Património Cultural, IP and the Directorate-General for the Arts organised the Final Event of the EEA Grants Culture Programme. Culturgest, in Lisbon, hosted a cycle of conferences on the impacts of the 17 supported projects on 26 and 27 February.
The funded projects involved more than 50 Portuguese organisations and 30 organisations from Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. In total, 290,000 spectators, visitors and participants joined the Culture Programme, which invested 11 million euros.
National Culture in the spotlight at International Commitment
During the days of reflection on the impact of the programme funded by the EEA Grants, various national and international representatives highlighted the results achieved and the transformative role of culture in the development of communities.
João Soalheiro thanked all the organisations involved for the Programme's good results. For the President of Património Cultural, I.P., ‘the results are significant from a human point of view. Before we have competences, we are people. And it is for the people that all the donor countries and Portugal have been working so hard.’
The Norwegian Ambassador to Portugal, Hanne Brusletto, who was present, emphasised the role of culture in mutual understanding and the efforts of everyone involved in overcoming the challenges faced during the four years of project implementation.
For the Ministry of Culture, the international commitment can open doors to new forms of expression and innovation. ‘Negotiations have already begun for the new EEA Grants cycle, and Portugal is expected to play a central role in this funding,’ said Pedro Nogueira, reinforcing the Ministry's support for the projects developed.
Local Impacts of Funded Projects
The first day featured two panels with promoters of supported projects. They discussed the role of culture in the revitalisation of intervention sites and the increased access and participation provided by funding.
Virgílio Ferreira, from the ViViFiCAR project, spoke about how the project activated deactivated spaces and strengthened the memory of communities. ‘The proximity of the artists to the people has created a dialogue between the community and political power, allowing issues to be resolved through meeting and sharing,’ he explained. The continuation of the project in three municipalities demonstrates the adherence of the communities and the positive impact on collective memories.
Artur Martins, from the ‘From Fenais to Fenais’ project, emphasised the importance of time and presence for the effective participation of communities. ‘Participation is multi-levelled, it starts with governments and ends with people. You have to be there and be there for a while,’ he said, emphasising the role of empathy and building networks of shared responsibility.
‘Investing in European Partnerships is money well spent'
The second day ended with balance sheets and prospects. Maria Mineiro, coordinator of the National Management Unit for EEA Grants in Portugal, emphasised the success of the 17 projects funded. ‘The set indicators were met and, in most cases, exceeded,’ she said.
Ragnhildur Zoega, from Rannis (Iceland), emphasised that the initiatives planted seeds that will continue to grow. Linda Veiby, from Riksantikvaren (Norway), emphasised the holistic approach to cultural heritage management and the greater involvement of society in its preservation. ‘Investing in European Partnerships is money well spent,’ she said.
Nina Kulås, from Arts and Culture Norway, was proud of the results achieved and emphasised the success of the work carried out with the Directorate-General for the Arts, with whom she worked closely.
Américo Rodrigues praised the projects' ability to generate change in the territories. For the Director-General for the Arts, ‘The projects funded have shown that generating change is possible’.
The final event of the Culture Programme ended with a speech by Ana Catarina Sousa. The Vice-President of Cultural Heritage, IP reaffirmed the importance of the donor countries' support: ’The objectives have been met, and new goals have been created. None of this would have been possible without the donor countries, who believe that giving is an act that strengthens society.’
The Culture Programme is operated by Património Cultural, IP, in partnership with the Directorate-General for the Arts.