FARO AND Portimão câmaras signed an agreement this week to re-establish a cultural link between the boroughs.
The aim is to reduce common costs and increase the profitability of culture venues and festivals.
At a press conference held at Paços do Concelho in Faro, câmara presidents José Apolinário (Faro) and Manuel da Luz (Portimão) announced the creation of a working group consisting of two representatives from each câmara to co-ordinate the planning and realisation of initiatives.
“We intend to organise a set of joint initiatives, which will be of great interest to the region and which should also offer greater profitability,” said Manuel da Luz.
The cultural link between the councils did exist some years ago, but recently seemed to have been forgotten. One of the examples given was the disappearance of the Festival do Mediterrâneo, a theatre event that was jointly organised by the two councils and which will now be brought back.
The two councils intend to organise events in partnership and not only cultural and sporting events, but also congresses and similar events.
Quality events will be staged during the low season in order to revitalise that time of year, emphasized Manuel da Luz.
Portimão is preparing to open two new venues, Fórum Portimão, a concert hall with a capacity for 700 people and the Municipal Museum, while Faro offers the most modern venue in the region, Teatro das Figuras (the municipal theatre that opened last year).
This new agreement may not remain exclusive however, as both câmara presidents admitted that it can be “extended to other interested councils.”
The two council chiefs intend to make the Algarve Tourism Board aware of the agreement, in particular, so that it will have “greater involvement” in cultural projects in the region.
