Ponta Delgada candidacy to become European Capital of Culture will be defended by „personalities of excellence“

Ponta Delgada project to become European Capital of Culture 2027 will be defended by a group of „personalities of excellence, which makes the Azores very proud and raises this candidacy to new levels of quality“.

The names were provided by the Mayor of Ponta Delgada, Pedro Nascimento Cabral, who said that the chosen personalities, all of whom are Azorean, confer „an archipelagic dimension to the candidacy and a strong universalist slant that marks our identity“.

There are 10 members (maximum number allowed by the jury) „involved in this project, with highly distinct education and experience, with relevant life paths and connected to Culture in its most varied expressions and, of course, to the Azores“, said the mayor.

They will perform their duties without any financial reward and thus they embrace this mission with the aim of contributing, with their remarkable value and knowledge, to promote and project the diversity and cultural richness of the Azores in Europe, as well as to reaffirm culture, from the centrality that characterises our place in the world.

The team members are: President of the Committee of Honour of the Azores 2027 Candidacy, Onésimo Teotónio de Almeida, writer and university lecturer; Member of the Committee of Honour of Azores 2027 Candidacy Gonçalo Botelho, president of Fundação dos Botelhos de Nossa Senhora da Vida (foundation); Member of the Committee of Honour of Azores 2027 Candidacy Susana Goulart Costa, university lecturer and former Regional Director for Culture; Member of the Advisory Council of Azores 2027 Candidacy Manuel Francisco Costa Júnior, cultural manager and Director of Pico Museum; Member of the Advisory Council of Azores 2027 Candidacy Sidónio Bettencourt, Azorean journalist, writer and poet; Ambassador of Azores 2027 Candidacy Maria João Gouveia, choreographer, professional dancer, dance teacher and artistic and pedagogical director of Estúdio 13; Ambassador of Azores 2027 Candidacy Andreia Silva, former coordinator of the project of Corvo Island Ecomuseum and president of Corvo Vivo - Association for the Defense of Corvo Heritage; Sara Cruz, singer and songwriter and professional in the communication area; Ponta Delgada Town Councillor Sérgio Rezendes; and the Mayor of Ponta Delgada, Pedro Nascimento Cabral.

The candidacy presentation should take place during the week of March 7^th. Due to the Covid19 pandemic, the format in which it will take place is not yet defined – whether it will be presented in a face-to-face event in Lisbon or by video conference.