Editorial As I write this brief editorial we are going through complicated times. Tourism activities have all been cancelled; mobility within the region has been greatly reduced; and works in inland villages put on hold. My work colleagues have been furloughed and we are reinventing our short and medium-term future. The coronavirus pandemic has engendered a widespread crisis and the tourism industry has been affected the most. We too have not escaped its reach.
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Even though we know that nature and culture tourism, low-density and focused on inland areas, can react the quickest, it will still take its time. Uncertainty hangs in the air. No one can say for sure when normality will return; indeed, if it will return. I’m not sure it will. I hope that changes will come about, for the good of the region, of people and the planet in general. But, crises aside, 2019 was an exceptional year. One of the best. We kicked off international projects. We entered into new partnerships and new projects, and further cemented our role in the enhancement of the Algarve’s natural and cultural heritage. And this is what we’re going to talk about here…
04-09 Our Responsibility
10-09 Tour Operation 22-23 IN2SOUTH 12-21 News 24-32 QRER Cooperative
João Ministro
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34-73 TASA Project
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...crises aside, 2019 was an exceptional year. One of the best…
Reforestation project in Ameixial
our responsibility We remain committed to contributing to the sustained development of the territory.
Institute of Nature and Forest Conservation (ICNF). Unlike previous initiatives, this planting project did not involve the recovery of areas affected by fires.
It is engrained in our DNA and the way we work. We shall never desist from giving back to the territory, to the people living in it, and helping preserve values of biodiversity. Here are some figures from 2019:
Reforestation project in Ameixial Project undertaken in partnership with the QRER Cooperative and the Association of Forestry Producers of the Serra do Caldeirão as part of WFA2018.
Support for Almargem (managing the Via Algarviana) and the Rota Vicentina:
4000€ Protection of the Little Tern
People trekking through and spending the night in the Algarve’s inland areas:
(Sternula albifrons)
600pax
in the Ria Formosa Overnight stays in inland villages:
4.200 No. of meals served in inland villages:
Supporting the Almargem
8.700 meals
Association in the preservation
Nationalities welcomed:
of the Via Algarviana trail,
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with regard to signage and track quality in inland areas.
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Planned in 2019, but undertaken at the start of 2020, we implemented a reforestation project in Ameixial in partnership with the QRER Cooperative, Ameixial Parish Council and the It focused on the village of Ameixial and public spaces in need of improvement and plant cover. The initiative concentrated on Seiceira picnic area, in which more than 200 trees and shrubs of various species including oaks, cork oaks, holm oaks, arbutus, myrtle, viburnum tinus and, for experimental purposes, some others, such as chestnut.
We wanted to improve the woodland quality of the area, while promoting biodiversity. Despite the downpour experienced on the day itself, the group of 20 happy volunteers, including the chairman of the ICNF and the mayor of Ameixial, stuck it out until they had successfully completed the task in hand. A special thank you to everyone who took part!
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Protection of the Little Tern (Sternula albifrons) in the Ria Formosa
Protection of The Little Tern is a migratory bird species protected under several international agreements. It is highly susceptible to predatory activity and disturbance, especially during the nesting season.the Little Tern (Sternula albifrons) in the Ria Formosa
In certain places it is even under severe pressure, as was the case on Faro Island, where a colony of about 50 mating pairs had set up home in an area popular with people and pet dogs.
At our instigation and with the support of the ICNF, we gathered several friends and we quickly marked out the colony area, where we also put up signs informing people and making them aware of what was happening.
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The initiative proved a great success and afterwards we were able to confirm that following this activity the colony remained at this site and produced dozens of baby terns! Special thanks go to Georg Schreier, to Susana, and to the ICNF for the excellent collaboration.
In the time that has passed we have started working with new tour operators from several countries. Here are some of them:
VagabondTours Denmark São Nicolau, Cape Verde For the first time in our history we have started promoting hiking activities outside Portugal. In November we took a first group to São Nicolau, in Cape Verde, to take part in ‘Meetup Treking’ and to enjoy a few extra days discovering the island’s stunning trails. The trip was a great success and as a result more trips are planned for 2020! Visit our website www.in2south.pt
One Foot Abroad Ireland Sister company of Irish agency Follow the Camino, One Foot Abroad organises walking holidays in various international destinations. We are its partners in the Algarve, in programmes along the Via Algarviana, and now in São Nicolau too. Despite specialising in tours on the Camino de Santiago, increase in demand for other locations led to it expanding its business to more destinations, and in particular to the Algarve.
