COMMON SPACE

Within the scope of the European project PLANT, we developed in co-creation with the architect Roberto Cremascoli and the Escola Superior de Arte Design de Matosinhos, the ESPAÇO COMUM project. This is a MULTIFUNCTIONAL piece of urban furniture that we installed in Largo de São Pedro, in the area next to the fountain, under the motto of ENCOUNTER, COMMON GOOD, PROXIMITY CURATORY.

A space to be. A space to be with each other.
A meeting space that does not have a single shape all the time.
A place for conversations, sharing and other activities that we define together.

Sometimes, we forget that one of the great strengths of cities is the close cohabitation of many people, with all their experiences, stories, and connections, and that this can be very enriching for all of us if we make ourselves available to be with each other more. São Pedro de Azevedo, with something that reminds us of the spirit of the village, seemed to us that it could be the ideal place to carry out a program that places MEETING, CONVERSATION, and SHARING knowledge at the core of motivations. Developed in co-creation with architect Roberto Cremascoli and in partnership with ESAD, ESPAÇO COMUM presents itself as a piece of urban, multifunctional, modular, and eco-sustainable furniture.

Activities Program

On Sunday, April 7th, the rain stopped so we could talk to Pedro Teiga, from Casa dos Rios. Installed on the left bank of the Rio Torto, next to Ponte do Gato, E.Rio is dedicated to the rehabilitation of rivers and streams using engineering techniques that are closer to nature. The involvement of communities as guardians of their rivers is fundamental in these processes, and there is nothing like a good conversation and a good walk to remind us of the Tinto and the Torto, the rivers that were the origin of Campanhã and marked its history, past and future.

Filmmaker and visual artist, Tânia Dinis has been developing a project closely linked to research and collection of photographic archives. In several of her works, she proposes returning to the ritual of viewing images in groups, as a means of triggering conversations and memories. The Cultural Association Os Iniciadores and the experiences in the Largo were the starting point for this first conversation that took place on April 21st.

In her research and artistic practice, Rebecca Moradalizadeh has been very interested in food and everything that connects with it: food, the ways of making and preparing it, the smells, the affections… Experiences in the kitchen and sharing of recipes bring a world of memories and family genealogies. In the conversation on May 12th, Rebecca introduced us to the R/Espigar project and, with the collaboration of Clara Santos, shared and prepared several delicacies with us for lunch.

On the May 26th, José Luís Araújo, who, in addition to his vast teaching experience, is dedicated to environmental activism and the promotion of acorns, taught us a technique for making recycled paper and invited us to make postcards with inlays of natural elements.

After a period of rebuilding the structure of the Common Space, we marked the start the summer programme on June 8th with a day of celebration. The afternoon started with games for everyone by Quebra-Dados, followed by a lively concert by Dona Armenia. This was followed by food and drink and, to round things off, an open-air cinema session with the Campanhã Film Club.

On June 22nd, Pedro Teiga from Casa dos Rios took us on a firefly walk along the banks of the River Torto. It was a fantastic night and we discovered that the São Pedro forest is full of fireflies!

On the July 6th, we met up with Tânia Dinis for another Roda de Memórias, where old local photo archives brought back memories and sparked conversations. After the session, we ate and drank together and watched a film in the open air with the Campanhã Film Club.

As part of R/Espigar project – a project to share knowledge about food and how to prepare it – we met Rebecca Moradalizadeh on July 27th. Together we prepared a snack with several hands and had lunch in good company.

On August 30th, we said goodbye to August at Espaço Comum with a special dessert and a surprise film chosen by the Campanhã Cinema Club. The evening was filled with old memories, laughter and conversations about life in small communities.

On September 15th, the R/ESPIGAR project brought José Luís Araújo, a regular at our meetings and Grand Master of the Confraria da Bolota, back to Espaço Comum. We learned about this fruit, which comes from oaks, holm oaks and cork oaks, and took part in the step-by-step preparation of acorn infusion and acorn bread.

On September 20th, the Campanhã Film Club returned to the Common Space for another open-air cinema session, with a film chosen from the suggestions made by the audience at the previous session.

The 4th, 5th and 6th of October were days of celebration, with a cycle of activities we called Fio Condutor.