●           We joined the organisation of Sementeira, a multidisciplinary festival organised by the Left Bloc Viseu, in 2017.

●           Sementeira was born out of conviction and volunteerism, with complete autonomy, taking over a spacious party headquarters in the historic centre to promote the talent of creatives, artists and craftspeople — no sponsorships, no filters, no imposed themes. For two weeks in July, the space becomes a «fertile ground» for exhibitions, concerts, workshops, performances, political debate. Curation is collective, participation open to all, and the targets are the self-censorship and isolation common in weak (read: scattered, disconnected) creative ecosystems. Sementeira is a coalition of minority and marginalised sensibilities taking centre stage.

●           The dramatic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis on the lives of cultural professionals meant that Sementeira 9, given the scope of its political intervention, focused especially on the issue. The motto «a drink to culture» draws on an unfortunate remark by the culture minister at the time: when dodging journalistsʼ questions at a public event, she allegedly said in a patronising tone that it was time to have a drink. An unexpected new lockdown prevented part of Sementeiraʼs programme from taking place, which led us to reschedule some activities for the following months, in a different format we called Sementeira Sessions.