Ponta Delgada Candidacy for the European Capital of Culture takes another step forward with “Compass”

The Mayor of Ponta Delgada, Pedro Nascimento Cabral, stated that with the opening of the “Compass” project,by the architect Joel Fernandes, “another step forward has been taken" regarding Ponta Delgada candidacyfor the European Capital of Culture (Azores 2027).

The Mayor spoke this Wednesday at the opening of the project, which is located at Varanda de Pilatos, in Portas do Mar, and is part of the "Hand in Hand" project.

Pedro Nascimento Cabral said that Ponta Delgada candidacy is one of excellence and "extols the key point that the Azores representculturally, with the social and economic return that we so strongly desire."

"We aim to show the world our culture and our identity. The Azores are the bridge between America and Europe. With Azores 2027, we want to honour our cultural past as a reference for the future", he said.

According to the President, "Ponta Delgada is a city of the world, not an isolated city".

Pedro Nascimento Cabral said he "serenelywaits" for the Azores 2027 to be approved for the next phase, when thecandidacy presentation takes place on March 7^th, stressing that "we are facing the result of partnerships, which makes this aproject opento everyone, in order to raise Ponta Delgada to new standards of cultural identity”.

“Compass”

The "Compass", which will interact with other Compasses in the nine Azorean Islands, was the highest scored project among the nine selected "Hand in Hand” projects of Azores 2027.

The authorof the "Compass", Joel Fernandes, stated that the theme of the project is related to the“object”itself which, together with the help of the compass rosedisplayed inside, was especially known at the time of the Discoveriesas an innovative navigationinstrument for geographical orientation and location.

"The aim of the project would be to place informative and interactive compasses in every Azorean Island, at strategic locations ofpaved public areas that face the ocean,that would communicate territorially with other islands’ compasses or with other geographical points that have had or have a relationship with the Azores", he added.

For the author, “each island’s compass would feature a different graphic with information on neighbouring islands and on other points of the globe. The public would walk freely on the interactive compass, in a didactic experience.The information would consist of "cardinal points" geographically directed to the islands concerned".

"Hand in Hand”

“Hand in Hand” is a project for creating and strengthening communities, opening the door for leaders, coordinators, animators, artists, educators and activists to take responsibility into their hands and create their own initiatives that promote decentralisation, the enhancement of our stories and also equal access of different audiences to Culture.

It is an open call, under the Azores 2027 candidacy, in partnership with CRESAÇOR - Cooperativa de Economia Solidária (cooperative), which will support nine (9) projects carried out in the Azores and promoted by agents in the Region.

This pilot programme supports activities and projects that promote cooperation and collaboration between islands and municipalities; approximation between different generations; inclusion, active participation and/or empowerment of different communities; the relation between Culture with well-being, Nature and Sustainability; new ways of telling Azorean stories to Europe and the World.

"Hand in Hand" was created to meet some of those needs, intending to boostthe intersection of Culture with other areas of society, particularly by sharing resources in the form of financial micro-grants.

"The 9 selected proposals should materialisethe whole project (puttingit into practice), as well as the activities’ plan, between 1^stSeptember 2021 and 1^st January 2022".