Tour Operation
Scandinavians have started getting to know the Algarve better and its hiking possibilities. In 2019 we welcomed the first group of Danes and it was an amazing success. Enjoying a guided tour incorporating both the Rota Vicentina and the Via Algarviana and including a visit to a distillery, wine tasting and countryside picnics, these first-ever participants won’t forget their trip in a hurry! And they’ll be more next year! www.vagabondtours.dk
www.onefootabroad.com
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News
On an
In May 2019 Proactivetur enjoyed its first-ever international experience as part of a consortium organising “Projeto Caminhar”, which came about through Cape Verde’s promotion of nature tourism, specifically on the Island of São Nicolau, and through the need to create support facilities for this kind of tourism.
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The consortium was headed by Ecovisão and also had the Marquês Vale Flor Institute and Dicas e Pistas as partners.
This project is promoted by SN Turismo – São Nicolau Tour Operators Association and financed by the Fund for Tourism and Social Sustainability for Tourism (FSST), by the Municipal Councils of Vila da Ribeira Brava and of Tarrafal and by the Luxemburg Development Cooperation.
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Proactiveur was involved in map, digital and photographic surveying and in the signage installed along the hiking trails, ensuring the signs included identification of historic, ethnographic and natural heritage, as well as of existing community associations and the choice of services.
The result of this project is known as Saniclau Trails - Nha caminhe, a network of walking and hiking trails stretching 200 km across the entire Island of SĂŁo Nicolau.
www.saniclautrails.com
The trails include a main trail, extending 70 km longitudinally across the island and various complementary connecting trails, giving you an incredible insight into a territory exceptionally suited to hiking.
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Making the most of an in-depth knowledge of São Nicolau acquired through this project, Proactivetur is promoting a series of adventure and discovery tours for small groups, trekking the African island’s trails.
Come with us to hike across Africa’s SanNiclau. Discover all our tours on the site www.in2south.pt
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The aim is to take action in places less affected by the fires – and elsewhere – and quickly promote this territory to ensure substantial falls in tourist demand aren’t felt. As a consequence of this initiative, Proactivetur was successful in its tender to Almargem for the installation of new walking trails in Monchique.
Following the tragic fires in Monchique in 2018, the Algarve Tourist Board, in partnership with the Almargem Association and the Municipality of Monchique have embarked on a project to revive tourism in the area.
PROJECT “REVIVING MONCHIQUE”
And so we are working with this association and local partners to define and install five new routes, so as to make Monchique more attractive in terms of nature tourism. The first results of this initiative will be unveiled soon.
•Notícias
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BIRD WATCHING
ADVENTURE TRIPS
PEOPLE CRAFT AND FOOD
HIKING PROGRAMMES
VOLUNTEERING
Do you know the commercial arm of our tourism business? Hiking, Bird Watching, Creative Tourism or Gastronomic Experiences are some of the options waiting for you. In addition to these you’ll also find special attention paid to our local partners, while the positive impact of our regional footprint is gauged. Pay a visit and come and meet us of one of the activities we offer.
More information
CREATIVE TOURISM
In2South.pt
BESPOKE PROGRAMMES
reservas@in2south.pt +351 289 416 198 Portugal > Algarve
Alvará n.º 160/2011 de 24 de maio > Agência de Viagens com registo n.º 6213 PROACTIVETUR
QRER Cooperative
More emphasis was placed on environmental sustainability and reducing the event’s ecological footprint at this edition, with a manifesto on the festival’s sustainability drawn up and measures promoted that reduce its impact while being held.
7º WALKING FESTIVALAMEIXIAL Walking Festival Ameixial
April 26-28, 2019 saw the 7th edition of Walking Festival Ameixial (WFA). More than 1250 people took part in the event, signing up for the 60-plus walking activities, workshops and plenty of entertainment, generating more than €5000 for the local economy.
In addition to its aim to promote hiking and discovering the mountains, the festival continues to contribute to the development of the Algarve’s inland areas, introducing a range of opportunities to improve and diversify Nature Tourism products, such as the technical workshop held on the subject: “Good Practices of Nature Tourism Professional Guides”.
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Another focus of the WFA was local heritage, involving the development of an activity aimed at “renovating the roof of circular haylofts”, which represents one of the ways of contributing to preserving the cultural landscape and local ‘serra’ identity.
