From 25 September to 6 October, the Municipality of Loulé celebrates World Tourism Day
No dia 25 de setembro, a Câmara Municipal de Loulé, a Região de Turismo do Algarve e a Comissão de Coordenação da Região do Algarve assinam um memorando de compromisso do Turismo do Algarve com a candidatura de Loulé a Capital Portuguesa da Cultura 2028.
From 26 September to 6 October, Loulé Criativo is organising Open Days, inviting residents and visitors to get to know the venues, creators, partners, craftspeople and skills that form part of the project.
The initiative includes the celebrations organised by Loulé Municipal Council to mark World Tourism Day, which falls on 27 September, featuring a programme blending tradition and innovation, heritage and creativity, learning and experimentation.
Over the course of several days, the public will have the opportunity to take part in open experimental workshops, demonstrations, talks and opportunities to share experiences, engaging directly with different techniques, materials and creative processes.
The programme kicks off on 26 September with activities dedicated to textiles and sewing at the Gama Lobo Palace, organised by the “Trama Aberta” and “Tia Anica” clubs, and an Empreita Circle at the Espírito Santo Convent Courtyard. The day also includes a guided tour of the Gama Lobo Palace and the Loulé Criativo Workshops, offering an opportunity to explore the spaces where various projects linked to creativity and the municipality’s traditional skills and crafts are developed.
On 28 September, the programme continues with open experimental workshops focusing on woodwork, led by Wesley Sacardi, and on palmweaving, led by the craftswomen from Casa da Empreita. At the end of the day, the Gama Lobo Palace will host the talk ‘I Can Do It – The role of crafts in children’s self-esteem’, featuring psychologist Rita Guapo and maker Wesley Sacardi, reflecting on the role of craftsmanship and creativity in children’s development and self-esteem.
On 29 and 30 September, a range of activities will invite participants to try their hand at pottery, botanical printing and hand-woven tapestry, including a pottery class specifically designed for children.
On 29 and 30 September, a range of activities will invite participants to try their hand at pottery, botanical printing and hand-woven tapestry, including a pottery class specifically designed for children.Nos dias 29 e 30 de setembro, diferentes propostas convidam à experimentação da olaria, impressão botânica e tapeçaria manual, incluindo uma aula de olaria dirigida a crianças.
The programme continues on 1 October with dyeing workshops using onion skins and cyanotype, exploring different ways of working with colour, materials and printing.
On 2 October, the public will be able to try their hand at jewellery-making and esparto weaving, followed in the afternoon by the round-table discussion ‘The Value and Positioning of Craft Today’. The discussion will bring together Carlos Coelho, Filipa Belo, Célia Macedo and Henrique Ralheta, moderated by Dália Paulo, for a reflection on the role, appreciation and positioning of craft in the contemporary context.
On 3 October, the Gama Lobo Palace will host a morning dedicated to hands-on activities, with various workshops taking place simultaneously, including: Fig Trilogy, Dry Rope, Earth Watercolours, Collective Embroidery, Filigree and Linocut, offering the public the opportunity to discover and try out different techniques and creative expressions.
The Open Week concludes on 6 October with a guided tour of the exhibition “Palma Esparto e Cana” at the Gama Lobo Palace, which will be attended by the makers of the exhibited pieces and master craftspeople, offering an opportunity for direct interaction with the exhibition’s key figures and to learn about the creative processes behind the works.A Semana Aberta termina a 6 de outubro, com uma visita guiada à exposição “Palma Esparto e Cana”, no Palácio Gama Lobo, que contará com a presença dos autores das peças e de mestres artesãos, proporcionando um momento de contacto direto com os protagonistas da exposição e com os processos de criação associados às peças.
Participation
Participation in the Open Days activities is free of charge.
The only activity requiring registration is the guided tour of the Gama Lobo Palace and the Network of Workshops, which takes place on 26 September at 2.30 pm. Registrations must be made via email to loulecriativo@cm-loule.pt.
The full programme for Loulé Criativo’s Open Days, from 26 September to 6 October, is available on the project’s social media channels and on the website: loulecriativo.pt