Castelo Branco Action Plan (2023-2027)

At the time of Castelo Branco's candidacy as a UNESCO Creative City in the category of Handicrafts and Popular Arts, the Municipality assumed the commitment to, in the four years after the designation, carry out the following activities:

• Piece of Art

Develop a piece of art that involves the Bordado de Castelo Branco, the Burel da Covilhã and the Tapeçaria de Portalegre (in conclusion phase).

• Castelo Branco Embroidery Bootcamp

It's an initiative of the Castelo Branco City Hall with partner entities, it lasts for two weeks and it takes place at Fábrica da Criatividade. It is aimed at all students in the municipality of Castelo Branco to explore ancestral techniques of the Castelo Branco Embroidery, with two master embroiderers, in order to create original projects. The resulting works will be included in an Exhibition.

• Summer School/ Summer Camp International

The Summer School is aimed at students from various countries in the fields of textile design, fashion design, and industrial design to develop projects centered on traditional Portuguese embroidery.

• Make sure

In the scope of Castelo Branco's Candidature to UNESCO's Creative Cities Network, in the category of Handicraft and Popular Arts, with the Embroidery of Castelo Branco, in partnership with ADRACES, the embroiderers in the district were inventoried in order to promote awareness actions, affirming the importance of legalizing the handicraft work and the respective qualification.

• Training in the area of Conservation and Restoration

Develop partnerships with the aim of preserving the needle arts know-how, in particular the embroidery of Castelo Branco.

• Optional Course Units

Promotion of partnerships with higher education institutions for the introduction of optional curricular units referring to the Traditional Embroidery and Castelo Branco Embroidery theme in the textile design, fashion design and industrial design courses.

• Implement the "Há linho nas Beiras" project

This project's main goal is to revitalize the traditional art of linen production and is aimed at artisans, workshops, and associations that promote the safeguarding of traditional arts and crafts. It aims to raise awareness among artisans and the community for the valorization and recognition of this art as a tourist potential for the sustainable development of the territory.

• Integration of the Silk Roads and the Silk Streets event

Integration of Castelo Branco with the Silk Museum and the Silk Center of the Portuguese Association of Parents and Friends of the Mentally Handicapped Citizen in "The Silk Roads Programme, of UNESCO, a project involving the participation of several partners from the Member States, through an international network of focal points for the Silk Roads Programme of UNESCO.

• International Silk Biennial

After the integration in the Silk Routes, develop efforts for the "Silk Streets" event, an international art festival dedicated to silk and traditional embroidery.

• Artistic Residencies Program

The residencies consist of working spaces for professionals who are temporarily in the process of artistic creation in the city. Castelo Branco has a facility called "Fábrica da Criatividade" (Creativity Factory) that allows talent capture and entrepreneurship promotion.

To the Creativity Factory you can apply:

a) Citizens of any nationality, over 18 years of age, autonomously, or under 18 years of age, provided they are accompanied by a legal guardian;

b) Companies, legally constituted, with creative projects;

c) Other legal entities, namely associations or cooperatives, with projects, creative and that contribute to local development;

d) Entrepreneurs in the process of developing business ideas within the scope of creative activities, with potential for growth and market implementation.

Applications must have as object the development of activities related to creative areas, namely: arts; arts and crafts; communication design; equipment design; fashion design; theater; dance; music; architecture; performing arts; publishing; multimedia; audiovisual.

• Documentation Center for the Enhancement of the Embroidery of Castelo Branco

The documentation center is a learning and research resource center, structured in 2 sectors: Library and Video & Multimedia Library. Its collection consists of monographs, periodicals, books, photographs, and audiovisual material. Its mission is to promote knowledge about traditional embroidery worldwide by providing and disseminating information and documentary resources. It will be located in the Library of the Francisco Tavares Proença Júnior Museum.

• Archive of Memories "História & Estórias" (to be integrated later in the documentation center)

Realization of a photo and video repository about the Castelo Branco Embroidery. Launch the challenge to the school community to generate multimedia content related to the Castelo Branco Embroidery. Later this content may also be published on the municipality's youtube channel, facebook, and instagram.

• Cycles of Embroidery in the World (annual events)

Launch the challenge to embassies to propose a representative delegation to go to Castelo Branco to participate in the conference.

Exhibitions lasting approximately one week, there should be activities that promote the country (music, folk, costumes, embroidery, and workshops).

• Needle & Thimble" Dialogues (biannual meetings)

Series of lectures dedicated to traditional Portuguese certified embroidery.

Invite speakers (researchers, academics).

• Film Cycles (annually)

Documentary collection of videos and films on the subject of handicrafts and popular arts, creating the necessary partnerships for this purpose. Create an outdoor cinema cycle.

• International Network for Traditional Embroidery and Lace

Invite countries to join the network taking into consideration the Embroidery Atlas developed in the scope of Castelo Branco's Candidature to the Creative Cities Network in the Handicraft and Popular Arts Category.

• Embroidery, Biodiversity and Sustainability" Program at School

Promote awareness actions in the school community with the theme:

Embroidery and nature, environmental awareness, promotion of native flora and fauna;

The floral and animal motifs - tree of life, birds, rooster, carnations, roses, lilies, or pomegranates, reflecting the 4 seasons - as a link to local or regional biodiversity and the cycles of nature. By creating a leaflet or brochure; holding a conference; holding a workshop; initiatives in schools.