The first edition of the "International Biennial of Arts and Crafts" took place on September 4th and 5th at the Centro de Cultura Contemporânea in Castelo Branco, promoted by the City Council through the Division of Museums and Culture. The event brought together representatives from Portugal, Brazil, and Cape Verde and was part of the programming of the "Festival Sabores de Perdição," in the context of Castelo Branco's integration into the "UNESCO Creative Cities Network," in the category of "Craftsmanship and Folk Arts" since October 2023.
Sónia Abreu, responsible for the organization, made a very positive assessment, highlighting public attendance and the quality of the interventions. The program included debates on local identity, creative economy, heritage, the Embroidery of Castelo Branco, entrepreneurship, and internationalization, with the participation of Américo Rodrigues, Director-General for the Arts. The discussions focused particularly on the need to recognize crafts as major art and on the challenge of preserving the identity of the Embroidery of Castelo Branco while allowing its contemporary evolution.
The exhibition "The Embroidered World by Hand" brought together pieces from Portuguese municipalities, Brazil, Cape Verde, and the Azores, with an attendance that exceeded expectations. The municipality of Madalena, on the island of Pico, stood out for the participation of the Mayor throughout the two days of the event. The organization plans for the exhibition to travel to other interested municipalities.
Sónia Abreu stated that she intends to invest in increasing the Biennial's visibility both within and outside Portugal, using it as an instrument for the enhancement of the Embroidery of Castelo Branco. The responsible person argued that the UNESCO label only works if it belongs to the community and that it is necessary to involve young people and ensure they can make a living from these arts. The genesis of the Biennial arose from the need to explain to the population what it means to be a "UNESCO Creative City"
