BEST PORTUGAL BRANDS
Ana Águas article
Craftsmen, designers e makers: There is still time to join the Arts Biennial & Crafts | Novo Design
Applications close 6 July and cover three initiatives that aim to reinforce the visibility, the qualification and future of arts and crafts in Portugal.
Registration for the Exhibition Exhibition, for the new Arts Prize & Crafts | New Design and Open Days only run until 6 July. An opportunity for artisans, new makers, designers and artists are part of one of the most important national initiatives dedicated to valuing Portuguese know-how.
Promoted by Spira – heritage revitalization, in partnership with the Municipality of Oeiras, to the Arts Biennale & Crafts | New Design has come, in the last five years, asserting itself as a meeting point between tradition and innovation, bringing artisans together, designers, institutions, schools, brands and public.
More than organizing an event every two years, the organization intends to create conditions to respond to the challenges identified by the sector's professionals themselves: greater visibility, more qualification opportunities, strengthening internationalization, closer ties with interior design brands and greater economic sustainability of their projects.
It was from this joint work that a strategy with a horizon of up to 2030, based on three complementary initiatives.
The first is the Arts Biennale & Crafts | Novo Design, which returns to the Oeiras Market between 24 , 27 September of 2026. For four days, the space will host an exhibition, talks specialized, workshops “hands-on”, masterclasses, heritage education programs and various cultural initiatives.
The second novelty is the Arts Award & Crafts | Novo Design, whose first edition aims to distinguish projects that contribute to innovation, appreciation and affirmation of Portuguese arts and crafts.
Complete this program Open Days Arts & Crafts | Novo Design, annual initiative that, between October and March, invites the public to enter the workshops and ateliers of artisans and new makers from all over the country, bringing visitors closer to creative processes and traditional knowledge.
What can you still apply for??
Until 6 July applications remain open for:
- Integrate to Exhibition Show gives Biennale;
- compete for Arts Award & Crafts | Novo Design;
- propose activities for Open Days Arts & Crafts | Novo Design.
These three initiatives seek to reinforce the visibility of professionals, create new opportunities for collaboration and contribute to the economic and cultural valorization of arts and crafts in Portugal.
Who is it for??
The Award is intended to distinguish Artisans, New Makers, Designers, interdisciplinary teams and other professionals in the sector who present original works based on artisanal know-how, promoting an integrated and transversal approach to creative domains, in opposition to logics of disciplinary sectorization, and prioritizing training principles, transmission of knowledge and sustainable valorization of territories and communities.
At a time when interest in local production is growing, for authenticity and sustainability, initiatives such as Arts Biennale & Crafts | Novo Design assume an increasingly important role in the preservation and renewal of Portuguese know-how. For many artisans and new makers, This could be an opportunity to present your work to new audiences, establish partnerships and join a national network dedicated to excellence in the trades.
Applications go up to 6 July and all information is available on Biennial Arts official website & Crafts | Novo Design.
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