90 Young People from PALOP Countries to Receive Critical Thinking and Art Education in Maputo

Ninety young people from the region known as the Portuguese-Speaking African Countries (PALOP) are gathering in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, to be included in a comprehensive training program in the fields of critical thinking and contemporary art languages. This important cultural initiative, launched under the leadership of the Fernando Leite Couto Foundation, aims to enhance the intellectual and artistic capacities of the youth. The age range of the young participants has been determined as 18 to 30, and they come from Angola, Cabo Verde, Gine-Bissau, Mozambique, and São Tomé e Príncipe. Additionally, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation is providing a generous support of 120 thousand euros in the process of implementing and financially backing this project. Thus, by strengthening cultural and intellectual bridges among the Portuguese-speaking countries of the African continent, a new generation of thinkers and artists is being cultivated.

This comprehensive program, called "The Art of Critical Thinking" (A Arte do Pensamento Crítico), aims to provide an in-depth perspective on today's most important social issues. Critical topics such as disinformation, identity construction, the power of language, and the circulation of contemporary narratives are among the main focal points of the program. The project officially started in February, and as of August, it will enter a new phase with intensive conferences and workshops. The completion of the aforementioned training and event series and the presentation of the final reports are planned to continue until February 2027. This long-term structure will allow young participants to address the topics not just superficially, but in an analytical dimension.

The content and operation of the training program are shaped in collaboration with many important institutions and collectives recognized regionally and internationally. The São Tomé e Príncipe-based CACAU, the Angola-based Kino Yetu, and the Gine-Bissau-based Ur-GENTE collectives stand out as important partners that enrich the project's field experiences. In addition, the Pedro Pires Institute from Cabo Verde makes significant contributions to strengthening the academic and institutional framework of the program. These partnerships enable the project to go beyond being merely a theoretical training, forming a network that connects local dynamics and art ecosystems in different countries. The joint effort of the institutions aims to provide participants with both a global standard of education and the opportunity to discuss local cultural values in universal contexts.

The initiative in question plans to offer participants a unique experience with 'masterclass' lessons to be given by valuable experts in their fields, such as the world-renowned Mozambican writer Mia Couto and the respected sociologist Elísio Macamo. Furthermore, the program hosts a wide range of speakers and trainers consisting of writers, academics, journalists, and innovative creators such as Francisco Noa, Eduardo Quive, Raquel Lima, Nástio Mosquito, and Mehak Vieira. Within the scope of practical workshops conducted under the guidance of experts, the youth will have the opportunity to develop their own projects in various disciplines such as creative writing, photography, and video production. Experienced facilitators like José dos Remédios, Luísa Nhantumbo, and João Graça will guide the participants one-on-one during the workshop processes, helping them elevate their artistic and intellectual production to a professional level. This rich curriculum aims for the youth not only to learn theory but also to gain practice in transforming what they have learned into concrete works of art.

In order to support individual development throughout the training process, special mentoring and one-on-one follow-up sessions will be organized regularly for the participants. This personalized approach offers a guidance system that will allow each young person to discover their own potential and overcome the challenges in their projects. At the end of the program, all creative works and projects produced during the training will be crowned with a large public exhibition to be presented to a wide audience. This public final event will allow young artists and thinkers to share the gains they have achieved during their education with society and to open their works to the criticism of different segments. This exhibition will both serve as a concrete output of the project and add significant color to the cultural life of Maputo, bringing new and young voices to the regional art scene.