Ana Gabriela Ribeiro
ABOUT
The Brand (CARMEN)
Why Carmen Creative Cultural Tours?
Carmen was born in Rio in 2019, as a brand that carries my creative DNA. Although I was not named Carmen, the name has always resonated deeply with me — echoing both the expressive spirit of Carmen Miranda and the dramatic intensity of Carmen from Carmen de Biset.
Carmen represents that part of me — passionate, artistic and deeply connected to all forms of storytelling.
Today, my work brings together performance, storytelling and cultural observation.
Rather thank offering traditional tours, I create carefully curated narrative experiences that encourage curiosity, dialogue and reflection.
Brand philosophy
Where storytelling meets cultural insight and critical reflection.
My Bio
I was born in Rio and moved to Estoril at the age of eight, growing up between cultures and perspectives that would later shape my work.
I hold a BA in Cultural Communication from the Catholic University of Lisbon, and my background is rooted in the performing arts. I trained in classical ballet until my twenties, later moving to London to study Musical Theatre.
In my thirties, I lived in Paris for six years where I completed an MFA in Film directing.
I later returned to Rio de Janeiro where I created my first theatrical experience for tourism, Encantos do Alto, and worked as professional tour guide with international tourism agencies, such as Quimbaya Latin America.
Alongside my work in tourism, I am also writer. I published the novel Provincial Country club, a satirical look at the conservative and aspirational elite of Cascais, and I was awarded 3rd place at the SCRIPT V+ with the comedy screenplay Madam.
Today, my work brings together performance, storytelling and cultural observation.
My experiences are not designed to celebrate places uncritically, nor to reduce history to simple narratives.
Instead, they invite guests to engage with cultural through carefully curated storytelling, cultural observation and critical reflexion.
This is storytelling not simply to entertain, but to deepen the way we see a place.
Previous Creative Experience
Encantos do Alto - Rio de Janeiro (2019)
A cultural sightseeing tour that showcases the Alto da Boavista neighbourhood.
Though the eyes of the historical figures that lived in the area.
Originally developed in collaboration with researcher Bruno Toussaint Pereira and later presented to the Blumar Tourism Agency, the project explored Brazilian nature, art and history through a more experiential and narrative-driven approach.
This early project reflects the foundations of the curatorial and storytelling perspective that continues to shape my work today.
