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Artists and cultural producers from all over Italy congratulate Faro on its application for European Capital of Culture

30/11/2020

Several artists from the Wunderkammer project have been applauding the work done by the Faro2027 team, and their use of cultural venues across the city to host meetings, interviews and workshops, among other projects.

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THE ALGARVE HAS A NEW GROUP OF ROCKSTARS!

17/11/2020

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Faro2027 reaffirms its commitment to submitting a European Capital of Culture application with the involvement of the entire region

30/10/2020

Faro2027, As part of Faro's application for European Capital of Culture, a meeting was held that brought together cultural sector technicians and managers from across the Algarve’s Municipalities.

Faro2027, As part of Faro's application for European Capital of Culture, a meeting was held that brought together cultural sector technicians and managers from across the Algarve’s Municipalities. This meeting, which took place at the Teatro das Figuras, in Faro, was held in order to present the projects that have been developed as part of the application to the other municipalities in the region, as well as to reiterate the desire that this application be shared by all municipalities and councils across the Algarve region:“ Beyond simply joining us, we want each one to build something bigger for the region. This project must extend far beyond the application. It must be something stronger, that is firmly rooted and lives on, beyond the city’s potential nomination. We want to show the strength of a region, and how much it can contribute to developing our country, through culture.” - Rogério Bacalhau, Mayor of the Municipality Faro, said in his speech at the meeting.

"Culture is weaved into every area of socio-economic life, and if all the municipalities in the Algarve come together, we could set an example for the entire country (...)"

Though the European Capital of Culture rules state that only one city can formally apply, the European Union is increasingly encouraging applications that encompass the entire area surrounding a city. As such, proposals for regional cooperation projects were also presented at this meeting as potential contributions to the Faro2027 application, which will be discussed at AMAL headquarters (Intermunicipal Community of the Algarve - CIM Algarve), co-producer of the Application. These regional cooperation projects aim to develop a strategic vision for the cultural and creative sector in the region and invest in training cultural agents, but also in training technicians in the municipalities’ cultural sectors and other public bodies. It further aims to aid the transfer of more information and better communications between the cultural and creative sector and its various stakeholders. To reach these objectives, the Faro2027 team has proposed that several shared projects be carried out, reaffirming their willingness to work alongside municipal leaders, but also with the technicians present, and it is expected that these will be shared projects, to which each of these parties contributes: “Culture is weaved into every area of socio-economic life, and if all the municipalities in the Algarve come together, we could set an example for the entire country, demonstrating how the region develops around culture and therefore cultivates a stronger sense of citizenship, better environment, better mobility, more jobs and higher quality of life. ” - pronounced Rogério Bacalhau at the end of the meeting, while thanking everyone for their presence.

The Faro2027 team was present at the ceremony held to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Faro Convention

29/10/2020

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Faro has a new “Look over the Ria”

8/7/2020

A mural dedicated to the Ria Formosa (Formosa Lagoon)
delights all boat passengers in Faro

The riverside area in Faro has a brand new view over the Ria Formosa: a mural by local artist, Xavier Franck (João Bernardo), designed in honour of the Ria Formosa and the communities whose livelihoods depend on it, aiming, above all, to draw attention to the need to preserve this natural heritage.
The mural, which is entitled “Olhar a Ria” (Looking at the Ria), is located behind the Algarve Life Sciences Centre, facing the Ria and all who sail on it. Its original completion date having been last year, it had to be postponed due to logistical issues. However, as of today, those coming or going along Faro pier, close to the city walls, or who sail through the Ria Formosa, will be able to admire this artwork, the latest addition to Faro’s collection of urban art.

The mural was sponsored by Sciaena, with support from the Municipality of Faro, in partnership with the Algarve Life Sciences Centre and the Faro 2027 team (who is responsible for Faro’s bid for European Capital of Culture). All of these entities gathered at the boarding pier on the 27th of June, in a symbolic event in which the artist, Xavier Franck, presented his vision of the work as he added the finishing touches. “It was a pleasure to be able to create a piece of work of this size in the city I call home, dedicating it to a place as special as the Ria Formosa” said the artist, Xavier Franck, explaining that the mural is made up of two faces, one female and one male, that “represent the people of the estuary, but who also firmly take their place as guardians of this ecosystem”. The biodiversity of the landmark is also represented in the work. Cristina Veiga Pires, from the Algarve Life Sciences Centre, congratulated Sciaena for this partnership, which was able to create a closer connection between the Life Sciences Centre building, the Ria Formosa and its people, affirming that “the fact that the work contains a female face is key, in that the sea is generally only linked to men. Countless women also work on and thanks to the lagoon and the sea, however, and are an important part of the history of our region”.

Sofia Martins spoke on behalf of the Faro2027 team, reaffirming the importance of this piece of urban art as a “defining feature of the community of shellfish harvesters and fishers”, emphasising the importance of the project in “establishing a dialogue with this community and contributing to carrying out work done in their honour”. Adriano Guerra, who spoke on behalf of the Municipality, also named the “Ria Formosa the heart of the city” and recalled the importance of preserving it for Faro’s future.

The Importance of Art in a Pandemic

13/6/2020

A project run by Faro2027 in conjunction with the Cluj Cultural Centre (Romania)
aims to draw attention to the role of art in times of crisis.