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WFA, coordinated by Proactivetur and organised by QRER Cooperative, is an annual event held since 2012 over the last weekend of April, figuring on the Algarve Walking Season (AWS) calendar. Due to the conditioning factors brought about the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 edition of the WFA will be held on December 05 & 06. For information and to register, visit:
www.wfameixial.com
0 5 › 0 6.12 .2 0
8 Walking Festival Am eixial wfameixial.com
Natureza · Património Gastronomia · Música Cultural · Arqueologia Nature · Heritage · Foo Music · Archaeology d Tasting
Mais de more than
NATUREZA PATRIMÓNIO
NATURE HERITAGE
actividades diferentes different activities
Organização Organiza
tion
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RIO ARADE: ‘TRAIL OFTHE SPRINGS’ BOIÃO-AZILHEIRA
ALGARVE WALKING SEASON
As part of a QRER project financed by EU funding programme ‘There isn’t a PLANet B’, we collaborated in the process of setting up the ‘Boião – Azilheira Trail’ walking trail in the parish of São Marcos da Serra, in the municipality of Silves.
The Algarve Walking Season project was begun in 2018 to better coordinate and ensure improved promotion of walking festivals in the Algarve. An initiative of the QRER Cooperative, in partnership with the Algarve Tourist Board, Alcoutim Municipality and the Almargem Association, it is coordinated by Proactivetur.
Ameixial and Walk & Art Fest Barão S. João), which have thus enjoyed an opportunity to reach a wider audience and better coordination in terms of scheduling when they are held and what activities are promoted. The second edition of the project took place in 2019 and more than 3000 people took part in the three events.
The Algarve currently has three festivals under this brand umbrella (Alcoutim Walking Festival, Walking Festival
The AWS is a non-profit event and our involvement in it is in the spirit of regional cooperation we have been fostering since the
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beginning, in an attempt to get the Algarve and in particular its inland areas, noticed as a national and international walking/hiking destination. We want inland areas to enjoy sustained development and to ensure their natural, cultural and social values are preserved.
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Snippets Algarve Tourist Board and Rota Vicentina
Since 2019 Proactivetur, in the person of its managing director, has been part of the governing body of the Algarve Tourist Board, the organisation responsible for promoting the Algarve as a destination abroad.
We are also on the governing board of the Rota Vicentina Association, which is responsible for managing, fostering and promoting the major hiking trail of the same name.
Events The initiative, coordinated by our colleague from the cooperative, Patricia Jesus Silva, involved defining the route, putting up signs, assessing environmentally important information, and map production.
The trail is now in place and ready to be enjoyed. The longest route covers about 17 km, starting at the snack bar in Boião and ending in Azilheira.
If you don’t feel like walking so far you can do shorter sections, also signposted.
•Cooperativa Qrer
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During 2019 we took part as guest speakers in several events around the country, including: “Douro Creative Market” (March, Vila Real, Trás-osMontes); the “Creative Tourism” seminar (Algarve University, October); and the Nature Tourism Biennial, in Aljezur.
At each event we shared our experiences and showcased some of our work, in terms of responsible tourism, creative tourism and in giving value to traditional arts and crafts.
Reflecting modern times in age-old techniques
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Projecto TASA Alentejo Injecting value into the age-old arts, crafts and trades of the municipality of Beja
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The TASA Project broadened its scope to include the Alentejo, extending to this territory its mission to innovate in the arts and crafts industry. The municipality of Beja, as in the rest of the country, is watching on as its arts, crafts and trades slowly disappear, as the majority of master craftspeople age and some of the professions making up the culture of the region fall by the wayside.
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The Alentejo project, which lasted for about 6 months, involved research and mapping of the masters and workshops, the creation of a network of artisans and craftspeople, the design of prototypes resulting from this collaboration and the organisation of educational and creative activities involving the community.
This project was undertaken on a partnership basis, between Proactivetur/TASA Project and Simbiose Association for the promotion and enhancement of natural and traditional resources, while also enjoying the support of the Municipal Council of Beja.
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Once this initial surveying phase was complete, 3 craftsmen had been identified to move forward with the design and development of innovative products with the traditional arts of the territory and we were able to pinpoint potential for the development of activities within the project or as activities to be recommended at another opportunity.
The product designers worked closely with each artisan, in their workshops, to explore possible techniques and materials and the connection between them.
The 30 pupils took part in a session experimenting with crafting with lakeshore bulrush, and throughout the second school term, they went through every phase typical to product design with the support of their teacher and the project designer.
