Procultura: 7 Years of Boosting Lusophone Arts & Economy
The city of Praia is transforming into a hub of Lusophone creativity this week as the Camões Institute launches “Tradition in Motion,” a high-profile event celebrating the achievements of the Procultura project. Running from today through Saturday, the festivities mark the conclusion of a seven-year initiative that has reshaped the cultural landscape across Portuguese-speaking Africa and Timor-Leste (PALOP-TL).
A Star-Studded Celebration
The “Tradition in Motion” program features a rich lineup of workshops, artistic residencies, debates, and lectures. The celebration will culminate in a series of concerts featuring an international roster of talent, including Bela Zango (Mozambique), Nara Couto (Brazil), and Nino Galissa (Guinea-Bissau), alongside Cape Verdean voices such as Gabriela Mendes, Ineida Moniz, Sandra Horta, and Zidi Andrade.
According to the organizers, the event is more than just a farewell; it is “a moment of celebration, reflection, and future projection of cultural cooperation,” aimed at consolidating professional networks and reinforcing culture as a primary engine for sustainable development.
Seven Years of Impact
Since its launch in 2019, Procultura has focused on turning artistic passion into sustainable careers. Funded by the European Union and managed by the Camões Institute with support from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, the project targeted three specific sectors: music, performing arts, and children’s literature.
The project’s impact is measured in both economic and human terms. Over its seven-year lifespan, Procultura has:
- Created more than 600 jobs within the cultural sector.
- Partnered with 108 entities to develop localized cultural activities.
- Supported 106 scholarship holders in completing higher education degrees.
- Funded 50 artistic residencies and various academic mobility programs.
“It was a good project that laid solid foundations, but these also need to be nurtured and solidified,” noted Duarte Graça, chargé d’affaires of the EU Delegation to Mozambique, during a presentation of the program’s results.
The Future: A New €10 Million Investment
While the current phase of Procultura officially concludes this Tuesday, the initiative’s success has paved the way for an even more ambitious future. The European Union recently announced €10 million in funding for a successor program.
The Camões Institute will continue to oversee the development of the new program, but in a significant shift, Cape Verde will now take over technical coordination, signaling a new era of regional leadership in the Lusophone cultural economy.
Image: Pexels – Monica Silvestre