“The Role of Art in Times of Crisis” is the name of a project run by the Faro2027 team, which is in charge of Faro’s application for European Capital of Culture 2027, in partnership with the Cluj-Napoca Cultural Centre, (Romania). As of today, 28 works by artists from the Algarve and Romania, created as part of the project, will be displayed on the Faro2027.pt website. Aiming to help the community at large understand and gain a new perspective on the times in which we live, the project reveals the fundamental role of art in our society.

During the state of emergency declared as a consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic, Faro2027 challenged artists from all over the Algarve to create pieces of art that both inform and raise awareness among the general public of the importance of following and complying with the recommendations put forward by health authorities for the common good. Each artist selected one of the three suggested themes - Together, Responsibility and Heroes, - producing a piece of art that could be presented easily online.

The main inspiration behind this project was the Artiști Împreună (Artists Together) movement started by the Cluj-Napoca Cultural Centre (Romania) and the Romanian Health Observatory, with the support of the Banca Transylvania banking institution. This inspiration led to a partnership being formed, in which work created by artists of both nationalities was shared, promoted and spread on each entity’s official communication channels.

The project “The Role of Art in Times of Crisis” also aims to promote a sense of closeness and community, shining a light on concrete examples of solidarity and empathy that have been essential to getting us through this difficult time. In fact, the project was also part of the exceptional measures implemented by the Municipality of Faro to support culture when the state of emergency was declared, as a response to the difficulties experienced by the cultural and creative sector of the city and the region.

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Europe “at home" through the eyes of its artists

30/4/2020

Faro2027 team launches digital project that brings together works by 28 European photographers and writers

Faced with Europe at a “standstill”, with most of the population self-isolating, the Faro2027 team challenged several European cities to portray the experience of this unprecedented moment in our history, through the lens of a photographer and the words of a writer.

The result of this work is the Europe at Home project, which brings together 14 European cities and a total of 28 photographic and literary works, portraying the social isolation we’ve all been experiencing us as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Europe at Home digital platform also features biographies of each of the artists, as well as each of the participating cities.

Faro’s contribution came from artists Vasco Célio (photography) and Sandro William Junqueira (writer).

The group of cities initially invited to take part in the project by Faro2027 believe culture to be one their main axes for development and either were, are or wish to be linked to the project and the European Capital of Culture scheme: Bodø (Norway); Chemnitz (Germany); Esch (Luxembourg); Faro (Portugal); Kaunas (Lithuania); Leeuwarden (The Netherlands); Novi Sad (Serbia); Oulu (Finland); Piran (Slovenia); Plovdiv (Bulgaria); San Sebastian (Spain/Basque Country); Tartu (Estonia); Valletta (Malta) and Veszprèm (Hungary).
4 more cities are in the process of finalising works of art that will be displayed online as part of the project, and the 2027 team wants Europe at Home to grow even further, encompassing more and more cities and more artists as well as the experiences of the citizens of Faro itself. To meet this objective, we’re inviting all “Farenses” to share their experiences of the state of emergency on social networks (if their profile is public) using the hashtag #EuropeAtHome. A compilation of these images can be seen on the homepage of the project's digital platform at europeathome.eu

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Faro, Supporting and Succeeding through culture

6/4/2020

Well-aware of its role in and responsibility for the cultural and creative sector, Faro council has launched a support programme encompassing specific initiatives for the cultural and creative sector, which, among others, has been severely affected by measures implemented in an attempt to contain and mitigate the new coronavirus.

This programme has been named "Faro Consigo na Cultura" (Faro, Supporting and Succeeding through culture), and includes eight support measures for associations, artists and cultural agents in the municipality, which will be provided by Faro city council, Teatro das Figuras and the team behind Faro's bid for European Capital of Culture 2027.

From this set of measures, which you can find out more about here, we would like to highlight three in particular, which reinforce the commitment the city is making to local creatives and artists. The deadline for applications is the 20th April.

THE ROLE OF ART IN TIMES OF CRISIS
Applications are now open for art programme "The role of art in times of crisis!". Project run in partnership with the Cluj-Napoca Cultural Centre, (Romania), aiming to help the community at large understand and gain a new perspective on the times in which we live, through art.

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FIGURES AT HOME
Applications are now open for Figuras em Casa (Figures at Home), a set of performances carried out from artists’ homes and broadcast live on the Municipality of Faro and Teatro das Figuras’ digital platforms. This project will kick off with a concert by artist Nelson Conceição at 9 pm on Thursday the 9th, on the Teatro das Figuras Facebook page

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EMERGING CYCLE
Applications are now open for Ciclo Emergente (Emerging Cycle), art residencies held in the artist's own house or studio, the result of which will be presented in 2021 at Teatro das Figuras, in the municipality of Faro’s and its partners’ exhibition venues, public areas and as part of initiatives run by Faro council

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Applications close on the 20th April

6/4/2020

"The Role of Art in Times of Crisis!" is a cultural project aimed at all artists working in the Algarve region, who want to help the community understand and gain a new perspective of the crisis we are all experiencing, through their art.

