Oeiras wants to be European Capital of Culture in 2027. To this end, the decision was made to create a strategic brand that will form part of the respective application, but which is also intended to reflect a new cycle in the development of the municipality.
The presentation of the “Oeiras 27” brand will take place this Thursday, and is based on five strategic fronts: Oeiras, Urban Ecosystem; Oeiras, Capital of Poetry and Portuguese Language Cultures; Oeiras, Capital of Arts and Creativity; Oeiras, Capital of Cultural Heritage; Oeiras, Capital of Maritime Heritage.
“These fronts reflect the ambition of this project, which goes well beyond the candidacy for European Capital of Culture, because it is a project that focuses on Culture, People and the development of Oeiras”, reveals the Candidacy Commissioner, Jorge Barreto Xavier, quoted in a press release from the Municipality.
Part of the fulfilment of these objectives involves the construction or rehabilitation of a series of infrastructures and facilities that the Municipality wants to turn into centres of cultural dynamism.
Examples include the construction of the Linda-a-Velha Cultural Centre, which will have an international-standard concert hall that seats 1,400 people, the construction of the Paço de Arcos Conference Centre, the construction of the Porto Salvo Creative Industries Hub and the construction of the Castro de Leceia interpretative centre.
The rehabilitation of the Convent of Cartuxa (Caxias) to house an international contemporary arts centre, the Bateria do Areeiro (Oeiras) to become a museum project in the field of maritime fortifications, the Fábrica de Cima of the Fábrica da Pólvora to become a centre in the area of the cinematographic, performative and visual arts and the National Agronomic Station for a series of multipurpose uses, including in the area of culture and gastronomy, also form part of the plan.
The Marquês de Pombal Palace, in Oeiras, will also be transformed into a museum in the area of Arts, Sciences and Technologies, and the development of a systemic programme in the area of poetry in Parque dos Poetas and Templo de Poesia, as well as at other locations, is also planned.
“Over the next ten years, all these projects will transform the municipality of Oeiras, with its 46 km2, in the city of Oeiras, into a multi-centred city, built around Culture and which wants to raise its profile nationally and internationally as a venue for Art, Science and Technology, contributing to the enhancement of the Lisbon Metropolitan Area and the country as a whole”, says the Mayor of Oeiras, Isaltino Morais, quoted in the same statement.
The entire programme was unanimously approved by the City Council and the Municipal Assembly, the objective being to implement “Oeiras 27” regardless of whether or not Oeiras is chosen as the European Capital of Culture. The construction and rehabilitation of all the venues involved amounts to a total investment of 400 million euros.
