Around half a hundred events make up the University of Coimbra’s (UC) program for the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the Carnation Revolution, which promises to reflect on before and after April 25, 1974.
“We have 50 initiatives to kick off the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of 25 April, but the program is not closed. Other initiatives that emerge will be part of the program,” said Delfim Leão, UC’s vice-rector for Culture, Communication and Open Science.
During the presentation of the program, which took place at the 25 de Abril Documentation Centre in downtown Coimbra, the UC vice-rector explained that a number of initiatives are already underway to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Carnation Revolution, although the formal launch won’t take place for another eight days.
Debates, conferences, shows and exhibitions make up the range of cultural and scientific initiatives to commemorate half a century of democracy, organized by the University of Coimbra in partnership with the Coimbra Academic Association and the Coimbra Former Students Association, as well as various partners from the UC’s cultural outreach and training support units.
According to the director of the UC Press, Carlota Simões, an exhibition of books banned during the Estado Novo is underway, which, in a first phase, will circulate through schools in Coimbra, and in a second phase, through the Center region.
“50 Times April: Is There Still a Story to Tell?” is the title of another exhibition for young people, with a selection of 50 objects that have made it possible to “create a narrative that tells a bit of the history prior to April 25 and the transformations” it brought about.
The UC Press also intends to mark the 50th anniversary of April 25 with six books, leading to six talks, including one on the National Health Service (SNS).
The program also includes “The Theatre is with the People, The People are with the Theatre IV – The People of April”.
“Gentes de Abril” is a project to collect personal stories in the city of Coimbra, focusing on the days of April 1974, the PREC period (Revolutionary Process in Progress) and the connection to the Gil Vicente Academic Theater (TAGV).
“We’re going to have popular assemblies, open to everyone, to talk about the tense relationship between art and power,” said TAGV director Sílvio Santos.
TAGV is also hosting an exhibition of vinyl records of music from the 1970s, with a particular focus on the music that was part of the April Revolution and the music of protest, as well as a display of posters resulting from a selection made in the archives of TAGV and the 25 de Abril Documentation Center.
At today’s press conference to present the program, the director of the 25 de Abril Documentation Centre, Cristina Freitas, pointed out that they have focused on educational content, with traveling exhibitions and a traveling route.
“We’re going to have an open day, with some speeches and two guided tours of emblematic sites of April 25 in Coimbra,” he said.
The president of the Coimbra Academic Association, Renato Daniel, took the opportunity to inform the audience that, in partnership with RTP, a short series entitled “Aqui houve Resistência” (Here there was Resistance) will be created, while other initiatives will be presented at a later date.