Artists interested in participating must choose one of three themes for their artwork: Responsibility, Together and Heroes.
Works of art encompassing all areas of art (visual arts, digital arts, performing arts, music, literature, dance, theatre, design, etc.), including any further innovative forms, are welcome. Given the current circumstances, however, any format chosen must be easy to present online.

Artists wishing to participate should apply through the online form, and the work must comply with specific requirements and objectives.

Click HERE for more information and to access the application form.

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Thank you to everyone who took part.

23/3/2020

Thank you for your interest and participation in the diagnosis and consultation phase of Faro’s Strategic Plan for Culture.

Faro’s Strategic Plan for Culture is promoted by the Faro Municipal Council and aims to structure local public policies regarding development and investment in the cultural and creative sector of the municipality of Faro in the short, medium and long term.

Having started this process in October 2019, we recently concluded the diagnosis and reflection phase on the positioning of the cultural and creative sector within the municipality. This included several instances in which we listened to key figures, entities and cultural agents operating within the municipality of Faro, as well as other citizens interested in the sector.
Having concluded this initial diagnosis phase, the project is now focussed on analysing and putting together a strategy. A first proposal for the strategic plan will be presented in a later phase, which will, once again, be open for public consultation.

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We need your contribution! Help build Faro’s Strategic Plan for Culture.

26/2/2020

Nothing gets done without strategy and planning, or your contribution!

The Municipality of Faro and the Faro2027 team are working to develop Faro’s Strategic Plan for Culture which, just like the city’s application for European Capital of Culture, seeks to have a positive impact on the entire municipality, reflecting what it truly needs. That is why we need everyone to have a say in what will be the last public session within the scope of the diagnosis and consultation process for Faro’s Strategic Plan for Culture. Don’t miss out on this chance to take part in the Group Session, which will be held at 3 pm on 29th February, at Belmarço Palace in Faro. Though this is a free event, those wishing to participate must register beforehand, as the number of participants is limited due to the methodology used for the process.

This session is the perfect opportunity to get an inside look at the process of drawing up an SpC, Faro’s application for European Capital of Culture 2027 and the relationship between them.
As the last public session in the diagnosis and consultation phase of Faro’s Strategic Plan for Culture, this is an opportunity you won’t want to miss.

Have something to say? We want to hear it.

Sign up here: http://bit.ly/32eNJNM

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Registrations open for a new public debate on 20th February.

29/1/2020

Following the popularity of the first public debate, which brought us great joy, registrations have now opened for a second public collective session, which will be held on the 20th February between 5 pm and 8 pm at Club Farense.
We would like to remind you that this event will take place within the Faro Strategic Plan for Culture consultation process, and will be hosted by the Municipality of Faro and run by the Faro2027 team.

The methodology put forwards for this collective public session aims to foster debate and share perspectives around some of the transversal themes, challenges and ambitions of the cultural and creative sector in the municipality of Faro. This collective debate session shall be free of charge, though participants must register beforehand: access the registration form HERE.

As stated previously, the Strategic Plan for Culture is promoted by the Faro Municipal Council and is one of the vital elements in an application for the title of European Capital of Culture. This plan will be based on an extensive diagnosis of the current cultural and creative sector within the municipality. It will include several consultations with critical figures, entities and cultural agents, as well as with other citizens interested in the sector.

We look forward to you registering!

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Cities bidding for European Capital of Culture come together to transform our country

27/1/2020

Several Municipalities signed a joint declaration as part of 1st Meeting of Mayors of Applicant Cities, which was held in Portimão following an invitation sent out by the Faro Municipal Council

Within the framework of the 1st Meeting of Mayors of Cities Bidding for European Capital of Culture 2027, the municipalities of Faro, Braga, Coimbra, Évora, Guarda, Leiria and Oeiras signed a joint declaration this Friday in Portimão, within which they will work together on a process to transform Portugal beyond the scope of these applications.

According to the joint declaration produced in this unprecedented meeting between the mayors of the various candidate cities, held following an invitation sent out by the Municipality of Faro, “a nationwide competition prior to the title being awarded is the element that most clearly distinguishes the current procedure from three previous times Portugal has won the title (Lisbon, 1994; Porto, 2001 and Guimarães, in 2012)”. As such, “several Portuguese cities have already been actively working towards their bid, some for several years now”.
According to a statement drawn up by the Mayors, “for the first time in Portugal, medium-sized cities are systematically thinking about their surrounding areas based on culture, a practice that has been developing for over a decade now”, which the Mayor of the Faro Municipal Council, Rogério Bacalhau, presented in Portimão, adding that “the objective of any of these cities is not to prepare a festive and showy event for 2027”, but “to consolidate the conditions necessary for these cities to be both cultural and creative”.
“People see the European Capital of Culture events as a party, but we all want to try to transform our communities and the country as a whole, using new forces and culture to do so”, reinforced Rogério Bacalhau.

