SOUNDS IN HERITAGE

Main Objective: To present the project and its best practices, exporting the concept to other regions of Europe that can learn from our experience.

Context: Promoting cultural democracy, cultural heritage and artistic creation and circulation through music.

Sumary:  Launched in 2018, SOUNDS IN HERITAGE has established itself as the first regular metropolitan project based on a co-programming model. Across 8 editions, the initiative has mobilised more than 100 artists, activated over 80 heritage sites, and engaged more than 10,000 participants through free-access events, democratizing cultural participation and reinforcing the circulation of audiences, artists and works.

Proposal: A festival-like programme that promotes cultural heritage through contemporary music and artists.

Target Audience/Beneficiaries: General public and local communities; Artists and professionals; Public authorities; Cultural organisations; Educational, tourism, and creative stakeholders.

Methodology: Specific co-programming model; Site-specific events hosted in heritage sites; Free-access participation; Complementary activities programme.

Benefits and Impact: Cultural democracy and access;
Promotion of cultural heritage; Social cohesion; Promotion of contemporary music and artists; Circulation of audiences
Institutional cooperation; Local economic dynamism and tourism.

Detailed project description

SOUNDS IN HERITAGE is a flagship metropolitan cultural initiative developed across the 17 municipalities of the Porto Metropolitan Area, operating at the intersection of artistic creation and circulation, heritage promotion, and territorial policy. Created in 2018 under a European-funded application and integrated into the MATER 17 programme in 2021—while maintaining its autonomy—the project translates strategic cultural objectives into a concrete, place-based and participatory practice. Through free-access concerts and complementary activities held in emblematic heritage sites, it democratizes cultural participation and promotes the discovery and reinterpretation of tangible and intangible heritage. Across eight editions (2018–2025), it has mobilised more than 100 artists, activated over 80 heritage locations, and engaged more than 10,000 participants, fostering audience development, territorial cohesion, and the circulation of contemporary Portuguese music. Its impact extends beyond the cultural sphere, stimulating local economies, strengthening metropolitan identity, and reinforcing cooperation among public institutions, artists, and communities. Recognised as a distinctive and innovative initiative within the regional and national cultural landscape, SOUNDS IN HERITAGE stands as a laboratory of collaborative governance and a strategic instrument for sustainable cultural.