Celebrating Heritage: Tavira Workshop and Lisbon Exhibition Mark 20th Anniversary of UNESCO Convention

The commemorations for the 20th Anniversary of the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage featured a workshop in Tavira and an exhibition in Lisbon: “The Feast” of Portuguese Intangible Cultural Heritage.

In 2023, the Directorate General for Cultural Heritage (DGPC) celebrated the 20th anniversary of the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage with the programme INTANGIBLE PORTUGAL: UNESCO Convention 2003–2023. The third part of these commemorations, entitled “The Feast”, took place on 17–22 October with events throughout the country, both in Tavira and at the National Museum of Costume in Lisbon.

In Tavira, these included a workshop on esparto grass, a natural fibre abundant in the Algarve which is used to make eye-catching handicrafts such as baskets, rugs and carrycots. The workshop was held at the headquarters of the Association of Arts and Flavours of Tavira (ASTA) on 16, 17 and 18 October and run by craftsman Bruno Constâncio. This event was also included in the Valorising – Sustainability Support Line programme under the project “Tavira and the Mediterranean Diet: A Sustainable Tourism Destination”. 

Also under the INTANGIBLE PORTUGAL: UNESCO Convention 2003–2023 programme, the National Museum of Costume in Lisbon held the travelling exhibition “Mediterranean Diet – Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity” on 20–22 October.

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