After winning the grant promoted by PROCULTURA PALOP-TL, Jeciliana Araujo, Natalino Ximenes and Egas da Cruz left Dili in Timor-Leste for Setúbal in Portugal on September 4th to carry out an artistic residence at Experimentáculo Associação.

"We are very proud, because through a guitar, a microphone and drums, through our art, we had the opportunity arrive in this beautiful country. We already visited dream places, as the Sanctuary of Fátima, the Beach of the Health in Setúbal, the Monastery of the Jerónimos, the Tower of Belém, the Monument of the Discoveries, the Bridge April 25, the Bridge Vasco da Gama and other beautiful places that we will visit until the end of our internship", tells Natalino, spokesman of the group. 

He also adds that they had the opportunity "to attend some concerts and to visit artistic spaces, such as Exeperimentáculo Associação, Pousada da Juventude, the musical instrument shop and Mozart Musical Institute, Casa da Cultura in Setúbal and the Huba Artes e Studio Company in Queluz." 

"We are living this cultural exchange experience with a lot of emotion and we were surprised by the reality we found in Portugal. We got to know the different aspects of daily life, in terms of transport, telecommunications, accommodation and, above all, the way of being and living here. We hope that one day Timor-Leste will develop at this level and that the new generations will follow this evolution".

Near the end of the artistic residence, Natalino Ximenes makes a "very positive" balance of the experience. "These beautiful experiences make us miss our family, our friends and our beautiful little country. 

The attribution of travel grants for artistic residencies helps to create good working conditions and to develop collaborative networks, essential for the stimulation of creative processes in the areas of music and performing arts, and for the affirmation in international markets, in Europe, Brazil or neighbouring PALOP countries and Timor-Leste. PROCULTURA (FED/2019/405-279) thus contributes to increasing employment in income generating activities in the cultural and creative economy in the PALOP and Timor-Leste. 

Applications are open until 30 September for the call for proposals to support the international mobility of artists from the PALOP countries and Timor-Leste in the areas of music and performing arts, for artistic residencies in 2022 and 2023.

Regulations and application form:  https://bit.ly/3Skjwqa

The project PROCULTURA PALOP-TL, is funded by the European Union under the Multiannual Indicative Programme PALOP-TL EU for 2014-2020 (with an implementation period between 2019 and 2023). It is co-funded and managed by Camões I.P. and co-financed by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.