Cristina's curatorial practice started in 2011 by co-founding the artist-run platform desNORTE, which was crucial for the then-artistic-desert of Porto to develop a discourse.
Currently, as an intersectional feminist-artist, having led a public institution for 7 years, she advocates for an artist-centric approach and a more sustained practice towards dialogue, care relationships, work ethics, and equity, despite the voracity and demands of institutions.
A performing arts curator, dramaturge, and choreographer, Cristina works as a consultant and curator for foundations, cultural organizations, and companies. Her integrated curatorial practice focuses on the development of sustainable creative formats, new narratives, and caring relationships within the performing arts, with a growing interest in experimental practices that are politically and socially engaged. She has a strong interest in the intersections of curatorial and organizational practices with those of research and education and possesses extensive knowledge of the contemporary dance and performance field. Over the years, Cristina has blurred the lines between disciplines, nationalities, and hierarchies, and she sees the role of the curator as a facilitator.
Her tenure from 2018 to 2024 as curator and later as Artistic Director at Teatro Municipal do Porto, DDD – Festival Dias da Dança, and CAMPUS Paulo Cunha e Silva has left a transformative legacy. During this time, she launched a pivotal residency center in 2021, expanded the institution’s reach, and brought international collaboration to the forefront.
Cristina is the Co-Artistic Director of Something Great Arts Centre (DE), contributing to its new curatorial framework as a contemporary performing arts center that will reopen to the public in 2026.
Cristina has served as an artistic consultant for Braga'27, was part of the direction of REDE, and has participated in several jury panels, including for PT / O Espaço do Tempo (2023 and 2025), Conde Duque, Madrid (2024), and is a nominator for the Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian SEDA Prize.
