Fernan Cardama is an actor, director and theatrical educationalist whose company is born in Alcalá la Real, Jaén, in 2003. It explores the different ways of expression that come up from the relationship between acting, the theatre of objects and the puppets.
Also, Fernán Cardama is the international consultant in organizing of the International Puppet Festival in Brazil “ SESI Bonecos” and in the International Puppet Festival, “ Titerías” of Mexico, and he was the director of the annual Meeting of Puppets for Adults of Alcala la Real, “Titereal” form the first edition in 1999 untill the last one in 2010.
The shows of the company are:
Cuatro alas. Entre el cielo y el mar
(4 Wings. Between Heaven and Sea):
last work first shown in 2011. Show of objects, puppets and acting, for children and family audiences. It is the story of 4 wings, the fish that wanted to fly, of all the obstacles that he had to overcome in order to do it, and of those who helped him in doing so.
El Regalo (The Gift):
first shown in 2008 and inspired in Isabel Allende's short story Regalo para una novia (Gift for a girlfriend). Show of acting, magic details and use of flat shapes with mechanisms aimed at children and family audiences.
Historias de media suela (Stories of Half Sole):
show of objects and acting for children and family audiences first shown in April 2006. Show told with shoes, where minor stories and a version of Little Red Riding Hood take place.
This work has achieved:
• Best Show of Small Format Award - in the European Fair of Theatre for Children of Gijon (Spain), FETEN 2007.
• Best Show Award - given by the Children Jury in the International Puppets Festival Three Are Too Many - Two Not Enough of Plovdiv, Bulgaria, 2008.
La vuelta al mundo en 80 días
(Around the World in 80 Days):
first shown in January 2004. It is an adaptation for a single actor of the novel by Jules Verne, worked with the aesthetics of the antique toys.
This work has achieved:
• Best Small Format Show Award - in the European Fair of Theatre for Children of Gijon (Spain), FETEN 2004.
• Jury Special Mention - in the Palma del Río Fair (Córdoba, Spain), 2004, because of its intelligent and sensitive approach for family audiences. Also, because of its adaptation from Jules Verne novel and for its original production.
• Imagine 2005-2006 Best Show Award - given by the Cultural Centre of the Villa de Nerja, Spain.
Llego el cartero!!! (The Postman’s arrived!!!):
first shown in November, 2001. Show of puppets and acting. This adaptation of the short story Sucedidos 2 (Happened 2) by Eduardo Galeano, has achieved:
• Sensational New Company Award - Theatre Fair of Palma del Río, Córdoba, (Spain), 2002.
• Best Interpretation and Handling Award - Puppets Festival, Albaida, Valencia, (Spain), 2002.
In the international sphere:
• Best Acting and Handling Award, International Festival of Puppets, Plovdiv, (Bulgaria). September 2003.
• Best Show Special Mention - International Festival of Puppets, Plovdiv, (Bulgaria), Holland Jury (Representatives of Stichting Oost-Europa Projecten, Dordrech), September 2003.
HAMLET, eres o te haces? (Hamlet, Are You? or Do You Pretend to Be?): Adaptation of Shakespeare's classic in clown clef aimed at adolescents and family audiences.
In the year 2004 Fernán Cardama receives the Lugia Award given by ADSUR "Association of Development of the Region Sierra Sur" (Jaén), Fostering of the Regional Culture “Sierra Sur de Jaén”.
The company has taken part in numerous festivals with its different plays.
In the international sphere:
• Internacional Festival of Puppets, “ Al sur del Sur”, 2011.
• Titerías International Festival 2011, Mexico City D.F., Mexico.
• I International Festival of the Theatre of Objects, Brazilia, Brazil. December 2010.
• I International Festival of the Theatre of Objects. Campo Grande, Brazil. December 2010.
• I International Festival of the Theatre of Objects. Florianopolis, Brazil - 2010.
• 8° International Festival of Language Exchange. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. July 2010.
• I International Festival of the Theatre of Objects. Porto Alegre, Brazil - 2010.
• I International Festival of the Theatre of Objects. Manaos, Brazil - 2010.
• 13th Teheran International Puppet Festival, Iran. July 2010.
• 9th International Workshop of Puppet Theatre. Matanzas, Cuba. April 2010.
• II International Festival of the Theatre of Objects. Belo Horizonte, Brazil - 2010.
• I International Festival of the Theatre of Objects. Belo Horizonte, Brazil -2009.
• 7th International Puppet Theatre, “Titerías”. Mexico D.F. - 2009.
• Puppet Festival. Mireya Cueto, Mexico - 2009.
• Ishara International Puppet Festival, New Delhi, India - 2008.
• 13th International Festival of Contemporary Art, Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico - 2008.
• X Theatre Festival, Nuevo Leon, Monterrey, Mexico - 2008.
• Puppet International Festival, Three Are Too Many - Two Not Enough, Plovdiv, Bulgaria, 2008.
• Puppet International Festival, “Titerías”. Mexico D.F.,
Mexico , 2007.
• International Festival of the Theatre for Children, Bogota, Colombia, 2007.
• Puppet International Festival, To the South of the South, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 2007.
• Presentations in the Cervantes de Aman Institute Library, Jordania, 2007.
• International Festival of Children's Theatres, Subotica, Serbia, 2007.
• Puppet International Festival, “Titerías”. Guanajuato, México, 2006.
• Theatre Festival of Bonecos do Shopping Jardim Sul, Sao Pablo, Brazil, 2005.
• International Theatre Festival of Curitiba, Brazil, 2005.
• Theatre Programmes Trinidade of Lisbon, Portugal, 2005.
• International Winter Festival, La Plata, Argentina, 2005.
• International Festival of Puppet Theatre, Ryazan, Russia, 10° edition, 2005.
• Puppet International Festival, Three Are Too Many - Two Not Enough, Plovdiv, Bulgaria, 2005.
• Guiñol National Theatre of Havana, Cuba, 2005.
• Scenic Arts Season of Matanza, Cuba, 2005.
• Special Christmas Programme, Ljubljana, Slovenia, 2005.
• Puppet International Theatre, “Titerías”. Guanajuato, Mexico, 2004.
• "Sitges" International Festival of Budapest, Hungary, 2004.
• Puppet International Festival, Three Are Too Many - Two Not Enough, Plovdiv, Bulgaria, 2003.
• Puppet International Theatre, Cordoba, Argentina, 2002.
• International Art Festival of Coahuila, Mexico, 2002.
• Puppet International Festival of Porto Alegre, Brazil, 2002.
Other activities of the company are:
Workshops for clowns; workshops of Theatre of Objects and special workshops concerning the topics of the different plays that the company performs.
Fernán Cardama was co-founder of the company Esfera Teatro (Sphere Theatre) that settles down in Alcalá la Real, Jaén (from 1996 to 2003).