Into perspective, 2022 and 2023

In 2022, we brought artists and audiences together in unique dialogues and collaborations, we reflected creatively the region's tangible and intangible cultural heritage, we strengthened institutional ties in Baixo Alentejo, with the municipalities of Beja and Vidigueira joining the Futurama partner network that Serpa, Mértola and Castro Verde are part of, we embraced young people and their schools in participatory and educational projects, we approached diverse and representative communities of Baixo Alentejo, and kicked off the Futurama Festival, which had its first edition over four unforgettable weekends.

Futurama's program featured regular activities throughout the year, such as Constelações, which brought together contemporary artists with traditional practices linked to Baixo Alentejo. Capicua, Tó Trips, Joana Vasconcelos, Napoleão Mira or Silly joined the weavers Helena Rosa and Fátima Mestre, musician Ana Santos, storyteller Cristina Taquelim or ecological activist Pedro Horta. The artistic residencies were curated by four women linked to cultural institutions from different geographies: Marta Mestre, Lucía Casani, Mónica Carroquino and Raquel Castro invited Sara Anjo, Gabriela Albergaria, Marc Vives, Sofía Montenegro and Gil Delindro to initiate investigations and artistic creations in the Futurama partner municipalities. For the educational program, we invited artists such as Os Espacialistas, Sónia Baptista, Gustavo Ciríaco and Alexandra Cabral to conduct workshops with secondary school students in Baixo Alentejo, within the scope of the Artists in Schools project. Young people from Baixo Alentejo were able to participate in the Futurama Generation project, with the direction of the artist Tiago Cadete, and the Futurama Ambassadors wore our shirt and performed "What makes you free" in three municipalities, with the participation of local artistic groups.
The 1st edition of the Futurama Festival, in addition to presenting unprecedented projects that resulted from new artistic collaborations, was also the culmination of some projects that we developed throughout the year. One of the highlights of the Festival was the national premiere of Cantexto, a project that invited eight contemporary authors to write eight unpublished poems for eight choir groups from Alentejo, with the musical coordination by Armando Torrão and Paulo Ribeiro, beyond the performances of Artists in Schools, Futurama Generation and Futurama Ambassadors. Among concerts, installations, workshops and performances, Angélica Salvi, Gaspar Varela, Wasted Rita, Fidel Évora, Nídia, Fiumani, Cláudia Dias or Puta da Silva were some of the artists who participated in this Festival Futurama first edition, whose program you can find here. Do you want to remember what happened in a few minutes? In this video you can see a summary of what happened, what remains and what will continue.

It was a privilege to bring together so many artists, audiences, partnerships and fundamental support around our program - to all of you, thank you. We will meet again in 2023, in cultural, natural and heritage spaces in Baixo Alentejo, with new artists, new curators, new meetings and artistic intersections, continuing to strengthen the cultural and artistic ecosystem that we have been designing with your complicity. Season's Greetings and a great 2023!