These cities are therefore recognised as “competitors, because they participate in a process from which only one will be chosen”, but also as “co-operators”, because “they are aware of the national importance of their work”.
"This work has already begun and will not end in 2027: the sustainability of a creative legacy involving citizens, artists and cultural operators will be the greatest proof of the success of this whole process", he also said in his statement.
The signatory cities “therefore encourage the development of their cultural and creative fabric, as well as all the involvement of all citizens in this movement of cultural dynamism”. They “also urge the Portuguese Government, in particular, to join the movement using its Ministry of Culture, creating the synergies necessary to strengthen the country in this process, regardless of the city chosen for the title”.
The statement went on to say that “The title of 2027 European Capital of Culture will be awarded to Portugal as a country, and the applicant cities understand that the Government is a fundamental partner when it comes to the planning and timely implementation of the structural support necessary for a successful application.”
Final submissions of applications will take place in 2021, with the title being announced in 2022 once bids have been assessed by an international jury as part of a process conducted by the European Union.

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Shall we plan the future of culture and the municipality of Faro together?

23/1/2020

Within the scope of the consultation process for Faro’s Strategic Plan for Culture, the Municipality of Faro, along with the Faro2027 team, will hold a group debate about the present and future of our city’s cultural and creative sectors. The event will take place between 10 am and 1 pm on 1st February, at Club Farense. Consider yourself cordially invited!

Your contribution is invaluable to us. This collective debate session shall be free of charge, though participants must register beforehand: access the registration form HERE.

The Strategic Plan for Culture is promoted by the Faro Municipal Council and is one of the vital elements in an application for the title of European Capital of Culture. This plan will be based on an extensive diagnosis of the current cultural and creative sector within the municipality. It will include several consultations with critical figures, entities and cultural agents, as well as with other citizens interested in the sector.

The methodology put forwards for this collective public session aims to foster debate and share perspectives around some of the transversal themes, challenges and ambitions of the cultural and creative sector in our municipality.

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Faro City festivals join the DeclareAção movement

17/1/2020

The biggest Portuguese music festivals promoters, including the people behind Festival F and Açoteia - Faro Rooftop Festival, joined the promoters of other Portuguese festivals in an unprecedented movement, seeking to challenge people to adopt behaviour conducive to a healthier and more viable society.

DeclareAção is the first declaration that can only be “signed” through actions. This unprecedented movement, which was presented by the Lisbon Municipal Council, coincides with the European Green Capital Award for 2020, seeking to challenge the citizens of Portugal to adopt behaviour conducive to a fairer and more balanced society, using digital platforms and their mobilising potential as their main uniting channel.
DeclareAção is, therefore, a national movement working to raise awareness of what we need for a better world, launched by 15 entities including Better World (promoter of Rock in Rio), Loulé Municipal Council (organiser of the MED Festival), Sines Municipal Council (promoter of FMM Sines), Everything is New (promoter of NOS Alive), Live Experiences (responsible for EDPCOOLJAZZ and ID NO LIMITS), MOT (organiser of RFM SOMNII), Música no Coração (promoter of the Galp Beach Party, Super Bock Super Rock, Super Bock in Stock, MEO Sudoeste and Sumol Summer Fest Festivals), PEV (promoter of MEO Marés Vivas), Pic Nic (promoter of NOS Primavera Sound), Ritmos (promoter of Vodafone Paredes de Coura), Faro Municipal Council (organiser of Açoteia - Faro Rooftop Festival and Festival F) and Sons em Trânsito (Festival F), Surprise & Expectation (EDP Vilar de Mouros), APEFE and APORFEST, which are now challenging public and private companies and entities, from all sectors, to join to the cause.

To create this “declaration of actions”, the entities will challenge young leaders from all over the country to produce 17 approaches from a single workshop. These approaches, which will be based on the UN SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals), will focus on areas as wide-ranging as climate change, diversity, social inclusion, economic development and recycling, among others, working towards achieving each one with a view to actively contributing to building a better world.

The process used to select these young people will be made up of three phases:

The first will be in a quantitative and qualitative, ethnographically validated, study, to pinpoint young leaders who have an active voice in their communities.
Once these young people, aged between 16 and 30, have been identified, 30 will be selected from across the country, ensuring a diversity of genders, nationalities, social classes and education levels.
In a third stage, the newly formed group will be challenged by Torke CC methodology (proven in more than 300 workshops, in 14 different countries), in a Workshop where they will collaboratively work to develop “approaches” based on the SDGs.

The selection of young people and workshop will both take place next February, with the 17 approaches scheduled to be announced in early March. At that point, the approaches decided upon by the youth collective will be turned into GIFs, which shall be used as DeclareAção’s digital “signature”. A landing page will also be launched in parallel, that will act as a hub, attracting positive attitudes, a focus point of all the actions put in place by companies, schools, influencers and the general public, shared on social media using GIFs and the hashtag #DeclareAcao.

