Ser Principense – Culture and Heritage

The Opportunity

The Autonomous Region of Príncipe has great cultural and heritage richness, expressed through its language, traditions, artistic expressions, cultural practices and the communities’ historic relationship with the territory and the surrounding nature.

Despite this unique heritage, there was no structured survey of the island’s cultural agents, life stories, artistic expressions and collective memories, and younger generations were increasingly distant from cultural and identity issues.

Our Approach

The project was carried out using a collaborative methodology based on participatory research, oral history, heritage digitisation and community involvement, following the practices of the Memória para Todos programme.

At the same time, training activities were run for young people and local cultural agents on the use of digital tools, social media and content production.

Impact

The initiative helped to strengthen the appreciation and preservation of the cultural and natural heritage of the Autonomous Region of Príncipe, raising awareness of the importance of memory, identity and local heritage among communities and younger generations.

Results

The project made it possible to identify, characterise and organise the cultural agents, knowledge holders and culture makers of the Autonomous Region of Príncipe, creating a database dedicated to local cultural and artistic heritage. More than 90 cultural stakeholders were identified.

As part of the fieldwork, more than 50 interviews were carried out and oral testimonies, objects, personal documents and memories linked to Príncipe’s cultural and natural heritage were collected.

As a final result, a public exhibition – "Ser Principense. Fertile Land, Creative Communities" – was held, together with a wide range of cultural initiatives involving music, dance, gastronomy, crafts, photography, theatre, poetry and local traditions.