PUNTO Space & Group .BR Celebrate Brazilian Independence Day

NEW YORK - Aug. 4, 2016 - PRLog -- On September 8, 2016, 6‒9 p.m., PUNTO Space co-founders will celebrate Brazilian Independence Day with an open house and arts-focused happy hour at its three-level midtown venue in partnership with Group .BR, New York's only Brazilian theater company. Secondarily, the celebration will focus on Group .BR, which is currently in pre-launch for a fundraiser campaign and gala for an original theater performance based on the life and works of Brazilian writer Clarice Lispector. Event partners include Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, SOS EB Kids Organization, Abada Caipoeira, and Maria Bonita Spa New York.  The International Brazilian Opera Company will make a guest appearance.  Several New York based Brazilian photographers, artists, and performers will present work to include Aline Müller, Alcinda Saphira, Davi Barbosa, João Henrique Brandão, Fauna, Danielle Villela, Thiago El Mattos, Baioca, Lívia Sá, Peter Azen, Antonio Oliveira Filho, Alana Rosa, Sergio Krakowski, João MacDowell, and Athena Azevedo.  The invite can be viewed at https://vivabrazil.splashthat.com/.

The three-level venue that officially launched in 2014 in Manhattan's Fashion and Theater District was founded by Debora Balardini, Sandie Luna, and Duke York as a raw space for cultural events, arts, performances, weddings, and production. PUNTO Space's multicultural roots span Brazil, the Dominican Republic, and the United States and compel the team to observe diverse cultural events and national and international holidays and festivals.

As the venue is founded first and foremost by performing artists with social good, education, philanthropy, and culture in mind, PUNTO looked to its co-founder, Brazilian native Debora Balardini, to align the values of both brands for this year's celebration of Brazilian Independence Day. As Group .BR's co-founder, Balardini well understood that the venue and Brazilian theater group values intersected at an ideal opportunity to position the Independence Day celebration as one to spotlight Brazilian theater and PUNTO's affinity for visual and performing artists.

Ever interested in giving voice to niche performance-based initiatives, Balardini comments on her interest in closing the culture and gender gaps in the arts: "As a woman-founded Brazilian theater group, the whole experience is exciting. While most people know Brazilian music, the food, the beautiful people and Carnival, Group .BR seeks to showcase all of Brazilian culture. Both PUNTO and Group .BR support artists to be seen and exposed and endeavor to be a home to culture and the arts."

Group .BR co-founder Andressa Furletti eagerly anticipates the celebration of Brazilian arts, commenting, "Before co-founding Group .BR with Debora, I couldn't accept the fact that there was no Brazilian theater company in New York. It's thrilling to find people and a venue that embrace our mission to bring Brazilian culture to NY through the performing arts."

Sandie Luna, also a co-founder of PUNTO Space comments on the relevance of diverse theater: "Punto is a hub for self-expression, be it artistic, creative, cultural or entrepreneurial. We are particularly invested in expanding beyond the expected, and .BR is a master of this as every one of their productions give the NYC audience a deeper and more authentic look into Brazilian culture. We are committed to have our programming reflect our interests and the wide breadth of our founders' background."

PUNTO Space and Group .BR steadily prepare for the events and a busy fall season.

About PUNTO Space (http://puntospace.com/):

Founded in 2014 by Debora Balardini, Duke York and Sandie Luna, PUNTO is a three-level venue for events, performances, weddings and art happenings in the Fashion and Theater District. With its contemporary storefront feature, over 3,500 square feet of space and over 4,000 square feet of clean, white walls, PUNTO transforms with each performance, gala or corporate or private event. It has held events for names that include Anheuser-Busch, Double Verify, Uptown Fashion Week, xAd, Uzo Aduba and the Bella Magazine/Kristin Cavalleri. Punto offers a variety of rental options, customizable packages, state-of-the-art facilities and amenities and attentive customer service to make any event a beautiful and successful one.

Group .BR (http://group.br.com):

Group .BR, founded by Andressa Furletti, Debora Balardini, and Thiago Felix, is currently the only all-Brazilian theater company in NYC. Since its inception in 2011, Group .BR has become known for its public readings, Brazilian cultural events, and fully produced theater performances and continues to serve as the voice of Brazilian culture beyond stereotypes. To date, the company has produced A Serpente by Brazil's most known and controversial dramaturge, Nelson Rodrigues, which awarded the team a Brazilian International Press Award nomination. In 2013 Infinite While It Lasts, Group .BR's first devised work based on the life and work of Brazilian poet and composer Vinicius de Moraes, landed the company nominations for an Innovative Theater Award and its second nomination for a Brazilian International Press Award.