Festival F DeclareAção
Festival F jumped at the chance to be linked to the DeclareAção project. Holding a festival in the historic centre of the city, which draws in and brings life to the city's built heritage, encompasses its residents and visitors and embraces a natural park, is undoubtedly a challenge from a sustainability perspective. Festival F wants to grow and assert itself in this area, ensuring the waste produced is reduced and separated, the use of recyclable cups, that single-use materials are minimised, that public and specific transport is provided, and that conditions are created that allow all audiences, regardless of their limitations, to enjoy this unique festival.”
Paulo Santos, Deputy Mayor of Faro, and Vasco Sacramento, Sons em Trânsito (Festival F)

Açoteia - Faro Rooftop Festival DeclareAção
Faro also hosts a second event linked to this manifesto: the Açoteia - Faro Rooftop Festival in which “one of the main pillars is sustainability, alongside the community and art. The festival invites us to look at the city from a different perspective. Faro submitted an application to Creative Europa, that puts forward the idea of thinking about cities from above”, explained Paulo Santos.
“For Açoteia - Faro Rooftop Festival, an event in which one of the main pillars is Sustainability, alongside the Community and Art, being part of a project like DeclareAção is putting it back in its “natural environment”. It is within these confines that Açoteia invites you to rediscover the rooftops of the city of Faro, inspiring a new vision of these locales in the areas of energy efficiency, water reuse and urban gardens, as well as incentivising the opening of those spaces to the community, using art as a means through which to reinterpret them and gain a new perspective of the city.”
Paulo Santos, Deputy Mayor of Faro (Açoteia - Faro Rooftop Festival)

In 2019, 287 music festivals were held in Portugal alone, welcoming a total of 2.1 million attendees. Along with this study, data produced by Forbes indicates that 94% of Generation Z say that music is very important in their lives, while 45% say that their favourite artist influences their lifestyle. Spotify data shows that 79% of users believe that music allows people to connect with each other and with other cultures. As such, the potential of festivals to influence and transform both the local and national communities in which they are held couldn’t be more evident, as well as their responsibility to foster positive attitudes that contribute to building a better world.

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A united Algarve Completes Faro’s Bid for European Capital of Culture

27/11/2019

The Algarve Intermunicipal Community (AMAL), The University of Algarve (UALG) and the Algarve Regional Tourism Board (RTA) will co-produce the application.The Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDR), The Portuguese Institute of Sports and Youth (IPDJ) and the Regional Directorate for Culture have expressed their interest in collaborating.

A regional, concerted and inclusive application was the guiding principle behind the Official Session held to establish local and regional collaboration agreements as part of Faro's Bid for the European Capital of Culture 2027, which took place on the 25th November at Teatro das Figuras in Faro. It was at this session that collaboration agreements were signed between the Municipality of Faro and the University of Algarve, the Algarve Regional Tourism Board and the Algarve Intermunicipal Community, thus formalising these entities as co-producers of the application. In this session, Collaboration Letters were also signed by the IPDJ Algarve Regional Directorate, the Algarve’s Regional Directorate for Culture the and CCDR, therefore formalising their interest in participating in this process, which aims to develop the region.
The session was rounded off with a lovely photograph taken of the Algarve’s key regional leaders, embodying the long-sought-after idea that Faro’s Bid for European Capital of Culture encompass the entire region. A session widely attended by the region’s life forces.

The Municipality of Faro invited UAlg, AMAL and RTA to co-produce Faro's bid for European Capital of Culture 2027. The three institutions will sit on the executive committee of the bid as well as on the general council. The leaders of the CCDR, IDPJ and Regional Directorate for Culture will also be part of a joint council, having signed collaboration letters with the municipality with a view to developing strategies, projects and programmes that will provide a positive contribution to the region, while respecting their institutional independence. “The leading regional institutions have united around a common objective. The population of the Algarve knows how to put aside their differences and gather together around what matters most, when it matters most” were the words spoken by the Mayor of Faro, Rogério Bacalhau, at the end of the session, an echo of all the speeches made by the representatives of the regional and local entities involved in the session who had already committed to the project, each in their own way, actively participating in this process, recognising the potential and wealth of the Algarve as a whole as being the driving force behind this bid. In his speech, Rogério Bacalhau stressed that this was a mission that demanded “a lot of humility and unity” from the councils and other entities involved, ensuring that this project does, in fact, have a future and that it is able to successfully transform the region.

In this session, a resolution passed by Faro Municipal Council which assesses the intentions behind the bid was also signed, though symbolically, by all 9 participants. Councilman Miguel Sengo da Costa highlighted the rebellious nature of this decision as an act of courage on behalf of the Mayor, reinforcing the spirit of unity between the municipal figures of different parties that came together at this time.
Luis Graça, President of the Faro Municipal Assembly, also made a statement supporting the bid, listing personalities that have contributed to creating the unique cultural characteristics attributed to the Algarve over the last century.

Before that, Carlos Martins, the former executive director of the Guimarães, European Capital of Culture 2012 project, congratulated the Mayor along with all the entities joining the project, explicitly highlighting their “courage to commit themselves to a project that is far greater than a term. 2027 is not on the immediate horizon of any of the current political agents”. Carlos Martins presented a set of fundamental principles relating to an application, warning that it is not a celebration, rather a transformative project.

At the end of the session, Rogério Bacalhau, Mayor of Faro, perfectly echoed the tone of the session, saying: “The main regional institutions have united around a common objective. The population of the Algarve knows how to put aside their differences and gather together around what matters most when it matters most.” Looking into the future and reinforcing the idea that this must be a project for everyone, for the people themselves, he also mentioned that “More than the bid itself, we’re interested in thinking about cities of the future and increasing cultural production, and creating better conditions in the South of the country for our agents to do just that”.

