Cultural capital role boosts portuguese culture and refurbishes city

Oporto´s cultural bash, which will feature 300 separate performances and events, is one big party and like any gracious host, the city (known as Porto to the Portuguese) wants to impress its guests. So it is spending almost $1.5 billion on new venues, major infrastructure projects and refurbishing public spaces and parks.

"Our city´s election as the cultural capital of Europe this year has been the perfect opportunity for us to invest a great deal of money on things like public transport, city center renewal and improving our green spaces," notes Maria Teresa Lago, the chairman of the organizing committee Porto 2001.

In anticipation of the boost in visitor traffic, Oporto´s international airport also got a facelift and municipal officials say that will help their intention to distinguish the city from Lisbon and become an important metropolis in its own right.

"All this activity will give the entire world the chance to learn about Oporto, its wonderful historic downtown area, our culture and everything else which makes this such a great and unique city," she adds. "At the same time, the building and refurbishing and all the rest that is going on will give a shot in the arm to northern Portugual´s economy."

But first the culture. The Porto 2001 official catalogue of events runs to well over 150 pages and the offerings are mainly by the finest Portuguese artists, orchestras and groups, both famous and little known,

However, there are also such international attractions as the Merce Cunningham Dance Company from the United States, Britain´s Birmingham Opera Company, Scottish Opera and Welsh National Opera, and festivals featuring the finest Latin, Celtic and jazz musicians.

For drama buffs, there are three days of Shakespeare´s "Othello" performed by an award-winning Lithuanian theater group, Canada´s Ex Machina in a production of "Zulu Time" and the Ranters Theater from Australia performing "Roulette."

There are also art and architecture shows, literary presentations, photography exhibits, film festivals and even circus performances. In short, a smorgasbord of world culture.

"We believe that these events will bring a new cultural dynamism to the city and to the country which will continue and expand after Porto 2001 is all over," predicts Portuguese Culture Minister Jose Sasportes.

"The government is giving a high priority to culture and the events in Oporto highlight those efforts. If you go to Rome or Paris, those cities are already capitals of culture so there is not much to be done. But a city like Oporto needs a lot of investment and effort to get something like this off the ground," the minister explains.

Mr. Sasportes points to the new Casa da Musica, a state-of-the-art concert hall which is still under construction, as one example of the city´s cultural awakening. "Moreover, we have rebuilt museums, libraries, etc., so a lot of money is being spent, not only from my ministry´s budget but also from other ministries such as public works and even the European Union," he adds.

"One of my priorities is to support what I call ′the citizenship of culture′ which means giving equal access to culture for all Portuguese. For example, we want to refurbish these old massive movie theaters around the country and use them as venues for music, dance and theater."

Portuguese culture has been undergoing a revival ever since the end of the right-wing dictatorship in 1975. With the return of democracy, music, literature and the other arts boomed as people rushed to express themselves in a free and vibrant atmosphere.

This is all helping Portugal claim its rightful place as a major source of world culture and Oporto´s year in the sun is boosting that city´s pride.

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