The funding, part of the Odemira Criativa program, aims to empower artistic and cultural agents in the region. Contracts were signed at the José Saramago Municipal Library auditorium, reinforcing the municipality’s commitment to artistic and cultural development on the Alentejo coast.

Mayor Hélder Guerreiro, quoted in the statement, emphasised the importance of these protocols, describing them as “essentially, tools so that local agents can carry out their activity with greater security and certainty in the future”. He further explained the role of cultural industries, stating that they “can and should be a space of opportunity for the transformation” of the region.

According to the municipality, the Odemira Criativa program is part of the Municipal Culture Plan 2030, which aims to “promote culture and creativity as a basis for the municipality’s attractiveness”. The initiative also seeks to “expand and adapt municipal measures to support culture, with the aim of stimulating the empowerment of artistic and cultural agents in the territory”.

For 2025, financial support from the Odemira City Council was granted to 45 local associations, based on the artistic and cultural projects they submitted for 2025 and 2026, amounting to €976,641.25. Additionally, seven artists across various artistic fields received funding of 30 thousand euros under the Cultural and Creative Industries and Cultural Partnerships and Artistic Residencies measures of the program.

The municipality also noted that Odemira Criativa offers additional financial support through the Impulso Jovem, Bolsa de Criação Artística, and Apoios Pontuais measures, bringing the total municipal investment in culture to €1,114,141.25. Beyond financial aid, the Odemira City Council has launched a new direct communication channel for cultural updates via WhatsApp, reinforcing its commitment to culture “as a vector for the municipality’s development”.