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Proyecto Pregunta, public debates

30/10/2019

As part of its 9th edition, Festival Verão Azul hosted Chilean collective, Mil Metros 2, with "Proyecto Pregunta", an artistic and civic device presented in more than 100 cities across both South America and Europe, including Faro.

"Proyecto Pregunta" aims to generate debates, make them go viral and foster them in public places, producing open questions that activate collective knowledge in different places and among varying communities. As it got underway in Faro, the project encompassed five actions carried out with different groups, as displayed in the images below. The public was invited to participate in a set of activities in which they were encouraged to question their views on various social topics, fostering new discussions and a new sense of civic engagement. These events later culminated in street displays in which a giant structure would "wander" around the city of Faro presenting the results of the work and simultaneously encouraging the population to ask new questions.

Traveller Community - Horta da Areia Community Centre

PIEF Students - João de Deus Secondary School

Cultural Associations and Agents - Musicians' Association

Children - E. B. 1 Penha School

Island Residents - Hangars Island Residents' Association

Every participant was challenged to think about their local area and its problems, helping artists formulate questions about various social topics. The project ended with the pinpointing of questions that best represented the population’s collective thinking. Volunteers also took part in the project, helping run specific events with each of the communities and displaying the results in various areas of the city.
Want to know which questions were asked in Faro?
Click HERE

More about the Mil M2 collective
Mil M2 is a Chilean interdisciplinary artistic collective whose first action was temporarily occupying vacant areas, aiming to promote events and meetings in which knowledge is exchanged and shared.
Currently nomadic, the collective proposes to work on creating artistic processes that allow for civic and political debates to take place in public places.

More about "Proyecto Pregunta":
Proyecto Pregunta is a participatory civic mechanism centered on generating, visualising and the collective viralisation of debates in public spaces. Its main objective is to activate areas and communities by generating knowledge, collectively.
Each activation uses a set of tools geared towards civic involvement, encouraging the collective questioning of social issues.
Proyecto Pregunta is a critical mechanism geared towards interventions using civic participation methodologies. In doing so, the project seeks to question and open up new levels of community awareness and civic involvement.

More about Festival Verão Azul:
Festival Verão Azul is a transdisciplinary festival dedicated to promoting and sharing contemporary creation in the Algarve. It is directed by art duo Ana Borralho & João Galante and produced by cultural association casaBranca.
Its first edition having taken place over 4 days in Lagos in 2011, most of the contributing artists were Portuguese in its very beginning. Since then, the festival has grown and extended towards the eastern Algarve, building public loyalty, complicity and partnerships with an increasing number of agents and institutions – most notably co-production partnerships with Cineteatro Louletano and Teatro das Figures, as well as it being added to the Algarve 365’s programme.
A unique event in the region, it has continuously provided theatre, dance, performance, music, cinema and visual arts projects, bringing together works by both Portuguese and foreign artists. Now, as an established, recognised festival, it also welcomes more experimental projects developed by young creators.
In 2018, VERÃO AZUL started a new cycle, becoming a biennial festival. In the interim years, festival organisers, participants and guest artists will work towards achieving the festival’s artistic intention of decentralising and deepening relationships with local contexts, communities and the city’s artistic fabric, promoting creative residencies, research laboratories and co-productions, the results of which will be presented in each edition of the festival.

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The sea, its interaction with the community and art installations in the city

25/9/2019

Sciaena, a Portuguese NGO fighting for marine conservation, Faro Council and several Portuguese artists have come together as part of the Mar Motto event, to carry out a series of outdoor art instalments that aim to draw the community's attention to the subject of Preserving the Ocean.

The first artist to get stuck in was Tiago Hesp, with countless passers-by slowing down to watch him working on a 45m-long mural entitled “A Pesca e o Peixe” (Fishing and Fish) on Rua Pintor Carlos Porfírio, in Faro. Completed in June, it is now firmly integrated into the city’s collection of permanent street art. In addition to this mural, Tiago Hesp ran a workshop held by Sciaena and the Faro Municipal Council on the 4th and 5th of June, at Tomás Cabreira Secondary School, which aimed to boost the project’s interaction with Faro’s local community. To ensure this aim was met, the workshop was attended by Visual Arts students and students from a PIEF (Integrated Programme for Education and Training) class at the secondary school, who worked together on an art project.

During the workshop, students were able to learn about problems faced relating to the sea, such as marine litter and industrial fishing, while debating different ways of thinking about art and its importance as a tool for raising awareness and social transformation. Students also got the chance to talk about the design and creation of the mural by artist Tiago Hesp, and subsequently carry out a graphic and conceptual disassembly of his work, recreating new versions of the mural by adapting and reconstructing its various elements using varied materials to display their individual views and inspirations.

Tiago Hesp stressed that “in a society that tries to mould us into a standard shape, inhibiting individuals from making mistakes, the role of art is to open people up to discoveries and learning in a dimension where there are no wrong answers. In a space such as this, knowledge of one’s inner self can be deepened and trust built without any fear of the differences that exist between individuals that make up a community”. Nicolas Blanc, a member of Sciaena, mentioned that “the organisation actively seeks to create these moments of awareness unconventionally, in this case, through an art workshop that served to allow students to view the oceans from a different perspective. It is also crucial to involve artists such as Tiago Hesp, who understand the relevance of environmental issues and try to convey them through certain pieces of work”. The Faro Municipal Council emphasises the importance of this type of event, and of art installations having an increasingly direct connection with communities, so that the message shared through art reaches people more clearly, while also bringing artists closer to local realities.

