The castles of Paderne and Aljezur will now have audio guides, the first of the monuments in the Algarve. This is the main novelty of the European Heritage Days (JEP) in the region, which are held from 28 to 30 September, he revealed to the Sul Informação the regional director of Culture.
Audioguides are currently only available in Portuguese, but Dália Paulo announced that "until August of next year", they should also be offered in English, Spanish and German. The version that is already more advanced is the English one, which should be ready to be made available "in the beginning of next year".
The audio guides, which can be downloaded from the website of the Regional Directorate of Culture of the Algarve and from the pages of the Councils of Albufeira (Paderne) and Aljezur and also from the Association for the Defense of the Historical-Cultural Heritage of Aljezur, will be officially launched with two visits to those monuments theaters staged by singer and actor Afonso Dias. The first of the staged visits is scheduled for the 28th, in Paderne, followed by the following day, in Aljezur, always at 18:30.
"We chose this time because there is still light, but it is already dusk, and it is a magical light," explained the regional director.
The audio guides tell the story and stories of the two castles, with texts by Natércia Magalhães, a superior technician from DRCAlg itself, and voiceover by radio broadcasters from Rádio Universitária do Algarve (RUA). As a matter of fact, according to Dália Paulo, the audio guides result from several partnerships established by the regional management, with RUA, with the Municipal Councils of Albufeira and Aljezur and even with the Association for the Defense of Heritage of Aljezur.
“This is a service that we are going to offer the public, free of charge, so that people who visit these monuments have information. If no one tells us the story, the story doesn't stay in our memories», added the person in charge.
«For now, we are going to test these audioguides, even to see if the Portuguese version lends itself to being translated without problems into other languages, namely into English».
The two presentations by the audioguides, called «Staging Readings for the Future of Memory», are presented as a «synthesis show that recovers legendary memories and historical and archaeological references about the castle and the village» of Paderne and Aljezur. Admission is free.
Choreograph the memory of the Ermida de Guadalupe
But the European Heritage Days, which this year have as their theme, in Portugal, «The Future of Memory», present many other novelties.
In the Chapel of Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe, also a national monument, located near Raposeira (Vila do Bispo), there is an activity that begins with the Journeys and continues for the next two months. This is the dance project by choreographer and dancer Maria Alcobia, from LAC (Laboratório de Artes de Lagos), who will work with the senior population of the municipality of Vila do Bispo.
«The choreography will be based on the memories of the participants, who are being recruited from among the oldest in the municipality. After working for two months, this show will be presented in Guadeloupe, in a performance that will be open to everyone.», said the regional director of Culture.
“Since a year and a half, the technicians at the Sagres Fortress have done a previous work of affection and approach to these people, which makes Maria Alcobia's work easier,” he explained.
The choreography and all the work that has been developed around the Chapel of Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe intends, according to Dália Paulo, «to promote the connection of the population with this monument, which was not allowed to be freely visited by the public. It is necessary to reconnect it to the community, even recovering the memories that this community has of the monument, taking it to participate».
Night of stars, sounds and prehistory in Alcalar
Another novelty will be the Night in Prehistory, promoted at the Megalithic Monuments of Alcalar, which are now managed in a partnership between DRCultAlg and the Museum of Portimão.
Here, on the 29th of September (Saturday), there will be the usual and ever-popular Day in Prehistory, which will run from 10 am to 17 pm, a recreation of life from 00 years ago, with free entry and activities for the whole family.
But, from 21 pm to midnight, there will be a novelty: astronomical observation, using telescopes, directed by Francisco Ponceano, professor and one of the mentors of the Astronomy Club of the Manuel Teixeira Gomes School, who will not only stay for peeking at the stars but will link this activity with the history of Alcalar and its ancient tombs, built according to the orientation of the stars and linked to ancestral cults of the dead.
Contributing to a somewhat magical environment, there will be a musical recreation with the Adágio Choir and instruments made from natural raw materials, perhaps the same ones used by the men who inhabited Alcalar 5000 years ago.
Theater at the Monuments
The JEP program, in part that is directly under the responsibility of the regional direction of Culture, also includes the Theater shows at Monuments, which will lead the group Al-Masrah, from Tavira, to present their works «The Fundamental Laws of Stupidity Humana” and “Tell me other Fados”, in places where the Algarve's national monuments exist (and sometimes in the monuments themselves).
Thus, between September 24 and November 23, Al-Masrah will be at the Parish Center of Paderne, the Municipal Theater of Portimão, the Cinema Ossónoba de Estoi, the Fortaleza de Sagres, and the Ermida de Guadalupe. In Estoi and Portimão, the presentation of the pieces is done in collaboration with the respective Parish Councils.
