Presentation made at the international conference "Building capabilities: rethinking the social value of culture", Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisbon, 6.6.2022
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Fitted for freedom
1. Fitted for freedom
Developing capabilities: Rethinking the social value of culture
Photo: Lavrar o Mar | Eva Poro #2 | ? Jo?o Mariano
2. People need to be “fitted for freedom”. Freedom of thought and human
dignity are capabilities to be developed, in order to produce free citizens,
citizens who are free not because of wealth or birth, but because they can
call their minds their own.
3. The raw material of our democracy is
individual creativity and collective
imagination. At a time of immense
atomization, we need to shift the
culture of our nation back and toward
its basic ideals - and our cultural
institutions must lead the way.
Deborah Cullinan, Civic engagement: why
cultural institutions must lead the way (2017)
4. “(…) for culture is ordinary, you should
not have to go to London to find it”.
6. “Many people are uncomfortable
with the label ‘the arts’ and
associate it only with either the
visual arts or ‘high art’, such as
ballet or opera.”
7. “At the same time most people
in this country have active
cultural lives and value
opportunities to be creative.”
8. “It will value the creative potential
in each of us, provide communities
in every corner of the country with
more opportunities to enjoy
culture, and celebrate greatness of
every kind.”
9. “(...) “...substantial social freedom to
create versions of culture; (...) real,
concrete freedom to choose what
culture to make, as well as what
culture to appreciate; (…) .”
“(…) opportunities to see and hear
things; new things, old things,
strange things, beautiful things, fun
things and ferocious things; things
that mobilise, confuse and move;
things that comfort and things that
inspire.”
10. “(…) most have been disconnected for a
long time, and relations with the capital
are tenuous or non-existent. In fact, what
matters here is to have food on the table,
to be able to pay the bills. People are
adapting and they believe in the
impossibility of change. Everything
seems impossible to them: the right to
mobility, education, health, freedom of
thought, equal opportunities.
Joana Villaverde, As vidas do interior importam
(2020)
11. “In ?lhavo, we have got better
musicians than the music they
produce. I wish for them to create
music and not to matter whether
they live in ?lhavo or in New York.”
Luís Ferreira
13. A curious and inclusive society, in which
everyone can dream, have opportunities
to participate and be the best they can.
Acesso Cultura:
Our vision
14. “A lot of TV and cell phone, few books and museums”
19. “The cultural revolution is not for me to go and play in more places; the cultural
revolution is for me to go to places and find music from those places.”
20. “The idea that reality is one among many possibilities. And that differences feed
us, expand probabilities and possibilities of life and do not restrict them.”