AgitÁgueda
The Concept
AgitÁgueda makes an unparalleled contribution to the cultural landscape of the city. Since 2006, some 500 music groups and artists have been on stage. Thefestival’s mission is rooted not only on presenting established artists but also on the promotion of new musical projects while organising “Talentos AgitÁgueda”, a competition aimed at promoting the participation of new national artistic projects.
On the artistic scope of public art, the entire city of Águeda experiences the contact with urban art and installations of the most different types: the installation of thousands of umbrellas over the city’s streets (the Umbrella Sky Project) creates a set that becomes complete with another project of urban art that has coloured the city even further: dozens of spots were painted with appealing colour variations: from garden benches to long stairs resembling rainbows, and many other hotspots of drawing and colour. The gigantic tent that was set up for the festival with the famous umbrella decoration, is another point of interest for those visiting AgitÁgueda.
History
There is no other event in Águeda that involves and benefits the local community as the AgitÁgueda.
Since 2006, the arrival of summer is awaited with anticipation, as it is in July that the city is transformed into a huge colourful spot with a significant increase in tourists – an average of over 3,000 participants per day.
Every year AgitÁgueda has provided the revitalization of urban areas, the sustainable use and enjoyment of public spaces, encouraging and boosting local trade, to promote the relationships with the local associations, which through multiple activities related to culture, music, sports activities and tourism promotion offer all participants a unique interaction.
The involvement of the local community and its visitors is the ultimate goal of all these proposals, the call for participation and involvement is always present, making it a lively and participatory system. Much of the artistic programme is presented by “homegrown talent” with prémieres and presentation of shows created by NGO, bands and local DJs, “AgitÁgueda Talent” – the competition for new talent, the annual presentation of the Águeda Conservatory of Music, etc. Along with the artistic component, several sports and social associations have their major activities during july, thus making Águeda the epicentre of the entire region. During the event there are also training sessions and master classes to the general public, like stencil workshops, music masterclasses, workshops, concerts, and many other educational activities for all ages. Between 2007 and 2010 there was the inter-associative show named “Rio Povo”. An ephemeral inter-associative creation, with performances taking place right in the river Águeda, marking clearly the synthesis between the local tradition (strongly associated with the river at its cultural function connecting the mountains and lowlands) and the contemporary art discourse associated to it by the action and reaction of the new cultural agents of Águeda.
In 2011, more than 200 volunteers participated in the presentation of a show of “Fura Dels Baus” which featured the collaboration of a local orchestra.
The results achieved are satisfactory, not only for the notoriety achieved by the brand “AgitÁgueda”, but also the affective relationship that people establish with the event itself, due to the experiences and experiences it offers. Some figures translate these effective results every year: more than 100 commercial establishments involved; 36 participating Associations; 23 days of programming; 17 local bars; AgitaKids area with various recreational equipment for the little ones; among many others.
Some activities inserted in this program, such as “Carna val Fora de Horas” [Out of Time Carnival], brought to the street hundreds of people from local institutions in the municipality and the region, who joined this party, colouring the commercial streets of the city as the carnival parade moved along framed by the streets with thousands of local inhabitants and tourists who did not resist the colour, music, and joy that suited Águeda so well.
Alongside the promotional campaign “Buy in Águeda” and the possibility to enjoy discounts of 10% during the event in more than 100 shops, it offers visitors a unique street environment. The dynamic created by this campaign increases, through performances and permanent animations and art installations, the entire commercial activity, which is crucial these days, not only for stimulating business activity, but also by increasing and maintaining jobs.
The artistic umbrella installation that gave colour to the downtown of Águeda had an impact that went far beyond the city, the municipality, the region and the country! Never before has the city of Águeda been talked about so much around in the world! This initiative brought an impact that went far beyond expectations, with visible results, not only in the cyber world and the local inhabitants and visitors, but it also brought results and improvements in local trade.
In 2014, the brand “AgitÁgueda” and hence the name of the city of Águeda, arrived in some 44 countries. The images of Águeda ran the world, and they have been identified in newspapers, television broadcasts, websites, blogs and, of course, social networks.
