Artist Residency in Urmeira

The Urmeira Artist-in-Residence programme formed part of the Odivelas Local Integrated Initiative, involving young students, children and the local community in the Menino de Deus and São José neighbourhoods, as well as the area surrounding the Santa Maria UDR. The project falls within the field of urban intervention and collaborative processes, treating the local area as a space for shared creativity.

Over the weekends in May 2024, the residency organised events dedicated to artistic experimentation in public spaces, through theoretical and practical workshops and interventions on street furniture using stencil painting. Urmeira was embraced as a living, breathing space: a place for listening, socialising and collective creation. The process fostered connections, affection and a renewed sense of belonging and care for shared spaces.

The active participation of young people and children was central, with them taking on the role of co-creators of the project. Through conversation, painting and collective action, the residency established itself as a space for mutual learning, the exchange of knowledge and collaborative artistic creation, reinforcing the idea that urban space can be continually redefined through the encounter between people, art and the local area.

I was invited by Oficina to design the artwork for the paintings and to engage the young students and children of the Urmeira neighbourhood in the artist-in-residence programme. A total of 64 pieces of street furniture were painted, comprising 54 benches and 10 tables.

A project developed as part of the Odivelas Local Integrated Operation, under the Lisbon Metropolitan Area’s ‘Communities in Action’ initiative, with support from the Municipality of Odivelas.