The 5th Intangible Cultural Heritage Meeting of the Madeira Archipelago was held on September 5th, in the Auditorium of the Casa do Povo of Camacha, under the theme "The Wicker Work in Dialogue: Between Safeguarding and Contemporaneity". The event brought together researchers, institutional leaders, artists, and people involved in this artisanal activity to reflect on the preservation, enhancement, and transmission of this traditional art to new generations.
Marisa Santos, from the Institute of Wine, Embroidery, and Handicrafts of Madeira, spoke about the valorization of the wicker sector in the Region, while Liliana Gomes, from the Study Group on Wicker Work of the Casa do Povo of Camacha, presented the study and documentation work developed around this heritage. The program also featured the communication "Lost in Translation" by visual artist Hélder Folgado and the conference "Entrançados – The Art of Vegetable Fiber Between Land and Hands" by researcher Teresa Perdigão from the Nova University of Lisbon.
The wicker work is historically linked to Camacha, where it gained particular expression from the 19th century onwards, holding for decades a significant weight in the local economy. Currently, the reduction in the number of craftsmen and in the production of wicker itself poses challenges to the continuity of this traditional knowledge.
The initiative included a public participation moment and, during the afternoon, a visit to the Tenda, the workshop of craftsman José Pedro Gouveia, where it was possible to observe materials, tools, and techniques used in the production of the pieces. The meeting was promoted by the Regional Secretariat for Tourism, Environment and Culture, through the Regional Directorate for Culture, with the support of the Parish Council of Camacha and the Casa do Povo of Camacha.