The Mar Motto event will be exhibited in Faro for a second time in 2020 (the date has not yet been announced), aiming to challenge Portuguese artists to let their creativity flow once again, creating thought-provoking works on the importance of protecting the sea and all the species that call it home. One of the aims of the event is to raise funds that can be put towards initiatives run by Sciaena to raise awareness of the importance of Preserving the Oceans.

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Art installations on Culatra Island

1/7/2019

Between the 17th and 23rd of June, Culatra island hosted two artists who created installations and ran actions to raise awareness of the importance of marine conservation among the community. The initiative took place as part of the Mar Motto event, run by Sciaena, a Portuguese environmental NGO that fights for marine conservation, in partnership with the Faro City Council and with the active participation of the Culatra Island Residents’ Association.

Ana Pêgo, best known for her project “Plasticus Maritimus”, does not consider herself an artist, rather a marine biologist who likes to lay things out and line things up. Her work, which raises awareness of the problem with plastic from the perspective of both an artist and trainer, is well-known around greater the Lisbon area, especially in Cascais, where she lives. But Ana Pêgo also has a long-standing connection with the Algarve, having studied Marine Biology and Fisheries at the University of Algarve. In order to raise awareness among youngsters about the issue of marine waste, the artist and biologist held a workshop at the Nossa Senhora dos Navegantes Association Social Centre. Aimed at infant-school children, their teachers and classroom assistants, the workshop consisted of a display of the various types of plastic found on the beach and the daily habits participants could adopt to help reduce this type of waste. To raise awareness among the local community and visitors to the island, Ana Pêgo built a loom out of fishing ropes made of multicoloured plastic, that were either left behind or washed up on Culatra’s beaches. The installation has already caught the attention of many passers-by. Leaving the loom unfinished, the artist hopes locals and visitors to the island can keep working on it, adding all the debris they may find on the beach.

David Mota, whose artist name is “Curtiço”, grew up on the beach in Montegordo, has a degree in fine arts and is a free/non-formal youth education professional who is passionate about cork. Used in countless ways to create his works, cork is, once again, a vital part of the murals created by the artist, forming yet another attraction for visitors to the island. Taking inspiration from the sea and fishing, Curtiço created a mural near the new playground, in which he addresses the theme of “The Island’s Awakening” using graffiti, cork and other materials to create his traditional cork style along the main road to the beach. In addition to these murals, Curtiço felt the need to give the island even more, going on to create panels engraved with poems about Culatra that have been placed on the backs of information boards, having taken inspiration from a book about the island given to him by the community. The artist also took advantage of his time on Culatra island to run a workshop for young people on how to use cork to make models some of the island’s traditional boats, encouraging them to choose the ones they were most inspired by, and which touched their hearts. These cork boats were later placed on water meters around the island.
Both artists plan on returning to the island to continue holding workshops and producing artworks over the coming months.

In addition to these two artists, Culatra island was also contacted by Ana Monteiro, a young director who plans to make a short film about the Culatra community. In this first contact with the community on Culatra island, the director began by researching the themes she will address in the short film she plans on making. Though filming will only start next July, the director has already felt inspiration strike in relation to several themes.
Claudia Soares, Sciaena's communication and awareness coordinator, says that “what sets Sciaena apart and makes it a 21st century NGO is this less conventional way of raising awareness of the importance of marine conservation. The idea behind the Mar Motto project is consistent; using art in all its dimensions, whether through paintings, photography, film or others, as a way to raise awareness about the problems faced by our oceans. It is this more relaxed and accessible exposure that allows it to reach every level of society”. Faro council went on to reinforce the importance of these installations thanks to their direct relationship with the island's cultural identity. The work done by these artists can only contribute to the sustainable, artistic and social development of Culatra island as long as the direct involvement of its communities is insured.

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Horta N’Isso: Urban Vegetable Patch Sprouts on the Faro Municipal Market Rooftop

19/6/2019

The 19th June 2019 was the date on which Faro’s first-ever Urban Vegetable Patch was inaugurated. One of the largest in Europe, the brand new vegetable garden grew out of a partnership between the Faro Municipal Council, Ambifaro municipal company (which is responsible for managing the municipality's public services, including the Municipal Market), and the Algarve Association for Parents and Friends of Children with Mental Disabilities (AAPACDM), as well as thanks to contributions from renowned Grupo HUBEL and the University of Algarve (UAlg).

Located on the Rooftop of Faro Municipal Market, it aims to not only reveal the potential of the city’s highest locales, but, above all, meet objectives related to solidarity and environmental education. The AAPACDM is in charge of maintaining the vegetable garden, as well as collecting food that will then be used in the institution's community canteen: “This challenge is closely related to the work we do in preparing our members for professional life. They need support in terms of breaking into the labour market.

