The artistic director of the managing association, John Romão, announced to journalists after the presentation of five Évora 2027 projects that the complete program of the initiative will be revealed “in the last quarter of 2026”.
“Our program is scheduled to officially begin in February 2027,” he added.
John Romão spoke following a session on the artistic and infrastructure programs of Évora 2027, held at the Convento de São Bento de Cástris on the city’s outskirts, which was attended by the Minister of Culture, Margarida Balseiro Lopes.
During the session, several of the 52 projects from the application book were presented, specifically ‘Cante – Sons do Vagar’ by musician Tozé Bexiga, ‘Casa dos Bonecos’ and the ‘Bienal Internacional de Marionetas de Évora’ by the Évora Dramatic Center (Cendrev).
‘Hypertêxtil – Bienal de Arte Têxtil do Alentejo’ by Córtex Frontal, ‘Travão de emergência’ by Estação Cooperativa de Casa Branca, and ‘Imagens-X’ by Grupo Pro-Évora were the other projects presented.
In his comments to the journalists, the artistic director mentioned that the Évora 2027 Association will launch two competitions in September this year, one for the Central Alentejo school community and another aimed at international structures and artists.
“We are currently preparing those regulations,” stated John Romão.
The director emphasized that the ‘open call’ for international structures and artists seeks project proposals “involving the Alentejo communities in different artistic domains and showcasing these partnerships with the territory.”
Regarding delays in the initiative, the artistic director acknowledged that the managing association is “accelerating and trying to recover some lost time” due to the recognition that “the project is somewhat delayed.”
“We are working with all the artists and associations represented in the ‘bidbook’ [application book]” as well as “strengthening national and international partnerships of these projects, the dimension of the legacy, and the relationship with local communities,” he added.
