Culture all over town in Porto engages the community

Porto goes hand in hand with the wisdom of Jane Jacobs's "the small change from which a city's wealth of public life may grow", as the Municipality is making this vison a reality, every year, little by little, building a shared community culture in public spaces and venues.

All year long, the city of Porto hosts performances in the scope of Municipal Programmes such as "Cultura em Expansão", "Objetos e seus Discursos", Cultural Cycle of Cemeteries", "Unlikely Angles", or even Tours to Musuems, most of which are free, upon prior registration.

The summer season, for example, featured "Outdoor Cinema" and Street Performances all over August.

So, last Saturday was another example of what went on in Porto, namely at São Bento Station and at Gomes Teixeira Square, with buskers challenging the crowds that gathered to watch the music performances and comedy acts, or the clowns dressed to the occasion to lead audiences to an atmosphere of high spirits and joy.

Those of us, who have been in this Planet for a while, know when things are done right and this is it!

The Municipality of Porto is treating public spaces as outdoor community centres, and by creating a culture that engages people, of all ages and walks of life and offers them a shared opportunity to delight themselves with art, culture and performances, be it in parks, in the streets, in the squares, and public buildings to foster cultural expression and participation.

Last weekend, the "Outdoor Cinema" sessions concluded at Pasteleira Park and at Largo Amor de Perdição.