Starting from the central theme of "Play," the AVOZ project aims to create human connections through artistic work. Using tools such as visual arts, music, performing arts, and physical exercise, it intends to conduct a work process centered on sharing, in a didactic, sensory, relational, and emotional sense, capable of bringing together two generations that intersect in growth and aging. On one side, the elderly population, so often sidelined despite being active. On the other side, children, increasingly sedentary despite being energetic and curious.
The AVOZ project will take place over two years, between September 2025 and July 2026, divided into three themes - "toys", "songs" and "games" - each lasting approximately one to three months. Each theme, culminating in a final activity, will involve professionals from different areas and will be developed in four phases of work.
AVOZ aims to be part of the life and daily routine of the institutions involved, creating a space where emotion and the body are vehicles for intergenerational communication, and art is used as an instrument for communicating the cultural and personal background of these audiences, serving as a driving force for promoting mental health, cultural enrichment, and social inclusion. This cultural mediation project aims to build a bridge between these two generations, bringing them closer together in order to create human and artistic value.
Credits
Created and coordinated by Raquel Bravo / Team of Psychologists Malitsa Francisco and Ivo Serra (pedagogical support) / Support for Creation Raimundo Cosme, Cecília Henriques / Production Support Mariana Sá Marques / Communication Raquel Alves / Guest artists Rita Grancho (visual artist), Bruno Alexandre (choreographer) / Audiovisual Recording Ana Ladislau, Joana Correia (MANAMANA audiovisual collective) / Graphic Design Emanuel Vicente / Production Plataforma285 / Financial support and co-production Torres Vedras City Council
Starting from the central theme "Play," "AVOZ" brings together children from the Cambelas Kindergarten and seniors from the Azenha Velha Senior Club through visual arts, music, performance, and movement. The final result of this first theme, "Toys," will be presented in this exhibition, created through research into the memories of the Senior Club, with artistic conception by the artist Rita Grancho, and constructed by the children's hands. The exhibition "Toys ," which will be on display at the Toy Workshop from December 12 to January 25, 2026, marks the first public presentation of the cultural mediation project "AVOZ," a production of Plataforma285.
In this second theme, the guest artists join the project to dive into the universe of traditional songs. After a process of gathering memories with the Azenha Velha Senior Club, and in partnership with Estúdio Canoa, voice recording sessions will be held with the seniors, challenging the participating musicians to create new pieces that blend tradition with modernity, combining electronic music with the childhood song memories of the elderly and the taste and energy of the younger generations. The theme culminates in the curatorship, production, and editing of an EP, bringing together this compilation of new musical creations.
In this final theme, we bring together two body-related fields: Dance and Physical Education. Two professionals from these areas are invited to delve into the physical memories of old childhood games through movement, recreating them with the music created in the previous theme. New games and dynamics will be explored to bring Seniors and Children closer, forming teams in which sharing and cooperation are at the heart of the experience. During the first half of June, and in celebration of Children’s Day, a tournament will be held to symbolize this encounter between generations—a moment that celebrates the body, memory, and play.
