MASKS is presented at the ‘Jornadas dos Encontros de Rituais Ancestrais’ in Bemposta (Mogadouro, Portugal) during one of the most important mask parades in the Iberian Peninsula organised by the AETC Duero-Douro.
The IV Encontro de Rituais Ancestrais was held on 24 February, a large parade of masked groups in which 73 retinues took part, some of them musical groups, of which 34 were Portuguese and 36 were Spanish from different regions of the two countries. The Survakari from Elov Dol (Bulgaria), the Su Bundhu from Orani (Italy) and the Urthos e Buttudos di Fonni (Italy) took part as distinguished guests.
In this playful framework, the coordinator of MASKS, Professor Pilar Panero from the University of Valladolid, explained to those present that we are initiating a viable project, with many possibilities, designed to join forces. In short, MASK is an exciting project because its raw material, the mask, is an element of union that transcends all frontiers.
The conference, moderated by Márcia Barros (Councillor for Education and Culture of the Municipality of Mogadouro) was also attended by Iglika Mishkova (Professor and curator of the Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Studies with Ethnographic - Bulgarian Academy of Sciences / National Ethnographic Museum, Sofia, Bulgaria), Antero Neto (author of several monographs on masquerades of Tras-os-Montes) and Carlos Ferreira (artisan of masks and Administrator-Delegate of the regional entity of Tourism of Porto and Norte in Bragança).
Panero stressed that MASK will be useful to reinforce visibility, stimulate inventory, raise awareness of the importance of developing safeguarding and dissemination measures. The mask is an element capable of valorising and sustaining local activities, in a context of globalisation, where rural areas are now considered as rich cultural landscapes and where handicraft production can be seen as a means for population growth and fixation. The most important objective, however, is to create responsible partnerships with regional institutions, business associations and heritage preservation bodies, in order to consolidate the mask and masquerade as a ritual performance. Professor António Tiza, head of the Academia Iberica da Mascara, was also present at the meeting.
We thank the AETC Duero-Douro, which develops a series of initiatives that aim to disseminate the traditions and culture of our people among citizens, for the invitation to present our project to experts and groups that preserve this heritage treasure.