Our boys have already started a gardening course and have been carrying out work that will guide them in this direction. Everything they do here is destined to end up at the association”, said Jorge Leitão, president of AAPACDM, at the inauguration. Any surplus will be donated to families in need across the municipality, a process that will be overseen the Faro Municipal Council’s Ministry of Social Development and Education. In terms of environmental education, the Faro Urban Vegetable Patch hosts trips from various schools in the municipality and holds initiatives that seek to show local children how to grow and produce certain foods:

“The idea is to bring children to the Municipal Market, encourage them to eat vegetables and explain the importance of these products in food, making the most of the space available. We will integrate the garden into this project and let the children get their hands dirty. AAPACDM will help us in this regard. This is also a very important part of our garden ”- said Rogério Bacalhau on inauguration day.

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Açoteia, the festival that has taken art, sustainability and community to a whole new level

7/6/2019

The first edition of the Açoteia - Faro Rooftop Festival took over Faro’s rooftops on the 20th, 21st and 22nd June 2019. On these dates, a new concept took place that is difficult to understand at first glance. This is because rather than the importance of the event resting on the performing artist, the key feature was the use of space and the new life brought to it. Spanning around 18 rooftops (and a car park!) stages sprung up around the city, upon which cultural initiatives linked to art, sustainability and community were held.

The first initiative of its kind in Portugal, over 5000 people took part, seizing the opportunity to see Faro from a different perspective, going up to the city’s “Açoteias” (rooftops) to experience flash acts, intense culinary experiences, workshops, exhibitions and concerts. Horizontes, a project co-produced with the Barcelona Rooftop Festival is of particular note, having managed to get Lab Terrace Galopim and Pau Abajos on-stage together.
Film took on the leading role in locations like the Youth Hostel; a social urban vegetable garden sprouted on the roof of Faro Municipal Market; music, poetry and the sound of tales being told rung out over the roofs of the Municipal Library and the Chapel of Santo António do Alto; Bartenders and DJs got together at Pipers Club; circus art also made an appearance, with fictional characters such as neighbour Clotilde, neighbour Cremilda the fisherman and his wife wandering across the rooftops, livening up the event. In fact, this new festival was made up of bits and bobs of just about everything.

The international conference “Seeing the Future from the Rooftops” was another highlight of the festival. The first part of the conference featured presentations by León Van Geest, director of the Rotterdam rooftop festival; Lívia Tirone, curator of the “THNK School of Creative Leadership” in Lisbon and Ralf Alwani, director of “Urban Scale Interventions” in Belfast, all of whom have inspired projects and approaches applied in other European cities. In the second half of the conference, participants were invited to break off into 3 working groups, focussing on Sustainability, Art and Community. Then, taking inspiration from the presentations and the new perspective gained from the rooftops, they were asked to identify visions for Faro’s future, and collectively pinpoint mobilising issues that would encourage the city’s residents to explore their collective potential, triggering a unification of efforts made to transform both the city and the wider municipality.

This initiative was presented at the first European Rooftop Meeting, which took place in the capital of the Algarve in January this year, bringing the vision of those who are already running rooftop-related projects in Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Nicosia, Milan, Linz, Antwerp, Prague and Barcelona to Faro. The visions of all of these parallel events were displayed in the Rooftops4Eutope exhibition on Rua de Santo António throughout the Festival.

The Açoteia Faro Rooftop Festival was produced by the Faro Municipal Council in partnership with Ambifaro and the Municipal Theatre, and brought to life and filled with culture thanks to the joint efforts, a sense of community and the invaluable involvement of more than 20 Associations and Entities. In this first edition, the rooftops involved were: the Municipal Market, Arco Art Gallery, Faro Hotel, Eva Hotel, Casa d'Alagoa Hostel, the Youth Hostel, Faro Municipal Library, the Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDR) headquarters, the Águas do Algarve headquarters, Alameda Rooftop, Lab Terrace, Fábrica da Cerveja, Santo António Chapel, the Algarve Tourism Board’s Building, Faro Cathedral, Arco da Vila, Pipers Irish Club and Amarelarte.

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A European Network Born in Faro

24/1/2019

In January 2019, Faro Municipal Council challenged 8 cities in Europe that hold rooftop festivals, or which have public policies with a specific focus on these spaces, to come together for the first time. Amsterdam and Rotterdam (the Netherlands), Nicosia (Cyprus), Milan (Italy), Prague (Czech Republic), Antwerp (Belgium), Linz (Austria) and Barcelona (Spain) answered the call and, for the first time ever, festival organisers, mayors and social and environmental activists came together to consider the highest points of their cities.

And a set of future intentions were drawn up as a result:

To deepen mutual knowledge of each city’s circumstances, exchanging experiences and encouraging visits by cultural and environmental agents, urban planners, architects and political leaders;
To encourage other cities to create initiatives that promote and publicise rooftops;
To work with other European networks to create the links necessary to pursue the objectives sought by this network.

Some of the festivals that are part of this network of partners include:

Amsterdam
Rotterdam
Prague
Linz
Barcelona

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Proyecto Pregunta, public debates

The sea, its interaction with the community and art installations in the city

Art installations on Culatra Island

Horta N’Isso: Urban Vegetable Patch Sprouts on the Faro Municipal Market Rooftop

Açoteia, the festival that has taken art, sustainability and community to a whole new level

A European Network Born in Faro

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