Poesia no Bairro
Poesia no Bairro is a project developed in collaboration with Brotéria that invites senior residents of the Bairro Alto neighborhood to participate in a community book club.
Initially, a mapping exercise was conducted to identify the places, people, and stories that form part of the neighborhood’s collective memory. Two authors from Leya were selected, whose work resonated with the community’s context. Workshops, both indoors and outdoors, introduced the community to the writing of António Aleixo and Lídia Jorge, creating new spaces for sharing, discussion, and creativity.
The theme was to poeticize the daily life and identity of this historic area of Lisbon, which is becoming increasingly gentrified, and to foster the creation of bonds through literature. These gatherings combined artistic expression with the construction of a shared narrative, highlighting the impact of books as a means of capicitation and empowerment for a community that had little access to or connection with reading.
In both editions of the project, a video tribute to the neighborhood was presented, accompanied by live music.
After the project ended, the association Tanque continued to work with the local population through regular workshops as part of the Quatro Quadras Soltas project.
April 2023 - November 2024
Carmo Wengorovius
Filipe Barreiro
SCML - Projeto Radar
ISCSP
Clube Rio de Janeiro
Associação Príncipe Mais Real
Misericórdia Parish Council
First Edition
António Aleixo
Throughout the month of September, a group of about 15 seniors from the day centers Centro Social Boa Ventura and the Centro de Apoio Familiar met weekly at Brotéria, and they were joined by other participants ranging in age from 21 to 60.
In the spirit of an informal book club, and drawing on four themes central to the work of poet António Aleixo - Looking, Dreaming, Society, and Art - we explored a wide array of poems, which were later connected to each participant’s personal context and to Bairro Alto, their experiences, roots, and memories. António Aleixo’s poetry fostered a genuine sense of connection, sparking new relationships and interpretations in this characteristic neighborhood of the city of Lisbon.
The final event was the culmination of a six-month project, bringing together videos collected during fieldwork, excerpts from António Aleixo, and materials resulting from the workshops, with live participation from the senior community. The result was the screening of a documentary that brought all these materials together, accompanied by live music performed by guitarist José Salgado.
Second Edition
Lídia Jorge
Following the success of the first edition in 2023, Poesia no Bairro returned to Brotéria in 2024 for a second edition, featuring seniors from the day centers Centro Social Boa Ventura, Centro de Apoio Familiar, and the Centro Social e Paroquial Santa Catarina.
For this second edition, the community outreach work continued, this time focusing on Lídia Jorge’s work “Misericórdia”. A new feature of Poesia no Bairro II was the opportunity for the School of Social and Political Sciences of the University of Lisbon to monitor the fieldwork and conduct an impact study. It is particularly noteworthy to highlight the rich dialogue generated between the Brotéria audience and the senior population of Bairro Alto, which was especially successful in this edition.
The second edition culminated in a presentation at Brotéria, where the project’s results were presented in video format. This final presentation featured live music by vibraphonist Tomás Longo and guitarist Guilherme Fortunato, and included the direct participation of the Bairro Alto community.
In addition to fostering a creative and reflective community, the initiative enhanced the well-being and social inclusion of the participants, encouraging continuous learning and critical thinking.