«The choice of one or another piece will be made depending on the space and the audiences», explained Dália Paulo in her interview with Sul Informação.
In the direct scope of the Conference, two presentations are planned: one on September 23, at 16:00 pm, in the auditorium of the Fortress of Sagres ("The Fundamental Laws of Human Stupidity"), and another on September 28, at 22:00 pm, at the Ossónoba Cineteatro , in Estoi (“Tell me other Fados”).
Knowing and living the heritage
In addition to all that has already been mentioned, the JEP program under the responsibility of DRCultAlg also includes a photography exhibition by Sofia de Medeiros at the Rural House of Ruínas de Milreu (Estoi), the concert «Encantamento», with a recorder with Teresa Matias, in Guadalupe (on the 29th, at 16:30 pm), another concert, but with tablas and percussion, with Niraj Kumar Sing and Vasco Ramalho, on the 30th, at 17:30 pm, at the Church of Nossa Senhora da Graça, inside the Fortaleza de Sagres , and a photography workshop, on the 29th, also in Fortaleza.
All activities of the European Days of Culture have free and free entry.
Altogether, in the Algarve, between the initiatives under the responsibility of the Regional Directorate of Culture and those of the Chambers and other entities, over three days there will be «more than 50 activities taking place». "What we want is for the Journeys to be a party, in order to make the monuments living places, of affection, where people go to a party."
"In some cases, the Journeys are also a pretext, an opportunity to show heritage that for the rest of the year is not visible to the public," added Dália Paulo. An example of this? In Loulé, on the 28th, at 10:30 am, the general public is invited to participate in a guided tour of curious documents that exist in its Municipal Archives.
The theme of the JEPs in 2012 – «The Future of Memory» – «threads in the Convention of Faro, which links contemporaneity to heritage», underlined the regional director of Culture. This Convention of Faro, signed in 2005, is an instrument of the Council of Europe on the value of cultural heritage that fills a gap in terms of safeguarding and preserving intangible heritage and contemporary creation.
Program:
I am | Roman Ruins of Milreu
Days 28, 29 and 30 | 10:30 am – 13:00 pm | 14-18:30 | rural house
Cross Stories, an exhibition of works by Sofia de Medeiros. Commented visit to the exhibition.
Day 28 | 22:00 | Cine-theater Ossónoba, Estoi
Tell me other Fados, show by the group AL-MaSRAH Teatro, integrated in the Cycle Theater at the Monuments, taking place between September 23rd and November 24th in several Monuments of the Algarve.
Large Mussel | Alcalar Megalithic Monuments
Day 29 | 10:00am-17:00pm
A Day in Prehistory, a historical recreation with activities for families: commented visits to monuments and pottery workshops, weaving, "hunting", adornments, recreating daily activities of the prehistoric community that lived in Alcalar in the 3rd millennium before the Christian era
Day 29 | 21h00-24h00
A Night in Prehistory, astronomical observation.
Night Sounds, a musical recreation using instruments made with natural raw materials.
Fox tree | Hermitage of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Day 29 | 16:30 pm
Enchantment, recital by the flutist Teresa Matias.
Day 30 | 15:00 pm
Dance project presentation, with the choreographer and dancer Maria Alcobia, aimed at the senior population of the municipality of Vila do Bispo.
Note: participation in the project by prior registration with the services of the Fortaleza de Sagres – telephone: 282620140; email: [email protected]
Sagres | Sagres fortress
Day 23 | 16:00 | Auditorium
The Fundamental Laws of Human Stupidity, by the group AL-MaSRAH Teatro, integrated in the cycle «Teatro nos Monumentos», taking place between September 23rd and November 24th in several monuments
Day 29 | 9:30 pm
Photography Workshop. In landscape photography we realize how much the whole is inseparable, in this workshop we will (re)learn the way we look at our surroundings.
Note: maximum number of participants 12. Participation by prior registration with the services of Fortaleza de Sagres – telephone: 282 620 140; email: [email protected]
Day 30 | 17:30 pm | Church of Our Lady of Grace
sound travel, concert of tablas and percussion with Niraj Kumar Sing and Vasco Ramalho.
Padern | Castle of Paderne
Day 28 | 18:30 pm
Staged Readings for the Future of Memory at Paderne Castle, staging and readings by Afonso Dias, with texts by Natércia Magalhães. Synthesis show that recovers legendary memories and historical and archaeological references about the castle and the village of Paderne.
Aljezur | Aljezur Castle
29 Sept | 18:30 pm
Staged Readings for the Future of Memory at Aljezur Castle, staging and readings by Afonso Dias, with texts by Natércia Magalhães. Synthesis show that recovers legendary memories and historical and archaeological references about the castle and the village of Aljezur.
Comments