The vice-rector of the University of Évora (UE), Ana Telles, stated that this initiative, spearheaded by the Alentejo-based university, consists of three phases starting this year and continuing into the next, culminating in a festival in 2027.
“We begin in 2025, aiming to raise awareness of how music can effectively address issues related to environmental sustainability, and we want this to extend beyond a three-day festival in 2027,” she said.
The project, titled ‘Lá nas árvores’, includes the ‘Sentir a terra’ cycle, taking place from October 23 to 26 in Évora, Portugal, featuring concerts, workshops, and lectures.
Ana Telles announced that until October 17, artists and composers from all nationalities are invited to submit “works related to the themes of soundscapes and acoustic ecology” for this initial cycle.
“This is the first ‘call’ being launched and this cycle will also mark the first artistic event of the CEC Évora 2027 program,” emphasized Ana Telles, who also serves as the curator and artistic director of the ‘Lá nas árvores’ project.
Selected works will be showcased in a sound installation at the Coreto do Jardim Público de Évora and in a concert at the Palácio de D. Manuel as part of the ‘Sentir a terra’ cycle.
The project includes a second cycle, ‘Levantar voo’, planned for April or May 2026, and a main festival themed “Nas verdes árvores” in the first semester of 2027, for which new calls will be issued.
“In 2025, we begin within the urban perimeter,” in the public garden, utilizing “a natural space to start connecting people,” while in 2027, “the festival will take place in a natural environment,” yet to be decided, she added.
Financed by the Alentejo 2030 regional program, the initiative is led by the UE and involves coproduction with associations such as Évora 2027, Lisboa Incomum, and Projecto DME.
Besides Ana Telles as curator and artistic director, the project includes university professor, biogeographer, and researcher Miguel Bastos Araújo as an environmental consultant, while fellow academic João Bacelar will oversee the project’s design.
Composers and university professors Carlos Marecos and Mariana Vieira also participate in this artistic endeavor.
Regarding the call for the first cycle, each candidate may submit one work for the installation category and another for the concert category, or the same work for both, with a maximum of one work per category per participant.
Results are scheduled to be announced on October 6 of this year.
