Applications open for the course “Unlearning – Cultural Mediation Practices” in Porto

Applications are now open for the course “Unlearning – Cultural Mediation Practices”, a face-to-face training programme dedicated to the development of strategies for creating and mediating more just, representative and accessible cultural spaces and projects.

Aimed especially at professionals and students working in cultural, social and educational fields, this free training programme has a total duration of 32 hours — including 2 online hours and 30 in-person hours — and will take place in Porto. The sessions will be conducted in Portuguese.

Promoted by PELE, this initiative is part of the European project Training Contact Zone, implemented in seven countries throughout 2025 and 2026. The course focuses on the concept of the Contact Zone, understood as a cultural and social space where different perspectives, experiences and narratives can coexist and engage in dialogue.

In the current context, Contact Zones are becoming increasingly relevant as they challenge dominant narratives and amplify voices that are usually silenced or marginalised, encourage multivocality, promote empathy and understanding between diverse groups, stimulate processes of repair and re-signification of collective memory, and activate dialogue, creative experimentation and participation with underrepresented communities and groups.

The training programme is organised into six thematic modules, ranging from an introduction to Contact Zones and their contexts and practices, to tensions and opportunities in tangible and intangible cultural heritage, participation and cultural democracy, tools for cultural mediation, collective narratives of memory, representation and re-signification, and creative practices for reflection and evaluation.

The application period runs from 14 January to 14 February, through the completion of this application form.

Following this phase, applications will be selected based on the motivation letter and curriculum analysis, valuing diversity and plurality in terms of age, gender, ethnic background, socio-economic context and physical/functional condition.

The admission and selection process will be conducted by the PELE team. No appeals will be accepted, nor will individual comments or evaluation scores be disclosed.

Training dates:
In-person sessions: 4 March (15:30 – 20:00), 5 March (10:00 – 17:00), 6 March (10:00 – 17:00), 12 March (10:00 – 17:00), 13 March (10:00 – 17:00), 14 March (10:00 – 14:00)
Online session: 19 March (18:30 – 20:00)