History

Poster of the 1st Biennial of Art of Cerveira

Taking into account art, culture and creativity as distinctive elements, Vila Nova de Cerveira has maintained, over the years, a steady relationship between cultural tradition and contemporary creation. This symbolic capital has enhanced the development of a distinguishing mark – the Village of the Arts –, which owes its origins to the hosting of Portugal’s oldest Art Biennial, the Biennial of Cerveira. Over the past three decades this village has been a meeting point for Portuguese and foreign artists, by conveying locations and remarkable conditions for the event.

In order to keep the Biennial of Cerveira quality and innovation, it was crucial to update it and to seek for alternative financial resources. Thus, in 2010, the Biennial of Cerveira Foundation was acknowledged as a framework to create the adequate conditions for the professionalization and consolidation of this cultural and creative project. The set of actions reflects an opportunity for fitting the changes and responding to future challenges, within the agenda for the stability of the Portuguese northern creative industries cluster. It also enhances the development of the creative and artistic areas, as well as the forecast of an image of the region’s modernity and life quality.