1,5 million program combines culture and tourism to curb seasonality in the Algarve

A Festival of Contraband in Alcoutim, a Jazz Festival combined with gourmet moments in Albufeira, the Museum of Portimão «Making the fish yield», the municipalities of Aljezur and Monchique with 173 shows for «Lavrar o Mar» or even the return of the Algarve International Music Festival.

These are just some of the highlights of the Algarve Cultural Programme, which the minister and the Secretary of State for Culture, as well as the Secretary of State for Tourism, launched yesterday, in Lagos.

The new program has a budget of 1,5 million euros, provided by Turismo de Portugal, and foresees the holding of at least 623 shows in all 16 municipalities of the Algarve, during the low season, in other words, in October of this year to May 2017.

But the Algarve Cultural Program also has other peculiarities, such as the fact that Monchique, with 83 shows, and Aljezur, with 79, are, right after the Faro (85), the counties where more things will happen during these months. “Strangely, some will think”, commented Dália Paulo, commissioner of this new program, during the presentation.

Another important aspect is that these are not proposals that come from abroad, but rather projects conceived and proposed by cultural agents in the Algarve itself. It is, well, a real Allgarve (from bad memory), but quite the opposite. Maybe that even explains the inspiration for the logo of the new program…

The Minister of Culture, who presided over the presentation, in the garden of the Centro Ciência Viva de Lagos, underlined that this program “symbolizes and reflects well the philosophy of action of this Government in relation to Culture, which involves transversality, in its articulation with the economy. , the environment, education».

"We are building a network of creativity and cultural activity, which will not only benefit tourism," added minister Luís Castro Mendes.

Ana Mendes Godinho, Secretary of State for Tourism, the entity from which the 1,5 million euros that will pay for all this come from the funds of Turismo de Portugal, stressed that what is intended is to have «an Algarve 365 », that is, always full of attractions for tourists throughout the year.

«The Algarve is full and Portugal is in fashion», stated the official, adding that «it is at this time when tourist activity is going well, that we have to be more ambitious and demanding». “When the numbers are good, it is necessary to work”, he reinforced.

"It's no use having occupancy rates of 90 percent in August and 20 percent in January or February," said Desidério Silva, president of the Algarve Tourism Region, recalling the issue of seasonality. Now, the secretary of state had already said, "there are no miracles to end seasonality, but there are measures that can be applied." And this is one of them.

"There is no operator with whom we have spoken in recent times that does not point out the lack of life in the Algarve in winter as a problem", added Ana Mendes Godinho.

Hence the idea, shared by the Secretaries of State for Tourism and Culture, the Algarve Tourism Region and the Regional Directorate of Culture, of creating an «appealing program, because those who visit us always have something to do at some point. of the Algarve”, and a program that promotes “territorial cohesion because it happens throughout the Algarve”.

Turismo de Portugal, guaranteed the official, "will use this program as a factor to promote the Algarve abroad and to convey the image that the Algarve is much more than just sun and beach."

Dália Paulo, the commissioner of this ambitious Algarve Cultura Programme, explained that the idea is «to reach people in two moments: when choosing their holiday destination and when they are already here, with their hotels flooded information on the programme'.

This will be, he guaranteed, an «annual and regular program of quality and based on the Algarve's identity», which «bets on resident breeders». And it is in this aspect, he insisted on underlining Dália Paulo, that "the real innovation" of the project resides.

The commissioner also praised the work done by the Algarve's cultural agents, who «presented proposals, of great quality and creativity, in a very short period», since the entire process started only at the end of June.

In all, he revealed, 100 projects from 41 entities were presented in 16 Algarve municipalities. 48 projects were approved, of which 35 are new, 12 already existed but will now gain new impetus, and one is a reactivation: the Algarve Music Festival, which will reappear, by the hand of the Orquestra Clássica do Sul.

But the program is not closed. The fact is that, from today, the 9th, until the 23rd of August, a new period is open for applications from cultural agents who had been left out in the first phase.

"The program will be closed until September 10th, but it is still being worked on, we are still closing dates and spaces, as well as we have opened this new phase of presentation of proposals", added Dália Paulo.

«All so that Culture and Creativity begin to be a true dynamo of the region». From October onwards, the commissioner guaranteed, «we will all delight ourselves and the many visitors» with a consistent, cohesive and coherent cultural offer, which adds value and helps to mitigate the Algarve's tourist seasonality.

The work of cultural agents, entities involved, such as municipalities, as well as coordinator Dália Paulo herself was highlighted by the Secretary of State for Tourism, who classified the commissioner's work as "fantastic", and by the minister of Culture, who said it was «extraordinary how, in such a short time, such a dense and fruitful program was built, which will do so much for the Algarve». So be it!

