List the key activities that were carried out during this reporting period in order to achieve these expected results. Please describe the activities in detail and note their effectiveness or any problems encountered in implementing them.
The implementation of the safeguarding plan didn’t occur quite as planned initially. In the beginning of 2018 the technician responsible for the Inscription file (and the safeguarding plan) left the City Hall, and the transition to the actual person took some time. The international economic crisis, and its local consequences, forced the City Council to review its priorities, mostly due to the social impact in the community.
Nevertheless, the City Council made an effort to find financial EU aid, and successfully applied to a Program, that was meant to be implemented this year. But the Covid-19 pandemic forced us to stop most of the planned activities that are supposed to take place in 2021 and 2022.
Key activities:
Requalification of the potters’ sale and working places in Vila Real. It was a request of the potters, but after the intervention none of them finished the required installation of the electric panel.
Support to the potters’ participation at “Feira dos Pucarinhos”, building the individual stands and creating information supports. Unfortunately, only two of the potters participate actively, Miguel Fontes and Albano Machado. Trying to diversify the animation and attract different publics, the City Council created the concept “Black Night”, an event that proposes gatherings, dinner and amusement with the focus on the black pottery. The Covid-19 pandemic prevented its concretization, this year.
The Vila Real Museums maintained their prolific activity concerning the Bisalhães pottery, with dozens of workshops (“small potters”) realized, at the Museums or at schools of all the Municipality.
The Municipal Theatre, in partnership with the Bragança Theatre, created an original show, “Clay – wet soil where the boot slips”, with the participation of the community of Vila Real.
The Bisalhães pottery is highlighted in all the National and International Cultural and Tourism Fairs where the City Council participates, such as BTL (Lisbon) and Xantar (Ourense, Spain).
First Edition of the National Encounter on Bisalhães Black Pottery, in the Vila Real Theatre, with the participation of all the community, including some of the potters, that were included in a discussion panel.
In association with the CTT (National Post Office), a series of stamps was created, allusive to the Bisalhães black pottery.
Since 2016, every edition of the “Pitoresco – Street Art and Graffiti Festival” had interventions allusive to Black pottery: a big mural, representing one of the potters; several workshops with young kids, painting previously bought pottery; electrical boxes in public spaces, crossing black pottery with famous artworks (Magritte, for example); exhibitions in different spaces along the city; postcards and photography publication.
Tribute to the Bisalhães potters in a new roundabout in Vila Real, with the creation of a big sculpture representing a traditional jug. Almost all of the potters were there for the opening event.
Bisalhães black pottery was the theme to several communications in national events, in Oporto, Guimarães, Tomar, Vila Real, Macedo de Cavaleiros and Santo Tirso, some of them with the participation of Miguel Fontes, Bisalhães’ potter, with demonstration of his work and report on his knowledge and activity.
Presence in national and international media, in more than 40 TV shows, radio programs and publications (egg. “MorningCalm”, from South Corean Flight Company, or “Know-how of Bisalhães potters is ICH”, Encounter resumes, ed. NEGEP/UNIRIO/CITCEM; Rio de Janeiro).