Portugal evaluates Arte e Periferias Urbanas cultural program

The Directorate-General for the Arts (DGArtes) and the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) have released the final evaluation report for the first edition of the ‘Arte e Periferias Urbanas’ program. Conducted by the University of Porto’s Institute of Sociology, the report highlights the program's success in expanding access to public arts funding for organizations outside traditional circuits.

In its 2024 inaugural edition, the program supported ten projects with a total budget of 500,000 euros, averaging 49,000 euros per project. Notably, nine of the ten supported entities had no prior history of receiving DGArtes funding. Projects were distributed across Greater Lisbon, the North, the Setúbal Peninsula, the Oeste and Vale do Tejo regions, and Alentejo.

While the program demonstrated potential for community engagement and territorial valorization, the evaluation identified several challenges. These include administrative burdens, resource disparities between organizations, team burnout, and the difficulty of ensuring project continuity after funding ends. Recommendations for future iterations include strengthening cultural mediation, clarifying objectives for supported entities, and adapting procedures to better suit local territorial contexts.