On 21 and 22 September, the Côa Museum hosted the fifth edition of the Culture Forum, an initiative of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport dedicated to educational services and cultural mediation. The event brought together institutional representatives and professionals to reflect on the relationship between culture, education, heritage and communities.

The public session on 21 September was moderated by Fábio Ribeiro, a lecturer at the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro. Participants included Alexandre Nobre Pais, Rafaela Santos, Jorge Prendas, Marta Mendes, Paulo Pires do Vale, Samuel Guimarães, Celina Gonçalves and Inês Bettencourt da Câmara.

During the Forum, an investment of €1 million was announced for educational services and cultural mediation at accredited museums in the Portuguese Museum Network and institutions managed by Museus e Monumentos de Portugal. The creation of the Portuguese Saber Fazer Network was also announced, dedicated to promoting, preserving and passing on traditional Portuguese arts and crafts.

The Ministry’s visit to Foz Côa also included a meeting with Paulo Portas, Commissioner-General for the Commemorations of the 900th Anniversary of the Founding of Portugal, bodies overseen by the Ministry, and representatives of the Regional Coordination and Development Commissions. The meeting addressed the role of culture and heritage in the commemorations, as well as coordination between cultural policies, institutions and territories.

The decision to hold these cultural events at the Côa Museum reinforced and highlighted the importance of the region as a place for knowledge, dialogue and the development of new interpretations of heritage.