The Government of the Azores, through the Regional Directorate for Culture, an entity under the administration of the Regional Secretariat for Education and Culture, will hold a seminar on "Affordable and Inclusive Culture" in Ponta Delgada next Monday, September 17, in the context of the European Year of Cultural Heritage.
 
This seminar will take place at Ponta Delgada Public Library and Regional Archive from 9:30 AM to 5 PM. It will be dedicated to the development of new audiences in cultural initiatives, as a way of encouraging and supporting regional cultural departments and the agents in the promotion of an inclusive and accessible culture. This will be achieved through the exchange of regional and national experiences and good practices in the various areas of cultural heritage.
 
In this regard, the initiative will address different social, intellectual, physical, cultural and communication barriers that hinder the access to culture to promote the involvement of different audiences in regional cultural spaces, while respecting differences and equal opportunities.
 
The seminar programme includes four panels. The first one starts at 9:45 AM under the theme "Culture and Territory" will discuss social accessibility and related issues, such as level of schooling, literacy, unemployment and social isolation.
 
This panel will be moderated by Célia Pereira, Head of the Board of Directors of Cresaçor. It also will include Maria Leonor Couto, Coordinator of the Educational Service, and Valério Moniz, member of the Intangible Cultural Heritage team of Carlos Machado Museum, who will address the "Mobile Museum" project.
 
Susana Silvestre, Head of Division of the Network of Lisbon Municipal Libraries and the director of Marvila Library, will present the theme "Human Library: Do not Judge the Book by the Cover."
 
"Museums, Accessibility and Inclusion" will be the last paper of the first panel and will be presented by Clara Mineiro, member of the Department of Studies, Projects, Works and Surveillance of the Directorate-General for Cultural Heritage, being followed by a debate.
 
The second panel begins at 11:15 AM. Under the theme "Culture and Knowledge," various issues concerning intellectual accessibility will be addressed as well as the need for all cultural infrastructures to be built and shared by people, from the standpoint of democratisation, reinforcing their educational value at the service of society.
 
In this regard, the panel will include the presentation of several forms of decoding contents and the access to information, breaking down barriers, and stimulating curiosity and discovery.
 
This panel will be moderated by Alexandre Pascoal, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Teatro Micaelense. It will feature the participation of Ana Lúcia Almeida, Coordinator of the Educational Service of Angra do Heroísmo Museum, who will present "A Museum for the Community" and Ana Filipa Tomaz, head of the Educational Service of the Lisbon Triennale, who will address the theme "Visits for People with Intellectual Disabilities." In turn, Hilda Frias, President of Castelo d'If Association will present a paper on "Contemporary Art - Uncomplicated Creators and Creative Spaces."
 
The presentation of the papers will be followed by a debate.
 
At 2 PM, the third panel will focus on the theme "Inclusive Culture" and will be moderated Ana Catarina Gomes, President of the General Assembly of the ACAPO-Azores (Portuguese Association of the Blind and Partially Sighted), who will discuss cultural accessibility and cultural infrastructures as meeting places for all.
 
The projects will address techniques used to improve cultural accessibility among diverse audiences, attract new audiences, through the passion for knowledge, search for new languages capable of creating interactions.
 
This panel includes papers that will be delivered by Fátima Marques Pereira, Director of Arquipélago - Contemporary Arts Centre, who will reflect on "Awareness for Contemporary Arts," followed by João Herdade, architect at the Department of Museums, Conservation and Accreditation of the Directorate-General Cultural Heritage, who will present a paper on "Museums and Inclusion." Lastly, Susana Cruz, Director of Tourism for All, will address the theme "Cultural Tourism."
 
These papers will be followed by a debate.
 
Under the title "Affordable Communication," the fourth and final panel will explore the communicative discourse, ensuring that, in their difference, each one may feel special and perfectly integrated.
 
Papers presented under this panel will demonstrate appealing tools in many aspects, including the quality of life experience, personal experience and universal design.
 
This panel will be moderated by Madalena San-Bento, Director for the Ponta Delgada Public Library and Regional Archive. It will feature the participation of Ricardo Ávila, Senior Technician at Luís da Silva Ribeiro Public Library and Regional Archive, who will address the "Old Tales Night" project and Alfredo Martins, co-founder of Teatro Meia Volta e Depois à Esquerda Quando Eu Disser Association, who will reflect on "The Public goes to the Theatre." In turn, Rita Pires dos Santos, Vice-President of the General Assembly of Acesso Cultural Association will discuss the theme "Cultural Communication."
 
These communications will be followed by a debate. The closing session is scheduled for 5 PM.
 
Admission to the seminar "Affordable and Inclusive Culture" is free, but is subject to registration, which must be made through the following link: https://goo.gl/forms/zrac4HXlkxULUSFG2.
 
This seminar is part of the initiatives promoted by the Regional Directorate for Culture in the European Year of Culture Heritage with the aim of reflecting the importance of cultural heritage in the community and building a concept of shared responsibility. In fact, the seminar is part of series of three seminars organised with the purpose of debating matters related to UNESCO world heritage in the regional public sphere: the use of cultural infrastructures by a wider and more diverse public, and the preservation and safeguarding of heritage for future generations.
 
The seminar on "Affordable and Inclusive Culture" is the second to take place in 2018. The first was held in July at the Whaling Museum in Lajes do Pico under the theme "UNESCO World Heritage - Future Perspectives."
 
The third is scheduled for October 9 and will focus on the theme "Climate Change and Cultural Heritage." It will take place at Angra do Heroísmo Congress and Cultural Centre.
 
The Regional Directorate for Culture informs that this and other events may be consulted in the Cultural Agenda of CulturAçores Portal at the following address: www.culturacores.azores.gov.pt.