The products resulting from this intervention were showcased at the “Heritage of the South” Fair (2019 edition) and enjoyed a warm reception from visitors. These products are now part of the TASA Project catalogue and the artisans are now part of the TASA network, to then lead to the promotion and appreciation of artisans and techniques identified as being from Beja.
Given the gastronomic identity of this region, it was decided from the outset that the products would form part of the kitchen range. One of the product projects resulted from activities undertaken with an Arts Year Group from the Diogo Gouveia Secondary School.
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CREDITS Designers: Inês Carvalho e Hugo da Silva Artisans: António Mestre (earthenware) Manuel Pica (lakeshore bulrush) José Pedro Silva Madeira (wood) Coordination: Graça Palma
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Achigã (Largemouth Bass) Lamps - Malhadinha Nova
In parallel to these prototypes a set of lamps exclusive to the Herdade da Malhadinha Nova estate were developed as a result of contacts established during sessions undertaken with the community and which has ended becoming a valued asset of the project. projectotasa.com
The intention of this set of lamps was to bring to the centre of this Charm Hotel the distinctive character of the heritage linked
A história é agora revivida e experienciada neste novo tempo e espaço de sinergia entre o design, a tradição e o turismo de charme.
to local arts and crafts and to the ecosystem of the Terges River. FICHATÉCNICA Materiais: Buinho, madeira e barro vidrado Dimensões: 172 x 62 x 56 cm cada candeeiro Lâmpadas: LED 230V, 5.5w, 2700k regulável com dimmer Artesãos: Vanessa Flórido/Projecto TASA (buinho) + José Pedro Silva (madeira) + Francisco Eugénio (barro) Design: Hugo da Silva www.hugodasilva.com Produção: TASA www.projectotasa.pt
In a contemporary approach, the result brings a modern edge to this legacy and pays tribute to the soul of this place. The materials used included wood and lakeshore bulrush and its production makes use of local chair-making techniques.
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CREDITS Artisans: Vanessa Flórido/Projecto TASA (lakeshore bulrush) + José Pedro Silva (wood) + Francisco Eugénio (clay). Materiais: Lakeshore bulrush, wood and glazed earthenware . Design: Hugo da Silva. Production: TASA
Set of lamps designed and produced exclusively for Herdade da Malhadinha Nova.
And this is how TASA comes into being in Saniclau
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The TASA Project team was on the wonderful Island of São Nicolau in Cape Verde for an intense collaborative experience with local artisans and institutions with the aim of adapting the TASA methodology to this territory.
The establishment of a network of artisans and the development of a collection of products combining design with local tradition are the main accomplishments of this initiative led by TASA in Cape Verde (Island and São Nicolau).
This initiative came about following the invitation made by SN – Turismo to develop an activity for the Appreciation of Arts, Crafts and Trades of São Nicolau,
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as part of the Luxemburg Development Cooperation with the cooperation of the Municipal Councils of Ribeira Brava and of Tarrafal.
The groundwork took place in two phases, the first in September and the second in November in 2019.
The challenge was to create the right founding conditions to enhance local arts, crafts and trades, through the development of solutions adjusted to the local situation and which introduce innovation into artisan industry.
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In addition to these results an intervention plan with short and medium term measures emerged from the consensus of artisans and the responsible bodies, aimed at contributing to the enhancement and promotion of the arts and crafts of this island in the archipelago of Cape Verde.
The results include the creation of a collection of innovative products, the establishment of an arts and crafts brand for SĂŁo Nicolau and a network of artisans that will operate the same way TASA does.
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Design with the crafts of the sea and the land of Saniclau
The starting point of this process was to work with local craftsmen to design diversified products aimed at the tourism market, mostly made with local materials, thus taking up the ancestral practices that contribute greatly to the distinctive character of local craftsmanship, as well as to production and consumption models integrated into the global sustainability agenda.
The basic intention was to revive, stimulate and innovate the island’s traditional arts sector. And for the introduction of a new language to enhance the commercial value of new products.
The proposal for the new products was presented in two collections inspired by the rural/mountainous area and by the coastline: the “Nha Terra” collection and the “Nha Mar” collection.
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Colours and iconographic elements associated with the imagery of the areas at the root of each of the collections were identified.
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It was deemed essential for the new products to be produced with materials from the region, or from nearby, not only because of the inherent ecological concerns, but also because of the difficulty of getting hold of imported materials, an issue identified at the diagnostic stage.
The work being carried out to create infrastructures and programmes to attract tour operators, allows us to envisage a huge opportunity for the appreciation of arts and crafts, not only through selling handicraft products, but also through the possibility of organising creative tourism experiences involving local artisans.
