Bio Daniela Sousa
(aka DANIELLA VOL)
SYNOPSIS
She is a transdisciplinary performance artist and producer, whose work branches out into other cultural areas, such as visual arts, international crossovers, event design, entrepreneurship concepts and cultural management, as well as CFO oversight of all platforms of Alternative Cultural Center. She is one of the three founders of the Custom Circus company; of Nirvana Studios; of the Custom Café Theater, of the macro community of musicians Band Boxes, of the Erasmus Hub, among other pioneer projects in Portugal and recognized in Europe.
Born in Porto - Portugal in 1972.
INTERPRETATION, PERFORMANCE, PRODUCTION and MANAGEMENT
Since the beginning of Custom Circus, her work has been inseparable from the general management of the company. A responsibility she has been taking on in parallel with her own artistic persona's performances in the following shows:
“Le Cabaret Rock” - Reloaded (2022 - present)
“Going Crazy” - (2021 - 2022)
“Art For Peace” - (2021)
“Loco'Motive” - (2020 - present)
“Absurdium” - (2017 - 2019)
“The Journey” - Best Of (2015 - 2017)
“Heirs of the Apokalipse” “The Performance” - (2016 - 2019)
“Bizarre Chic” - (2014 - 2015)
“Le Cabaret Rock” - (2012 - 2013)
“Gigolo Dance” - (2008 - 2011)
“Performers of Fire” - (2007 - 2008)
“Prisoners of the Blues” - (2006 - 2007)
“Theatre on Wheels” - (2005 - 2010)
“Custom Party” - (2004 - 2010)
“Full Moon” - (2004 - 2006)
“Custom Parade” - (2003 - 2009)
“The Saga of the Wheel” - (2002)
ART - MAIN EXHIBITIONS
Among various other exhibitions, as a visual artist she was the co-creator of the following projects:
• The Paradoxical Collection:
Saga Caravan (since 2021), resident piece at the National Railway Museum - Entroncamento, curated by Manuel de Novaes Cabral
Loco'Motive (since 2020), resident at Nirvana Studios, curated by Silvana Bessone
Atland Monowheel (since 2019), resident piece at the National Coach Museum - Lisbon, curated by João Mendes Rosa
• Limbus infinitus
Vernissage at the STRANGE Gallery in 2020
Curatorship of the National Railway Museum Foundation by Maria José Teixeira and Carla Alexandra Serapicos
• Heirs of the Apokalipse - Time Capsules
Since 2016 - Vernissage at Oeiras Marina
Curated by Fátima de Llera (CEO of In Situ)
• Nirvana Studios - Outdoor Art Gallery
Visitable since 2004
TELEVISION
• Le Cabaret Rock (2023), 60-minute television episode produced by West Coast Films. International representation by distributor Lukarn France
- Imdb TV Special
- This program premiered in its cinema version at "Atlântida Cine" in the Azores
- It was one of the main protagonists of this episode
• Loco'Motive (2021), a short film directed by Action 300, premiered at "Cinema São Jorge", as part of the "Lisbon Motorcycle Film Fest".
- She was one of the main protagonists of this episode
PROJECTS, CULTURAL SPACES and MAIN CONCEPTS
In her path of artistic and cultural entrepreneurship, she was one of the three co-creators of the following projects:
“Custom Circus” - Transdisciplinary Theater and Visual Arts Company - Conceptualized in 1988 - Founded in 1996 - Consolidated in 2002
“Nirvana Studios” - The Alternative Cultural Center - Conceptualized in 1996. Founded in 2003
“Band Box - Band Boxes” - Macro Community of Musicians - Founded in 2007
“Teatro Custom Café” - Transdisciplinary Theatre - Conceptualized in 2004 - Started in 2008 - Opened in 2012
Gallery STRANGE - Pluridisciplinary and Experimental Gallery - Opened in 2004 - called Black Box until 2012
Custom Ville - Artist and Student Residencies - Opened in 2017
Erasmus Hub - International Hosting Platform for Cultural Internships - Opened in 2022
Art Express - Wall of Fame - Cosmopolitan Artist Residency Facility - Inaugurated in 2008
COMPLEMENTARY ACTIVITIES
“Oeiras Fora da Caixa” - Editorial management (since 2017)
“OBS - Oeiras Band Sessions” - Host Jury (since 2009)
“STRANGE Gallery” - She has been selecting and signing its residences and foster homes (since 2006)
“Nirvana Studios Festival - Open Day” - Artistic production (since 2004)
ACADEMIC and CORPORATE TRAINING
In 1995 she graduated in Management and Business Administration at the Lusíada University in Lisbon. She later complemented her academic degree with a Master's in the same area.
Soon after graduating she was an assistant at Euro RSCG until 1996 in the area of corporate events and brand launches. In the same year she also became a consultant for Warner Music in these same areas (position she held until 2000).
Still in 1996 she co-founded the production company Nirvana, where she began her career as executive producer of corporate artistic events for film and album releases for Warner Studios, Polygram, BMG, Sony, Universal, among others, involving projects such as:
In 1997 she was co-creator of the "Digital Award of the Portuguese Phonographic Association".
Managed the department of shows and events of the former Aquaparque in Restelo from 1996 to 1997, where in the production company Nirvana she co-created and co-produced the two editions of "GML- Grande Meeting de Lisboa", which was the 1st Portuguese event dedicated to Custom Culture in its entirety.
In the production company Nirvana, she coordinated and produced several shows, including during the "Euro2004". After that year, she started to dedicate herself exclusively to the Custom Circus and Nirvana Studios agenda.
She was co-creator of the international platform Nirvana Roadshows, which provided dozens of exotic vehicles and roadshow trucks for dozens of multinational brand tours.
ARTISTIC and PERFORMATIVE TRAINING
(1996 - 2008)
Attended theatrical courses of Performative Dance in Burlesque and Vintage Cabaret aesthetics at Espaço Reflexo in Lisbon.
In the choreographic performance field she started training in Gothic Tribal and Industrial aesthetics in Portugal and Spain, where she participated mainly in Madrid, in workshops and master classes of Cyber & Tribal Bellydance.
She complemented her training as a performer with master classes in suspension and New Circus aerial acts at Armazém 13 (aerial hoop), Jazzy Studios (aerial dance) and Jaya Aerial School (aerial hammock).
At the same time, in the sphere of visual arts, she consolidated her work as a designer of accessories, costumes and theatrical props, training herself progressively and empirically thanks to workshops of jewelry techniques - including fusing and modeling metals, welding and cutting with multiple techniques of transformation and approach of materials.
Simultaneously, she followed the impromptus workshops of performance and Post-Apocalyptic art presented by Michel Alex, including during several pre-Custom Circus periods.
(1984 – 1990)
She began her artistic career in the Theatre Group of S. Mamede de Infesta in Porto, where she participated in the staging and representation of various theatrical productions presented annually in summer festival shows.
Attended Ballet, Hip Hop and Break Dance courses that she complemented with Jazz, Pop and other forms of body expression.
She was part of the track and field and acrobatic gymnastics team at St. Julian's School in Carcavelos until the end of high school.