I had thought of another theme for this monthly chronicle, but recent facts led me to reflect on successful partnerships in the area of culture. Don't worry for those who tend to get carried away by the title in their reading options, as I won't be talking about Public-Private Partnerships in the area of health. The theme is more improbable and deals with partnerships with private individuals in culture.
The text is the result of some messages received in recent days, but also of some specialized conversations developed around the synergies between culture, heritage and tourism.
It is about partnerships in the area of marketing and cultural merchandising that I will talk to you about today. The role that the State and its institutions should play in some areas has been relegated to the background and, at times, to lateral, superficial and even ideological discussions, without presenting concrete data.
In culture, as a rule, there is talk of nationalization versus privatization. That is not the discussion at the moment, but the importance of studying, presenting and implementing alternative solutions that solve concrete problems, with balance and good results.
In fact, this was also a dilemma present in some conversations and decisions about the Loja do Promontório de Sagres for several months in the recent past. The difficulties inherent in the renewal of the image and products and in the recruitment of personnel, mainly due to the lack of investment capacity, as well as the conviction that this was a lateral mission of the entity at that time, led to the decision to study and work a model that would allow the concession of the Fortaleza de Sagres Store to another entity.
In August 2018, this process was closed and the Regional Directorate of Culture of the Algarve signed the concession contract for the Fortaleza de Sagres Store, after a public tender, with the company Mapa das Ideias-Editions of Publications, Lda.
This concession of exploration was signed for a period of 60 months, and the company is also the owner of the operation of the Museu de Marinha store in Lisbon, which gives them scale, know-how and a deep ability to tailor the message and marketing to your visitors. The results were very positive from the outset and initial fears were overcome.
The specifications, the rights and duties of the parties and the competition's program drew from other examples, but also from the thinking of a team.
Operating rules were established and provided for the best pursuit of commercial activity, with respect for the national monument and unquestionably contributing to the attractiveness of the most visited monument in the south of the Tagus.
On October 1, 2018, Mapa das Ideias opened a renovated store, with a whole new line of dedicated cultural merchandising and included a sculptural installation by Marc Parchow that was extremely well framed and in keeping with the spirit of the place, with the name “Impermanências”, which are now recognized by the Portuguese Association of Museology.
Following the same type of thinking, in 2017, Father Miguel Neto, parish priest of Tavira and director of the Information Office of the Diocese of Algarve for several years, created a company in Tavira, the Artgilão – Religious and Touristic Activities of Tavira, Lda., which is dedicated not only to the sale of tickets for visitors to various churches in the Parish, but also to the operation of the associated store.
For creating your own line of merchandising, the Parish has been developing partnerships with local artisans, who combine materials and resources endogenous from the region with a design that is inspired by original elements of its own tile heritage, and thus recreate with exclusivity proposals for new products.
The parish priest Miguel Neto confessed to us, in an open conversation with the students of the Masters in Tourism, in the field of Culture and Heritage, that it was not always easy to associate the need to create a company with the mission of the Parish.
However, the need to conserve and restore the heritage, and at the same time, generate income that would make it possible to respond to this need led to this solution, which has been finding other partners.
The company, in addition to having Father Miguel Neto as managing partner, includes four employees, two of which heritage conservation and restoration techniques, therefore generating new jobs.
Artgilão's new ongoing projects include the joint card for visits to the Historic Center and other churches with the Santa Casa da Misericórdia in Tavira, the design of exhibitions in partnership and a new museum, nearing completion, in the Church of Santa Maria do Castelo, which will exhibit its sacred art collection with considerable dignity.
In this way, attractiveness and information are added to the value of the artistic heritage of the place, an important national monument is valued, and it contributes to the enhancement of the tourist and heritage offer in the city of Tavira.
These proposals and solutions resulted from the efforts of several people, their technical competence and due monitoring, and met resistance, as they have associated changes in performance and procedures, but they also met entrepreneurship and resilience.
We can even conclude that, with ingenuity and art, some pioneering solutions for the management and exploitation of heritage can bring simultaneous benefits to both public and private entities.
It is hoped that the good results will continue and many other successful solutions will be found. We will make it known!
Author: Alexandra R. Goncalves
Adjunct Professor at ESGHT/University of Algarve and Integrated Researcher at CIEO
Comments