The possibility of the projects bringing added value through the combination of techniques, artisans and also products was favoured. The nine products created were the result of an initiative that succeeded thanks to the extreme motivation and great openness of the artisans. The appreciation of São Nicolau’s arts and crafts will happen in combination with a strategy to attract tourists in the ecotourism segment, for which the Island has enormous potential.
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Value is thus given to the vast wealth of local gastronomy, landscape, fauna, flora and cultural heritage, as much in handcrafted products as in tourist experiences being developed.
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It is also hoped that now that the seeds have been sown - namely with the creation of a brand identifying the handicrafts of São Nicolau and the establishment of a network of artisans – they will gradually bear the fruit needed for the development of this sector.
projectotasa.com
The new collection of products takes up the relationship that handcrafted artefacts have always had with the cultural practices and subsistence economy that characterise the region. It can be seen that these initiatives bringing value to handicrafts have an important demonstrative effect, attracting young people who can see in these activities potential for personal and professional fulfilment.
CREDITS Team: Graça Palma (coordination and consultancy) Joana Cabrita Martins (Product design)
•Consulting for the Valorization of the crafts of São Nicolau (Cape Verde)
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An arabesque table styled by TASA 62
At the 2019 edition of the Islamic Festival, in MĂŠrtola, we held an intensive residency dedicated to traditional arts and their relation to Islamic-influenced artefacts, visual cultures and eating customs. 63
This co-creation project in progress resulted in ‘Arabesque Table’ - an installation piece where creative minds, artisans and the public interacted and where over 4 days connections and dialogues were forged through a common legacy. It was an adventure-packed journey through the words, flavours, artefacts, knowhow and geometries of a people that indelibly marks our identity. The invitation came from Mértola Municipal Council.
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Alexandra Santos was responsible for its Curatorship/Design. The crafts represented included tile making (Lilia Lopes), Tinsmithing (David Fernandes), Palm weaving (Vanessa Flórido) and lakeshore bulrush (Martinho Fernandes).
Fostering futures Colaboration. This is the action word at the heart of this project aimed at creating interaction between arts, artisans and traditional materials from the municipality of Ferreira do Alentejo.
Project TASA — Técnicas Ancestrais Soluções Atuais — [Age-old Techniques Modern Solutions] was invited to ignite synergies for the future of the most iconic craft trades of this region of the Alentejo.
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Through a social design initiative, and using participation as a method, artisans brought their universe of materials, forms, colours and techniques to the collective, to which they are passionately dedicated.
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From this relationship/
CREDITS
collaboration the hope is to
Social design consultancy: Projecto TASA with Alexandra dos Santos. Promoter: Municipal Council of Ferreira do Alentejo. Artisans: Hermínia Gonçalves e José Odivelas (reed baskets) Armindo Fragoso e Maria José Fragoso, Ferreira do Alentejo (wrought iron) Vitor Caço, Ferreira do Alentejo (lakeshore bulrush, furniture and paint).
build a future for the traditional arts of Ferreira do Alentejo.
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Craft market workshops at the Contraband Festival
The traditional craft trades on the Via Algarviana At the invitation of the Almargem Association, we developed a series of informative panels as part of the “Educarte: Educating for the Territory” project, entitled Via Algarviana - Praising Nature Traditional Crafts.
motto of the exhibition is the discovery of artisans, artefacts and places along the Via Algarviana, presented as guardians of the collective memory about the art of creating with nature. This exhibition aims to contribute to the knowledge and interpretation of a unique heritage present in the regions of Alcoutim, Castro Marim, Monchique, Vila do Bispo and Aljezur. Some of the craft trades represented in the exhibition are on the verge of extinction, reflecting the general decline of the craft industry in Portugal. The exhibition promoted by the Almargem Association is a travelling exhibition and will stop off throughout the region.
Learn more here:
almargem.org
TASA has been a regular presence at recent editions of the ‘Contraband Festival’ in Alcoutim, where it has brought life to a craft market and a programme of workshops and interactive events aimed at promoting the traditional arts of the Algarve.
In 2019 we held a ‘Wheel of Chairs’, showcasing the chair maker’s craft in the creation of a chair’s seat section using boards, reeds and lakeshore bulrush, plants commonly used for this function, bringing together 8 chair makers, including 3 apprentices recently trained in this traditional art.
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Promoter: Associação Almargem Concept and production: Proactivetur - Projecto TASA / Design: Alexandra Santos
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