The ceremony, held at the National Palace of Ajuda, was attended by the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Margarida Balseiro Lopes, and brought together representatives from museums selected for the program. The Barcelos Pottery Museum had its application approved for the project “Barro Vivo – Digital Mediation and Participatory Inclusion”, focusing on Area 6 – Mediation.
The main objective is to modernize the museum's cultural mediation model by integrating interactive digital solutions for a more immersive, accessible, and participatory exhibition experience. The project aims to enhance the appreciation of Barcelos' pottery and figurative heritage, with a total cost of approximately 67 thousand euros (plus VAT), of which the museum will receive close to 39 thousand euros.
The signing of the funding contract is a crucial step for the project's development, which intends to introduce new forms of interaction between visitors and the museum collection, combining the preservation of artisanal traditions with new technologies. The proposed intervention includes the creation of a new cultural mediation hub with digital content, interactive applications, and multimedia solutions.
The project also aims to strengthen the attractiveness and innovation capacity of the Pottery Museum, valuing its role in preserving and disseminating the knowledge and traditions associated with pottery and figurative art, key expressions of Barcelos' cultural identity. It also holds particular relevance for the affirmation of Barcelos as a UNESCO Creative City, in the area of Crafts and Popular Art.
The ProMuseus Program supports the qualification, modernization, and valorization of Portuguese museums, encouraging innovation and improving public access and participation. The funding awarded to the “Barro Vivo” project represents an opportunity for the museum to develop new cultural mediation approaches, strengthening the link between technological innovation, heritage valorization, and public engagement.
