past, the site housed a large infirmary where people suffering from mental illness were interned without their dignity and individuality being considered. After the psychiatric reform that took place at the Nise da Silveira Municipal Institute, Travessia now operates in dialogue and is open to the public, marking a great achievement for Mental Health. The celebration marks not only a decade of the space's existence, but also the continuity of a project that daily reaffirms the importance of culture, care, and coexistence as tools for inclusion and citizenship.

– Travessia has shown a very successful trajectory in replacing traditional psychiatric practices with others that essentially encompass art. It is a creative expression of what we understand by psychiatric reform within the realm of culture – says Erika Pontes, psychologist and director of the Nise da Silveira Municipal Institute.

For the director, celebrating these 10 years is also an invitation to break down the invisible walls that still separate the institution from society:

– We hope that the public will frequent these spaces more often, learn about the history of the institute and our projects. Espaço Travessia is an excellent place to welcome everyone who appreciates art and fights for the SUS (Brazilian public healthcare system), for psychiatric reform, and for the anti-asylum movement. It's a unique opportunity to experience such a distinctive space in the North Zone of Rio – he invites.

The celebration brought together users of the Psychosocial Care Network, mental health professionals, family members, and the general public in a program marked by the appreciation of multiple forms of expression. Activities included clay modeling workshops, observational drawing, and collage, as well as the opening of a collective exhibition that remained available throughout the event.

In the afternoon, the "Grandma's iPod" DJ set took place, followed by presentations of cordel literature, poetry, and an open mic, transforming Travessia into a large space for artistic sharing and free expression. This day became even more special with the launch of the book "Poesias Agudas" (Sharp Poems) by Altair Pinheiro, strengthening the dialogue between literature and mental health.

There was also a performance by the Ballet Oṣun, which brought a sensitive experience inspired by ancestry to the festival, and the monologue "A Man of No Importance," which moved the audience by addressing, through theater, themes related to existence, invisibility, and humanity. To conclude the program, a large party was held to promote interaction among the participants.

Upon completing a decade of existence, Espaço Travessia strengthens bonds, amplifies voices, and creates opportunities for expression for mental health service users through art and culture. The gathering celebrated the daily construction of a society without asylums.

“Travessia transformed my life and became something very important to me,” says Miriam Galvão, a user who is part of the history of Espaço Travessia. “Here we have the autonomy to choose everything, every corner, and what we are going to do. Travessia is the gateway for users to discover themselves, and they are succeeding,” she celebrates.

Crossing Space

In a space that holds an important part of the history of mental health in the municipality, the corridors of the former asylum of the Nise da Silveira Municipal Institute have gained new colors and new meanings with the Espaço Travessia (Crossing Space). The space houses exhibitions, cultural presentations, and studios where artists produce their works, share experiences, and offer workshops open to the public. The aim is to be a place for encounters, conviviality, production, and dissemination of artists, especially from the suburbs of Rio de Janeiro. The professionals who work there are also promoters of mental health through different artistic and cultural activities.

The Travessia Space is located in the Casa do Sol of the Nise da Silveira Municipal Institute, on Rua Ramiro Magalhães, 521, in Engenho de Dentro, in the North Zone of the city of Rio de Janeiro. Visits to the cultural occupation take place from Monday to Friday, from 10 am to 17 pm. Admission is free.