Applications open today for the biennial edition of the Traditions Program, which continues to support the most genuine folk culture traditions, providing up to 250,000 euros for the best projects. Applications for this 3rd edition can be made until September 17th. 

In 2018, the Traditions Program is associated with the European Year of Cultural Heritage, which aims to draw attention to the role of culture and heritage in social and economic development in Europe and in its external relations, and to motivate citizens towards common European values.

This program's aim is to value local cultures/traditions that boost the self-esteem of communities, help create new audiences, ensure that new generations value and integrate folk art and knowledge to prevent their extinction, and contribute to the local development and revitalization, a way of fighting depopulation in the interior of the country.

All projects complying with these objectives can be submitted and are included in the geographical area of EDP producing centers, covering a total of 94 municipalities.  The application form and contest rules will be available at http://www.a-nossa-energia.edp.pt.

In the last 4 years, EDP supported and monitored 23 projects through the provision of 400 thousand euros, leveraging more than 1 million euros.  In total, there were about 110,000 beneficiaries of the program that impacted 27 municipalities.

Among last year's winners are projects such as the recovery and innovation of traditional crafts (ZBIO) and the promotion of Arte do Latoeiro.

The first one aims at promoting the welfare of animals and people through the use of the donkey as a therapeutic animal and the recovery of Traditional Crafts associated with donkeys. Crafts such as that of a Blacksmith, Halberdier or Weaver have always been closely linked to rural society and context, and their products have always been strongly associated with asinine cattle. To achieve these objectives, a training session for new apprentices was offered, from which a new apprentice was born, as well as a website for dissemination of the project.

Regarding the art of Tinsmithing, this was, in the recent past, a common activity in the Algarve. Practically in all counties there were masters who developed utilitarian pieces on tinplate or tin/tinplate/galvanized steel), such as buckets, cruets, showers or oil cans. With the help of this program, the intention was to contribute to the revitalization of the art of latoeiro through training sessions, public awareness, documentation and development of products that incorporate design solutions that can enter the market. These actions have reactivated the link between the community and crafts, documenting and rehabilitating it in the territory.