The first edition of the "International Biennial of Arts and Crafts" kicked off in Castelo Branco on September 4th, at the Contemporary Culture Center, with a program dedicated to the enhancement of heritage, traditional knowledge and creative industries. The initiative, promoted by the City Council of Castelo Branco, runs until September 5th integrated into the program of the "Sabores de Perdição Festival". The opening session featured the presence of the mayor, Leopoldo Rodrigues, and a musical moment by the "Batucadeiras" of the Cultural Center of Cape Verde in Lisbon.
The first day's program included two roundtables: "Local Identity and Creative Economy: Public Instruments to Enhance Heritage" and "The Embroideries of Castelo Branco: Tradition and Innovation". Among the participants were Sofia Lourenço, honorary consul of Cape Verde, António Pinto Dias Rocha, honorary consul of Brazil, and Américo Rodrigues, Director-General of the Arts. During the afternoon, the exhibition "The World of Hand Embroidery" was inaugurated and a guided visit to the Textile Museum was held.
The Biennial comes following the integration of Castelo Branco in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in October 2023, in the category of "Crafts and Folk Art", seeking to create a dialogue platform on the safeguarding and economic enhancement of cultural heritage. The organization is led by Sónia Abreu, head of the Museum and Culture Division of the city council.
On the second day, September 5th, the program includes presentations of practices and projects from different UNESCO Creative Cities, such as Castelo Branco, Barcelos, Caldas da Rainha, Covilhã and Matosinhos, among others. At 2:30 PM, the roundtable "Transforming Tradition into Value: Entrepreneurship and Internationalization in Creative Industries" will be held, with the participation of Luciano Barbosa, mayor of Arapiraca in Brazil, and Marielza Rodriguez, manager of the Paraiban Craft Program. The closing is scheduled for 4 PM, followed by a visit to the Embroidery Interpretation Center.