Highlights of the Algarve Cultural Program:

Here are the nine programmatic lines that allow visitors and/or residents to be involved in listening, interacting, creating, (re)discovering, experiencing and enjoying the territory:
>>art and landscape
>>party and tradition
>>People who inspire us
>>Music, spaces and tastes
>>Music, spaces and times
>>think the territory
>>territory and borders
>>territory and memory
>>Territory, creation and transformation

art and landscape
->Outdoor | October to March – Loulé, Faro, Lagos and Alcoutim | Org. Research Center in Arts and Communication of the University of Algarve and P28, Association for Creative and Artistic Development

Party and Tradition
->Contraband Festival, Contrabandarte | 11th to 13th March | Alcoutim Village, Guadiana River and SanLucar Village | Org. Alcoutim City Council
->São Braz de Alportel, 1914 – A journey through time | May 27th and 28th | São Brás de Alportel | Org. City Hall of São Brás de Alportel

People who inspire us
->Álvaro de Campos Birthday Party |October | Tavira| Org. Casa Álvaro de Campos, Alternativa Share, with the participation of: Álvaro de Campos Library, Tavira Music Academy, International Association of Paremiology, CorpodeHoje, NAFA, Write in the Algarve and Tavira House of Arts
->Love and Fear – Los Negros, Luís Conceição and Álvaro de Campos |January and February | Aljezur and Castro Marim | Org. Alternative Sharing
->Literary Spring | March, April and May| Faro | Org. Municipal Library António Ramos Rosa, Faro and University of Algarve

Music, Spaces and Times
->A Lyrical White Christmas with Tenor Carlos Guilherme | december | Silves Cathedral, Monchique Mother Church and Guadiana Space | Org. Jazz Orchestra of the Algarve
->Cantata Mundi | January and March | Vila do Bispo and |Org. Ossónoba Choir Group
->Guitars & Heritage Cycle |October and May | Museum spaces in the 16 municipalities | Academy
->1st Algarve International Piano Festival | February 25th, March 4th, March 11th, March 18th, March 26th and April 8th | Arade Congress Center and Municipal Auditorium of Lagoa | Org. ArtedoSul Association and Lagoa City Council
->Easter concert | 9th of April | Main Church of Loulé | Org. Loulé City Council
->Heritage and Music in Churches| 1st March to 15th April | Churches in the city of Tavira| Org. City Council of Tavira
->FIMA, Algarve International Music Festival | 10th and 17th of March, 6th, 7th and 13th of April and 4th and 5th of May | Faro, Silves, Loulé, Portimão, Lagos, Albufeira and Tavira | Org. Classical Orchestra of the South
->Chamber Choir Festival | 20th, 21st, 27th and 28th of May | Olhão | Org. Conservatory of Music of Olhão and Associação Música XXI

think the territory
->2nd edition Festival “DeVir Encounters – Utopian Cities”| March and May | Faro, Loulé, Olhão and São Brás de Alportel| Org. DeVir

Territory and Borders
->I International Film Festival of Frontiers | 19th to 23rd of October |Vila Real de Santo António | BACKUP Association
->XNUMXst International Theater Festival of Vila Real de Santo António| March 16th to April 1st | Vila Real de Santo António | Org. Town Hall of Vila Real de Santo António

Territory and Memory
->Fantastic Moments with Heritage – A Banda Bai | 15th of October and 15th of November | Lagos Museum and Silves Municipal Archeology Museum | Org. Vicentina, Southwest Development Association

Territory, creation and transformation
->Hugo Alves & João Frade Morphosis | 20th to 22nd of October and 10th to 12th of November | Silves, Lagos and Vila do Bispo, Castro Marim, São Brás de Alportel and Olhão | Org. Jazz Orchestra of the Algarve
->Yield the fish in Portimão | October to May | Portimão Museum – Org. Portimão City Council/ Portimão Museum
->Lavrar o Mar – The arts on the top of the mountain range and on the Costa Vicentina | November 18th to 20th, November 25th to 27th, March 17th to 19th, March 31st to April 2nd and May 18th to 28th | Aljezur and Monchique | Cosanostra Cooperative Org., CRL
->Interferences | December 8th and February 10th | Tavira and Loulé | Today's Body Org
->2nd edition Festival “DeVir Encounters – Utopian Cities”| March and May | Faro, Loulé, Olhão and São Brás de Alportel| Org. DeVir
->Faro(l) of culture or Faro of Culture | March to June| Faro | Org. Municipal Museum of Faro and Serralves Foundation
->24 Hours Figures | April 30th | Theater of Figures, Faro | Org. Theater of Figures
->I Festival of the Algarve Barrocal | 26th to 29th of May | House of the People of Santo Estêvão, Tavira | Org. AGECAL, Association of Cultural Managers of the Algarve