The Recreational and Cultural Association of Musicians (ARCM) in Faro received with satisfaction the announcement of a new headquarters by the City Council, after 12 years of urgency. The association has been temporarily installed in the Beer Factory since 2014, in a degraded building with safety problems. In May, the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection had recommended the closure of the space due to lack of licensing.
The announcement was made by the mayor of Faro, António Pina, during the municipal holiday speech on September 7. The mayor is preparing a proposal to rent a property on Riverside Promenade Road, near the Teatro das Figuras, where he intends to create the Margem Cultural and Creative Center, which will house ARCM and other associations.
ARCM's secretary, Cláudia Sil, stated that the association only knows about the announced intention and has presented its needs to the municipality. The association wants rehearsal rooms for bands, training rooms for the modern music school (with around 100 students), and a performance area with support spaces.
The association also intends to obtain certification as a training entity and apply for funding from the Directorate-General for the Arts, objectives it considers unfeasible in its current headquarters. Cláudia Sil hopes the solution will be approved quickly, noting that the new location next to the Teatro das Figuras makes sense for cultural promotion.