“Museum in the Village” | Launch of the presentations “The Village Goes to the Museum”
The “Museum in the Village,” an award-winning project promoted by SAMP and recognized by various institutions, has been highlighted for its collaborative project implementation and the social, creative, and innovative impact of its cultural, educational, and artistic intervention in communities facing isolation, both geographically and demographically.
With a focus on still-independent seniors, the project’s comprehensive structure envisions the implementation of various stages to ensure the integration and immersion of all participants in the proposed cultural and artistic programs. In this regard, the involvement of various institutions such as POISE – Portugal 2020, as a funder through the Portugal Social Innovation initiative, Culture 2027 Network, Leiria Municipal Council as a social investor, along with the dynamic partnership of the 26 Municipalities and Parish Councils belonging to the Culture 2027 Network, and all the museum professionals who embraced the project, has become absolutely essential for its realization.
The integration of communities throughout various sessions manifested in their active participation, not only in critical analysis regarding the social importance of museums, museum pieces, narratives, or the meanings inherent in the materials used and their representative role but also in reflecting the importance of their own memories and contributions to the local history of each region.
Following these interactions, communities were then invited to create an original collective work, in a collaborative process mediated by the “Museum in the Village” team with the support of representatives from municipalities and professionals from participating museums. The conception process of the community artwork follows the presentation of museum samples in the villages during the previous phase “The Museum Goes to the Village.”
It is based on the reinterpretation of the original museum piece that this collaboratively created work originates. Aiming to interconnect theoretical understanding of artistic development with the practical knowledge of the local population and their life experience, this process was structured to ensure that the created object reflects not only the local culture but also the individual skills of each senior.
From these enriching sharing moments, where “Museum in the Village” was indeed a place of meetings and exchanges, emerged the creation of 13 artworks with completely distinct characteristics, whose representativeness is inherent in the essence of their origin and the artists who developed them. These pieces of unparalleled social and cultural richness will now, in the next phase, take their prominent place in the “Museum in the Village”.
THE VILLAGE GOES TO THE MUSEUM: ART EXHIBITION
A “Aldeia vai ao Museu” consiste em algo mais do que simplesmente levar as comunidades a conhecer os locais e espaços museológicos dos quais ouviram falar através da peça que receberam.
A fase de implementação que se segue serve, principalmente, para integrar as comunidades nos Museus. Estas pessoas, que cresceram com condições e oportunidades de acesso a ofertas culturais reduzidas, viveram grande parte da sua vida a identificar as instituições museológicas como locais demasiado complexos para si e nas quais não se reveem, nem encaixam.
‘The Village Goes to the Museum’ is more than just guiding communities to explore the museum spaces they heard about through the received piece.
The upcoming implementation phase primarily aims to integrate communities into museums. These individuals, who grew up with limited access to cultural offerings, spent a significant part of their lives considering museums as places too complex for them, where they couldn’t relate or fit in.
This bias, deconstructed over multiple sessions, is now openly challenged. When visiting the museum, each community will not only rediscover the piece that inspired them but also witness the inauguration of their own work, observing it as an integral part of an exhibition, along with some personal objects they temporarily donated.
To reinforce the integrative nature of the project, each artwork presentation session will be accompanied by various artistic moments. Targeting an interactive and dynamic representation of the museum itself, the performances will have unique characteristics that allow a personalized representation of each institution through music and dance. The elderly will always be integrated into the performance, themselves invited to participate in key moments.
The final moments of each session are reserved for communities and institutions to celebrate together the display of the new pieces on exhibition and their representativity. The community artworks will remain in their respective museums over the coming months, available for visits as part of a temporary exhibition. Thus, the villages leave their mark on the museum, just as the museum did initially.
The “Museum in the Village” project is co-financed by PO ISE – Portugal 2020, through the Portugal Social Innovation Initiative, with the Municipal Council of Leiria as the Social Investor. It also joins forces with Culture 2027 Network as a partner that brings together museums, municipal councils, parish councils, associations, and institutions from the 26 municipalities in the network. Additionally, it receives support from the Polytechnic Institute of Leiria, Union of Parishes of Leiria, Pousos, Barreira e Cortes, among many others who have joined this creative and innovative initiative.
VILLAGE GOES TO THE MUSEUM | SCHEDULE OF OPENINGS AND EXHIBITIONS
December 14, 2021 | Opening
FETELARIA Goes to the Museum of Glass
The exhibition will be open from December 15, 2021.
January 18, 2022 | Opening
FOLGAROSA Goes to the Museum of Portuguese Popular Art
The exhibition will be open from January 19, 2022.
January 25, 2022 | Opening
CASAL DA PENA Goes to the Carlos Reis Municipal Museum
The exhibition will be open from January 26, 2022.
February 15, 2022 | Opening
SÃO BENTO Goes to the Museum Network of the Municipality of Peniche
The exhibition will be open from February 16, 2022.
February 22, 2022 | Opening
MOSTEIRO Goes to the Center of Studies in Photography of Tomar
The exhibition will be open from February 23, 2022.
March 8, 2022 | Opening
ALCANADAS Goes to the Lourinhã Museum
The exhibition will be open from March 9, 2022.
March 15, 2022 | Opening
ATEANHA Goes to the Center for the Arts of Caldas da Rainha
The exhibition will be open from March 16, 2022.
March 22, 2022 | Opening
CERCAL Goes to the Center for the Arts of Figueiró dos Vinhos
The exhibition will be open from March 23, 2022.
March 29, 2022 | Opening
FREIXIANDA Goes to the Network of Museums and Galleries of Óbidos
The exhibition will be open from March 30, 2022.
April 12, 2022 | Opening
FANHAIS Goes to the House of Time Museum in Castanheira de Pêra
The exhibition will be open from April 13, 2022.
April 19, 2022 | Opening
CABEÇAS Goes to the Raul da Bernarda Museum in Alcobaça
The exhibition will be open from April 20, 2022.
May 3, 2022 | Opening
LOURICEIRA DE CIMA Goes to the Roque Watercolor Museum of Alcanena
The exhibition will be open from May 4, 2022.
May 10, 2022 | Opening
COLUMBEIRA Goes to the Museum of Leiria
The exhibition will be open from May 11, 2022.
