Carnide, CASA DO ARTISTA ,

09.12.15; 17.30h

 

 

 

A Dr.a Conceiçao Carvalho is connected since long time to the artistic world, but her working collaboration with Casa do Artista is quite recent.
She gives me a little bit of her time to explain me about the organization of the structure and its inner life.

Mrs. Conceiçao listened about the Apoiarte project for the creation of this House already in the 80’s, but it took 20 years until the moment the House of Artist would start to work and host its first Artists guests.
Her first contact with the House happened through some friends who were announcing the project and then, after its creation, through the visit she was making as external to some friends who were living in the House. She was also often attending shows in the next by Theater Armando Cortez…so taht is possible to say that since long time, she was somehow already part of this special house.

Mrs. Conceiçao appreciates the House for the special guests it is dedicated to, but also for the quality of the services provided, and for the personal relations estabilished with the residents, so that, when she was invited by Mrs. Manuela Maria (they know each other since very long time)to join the House team, the acceptance of this new challenge was a pleasant sourprise, also considering that it would permit her to put together two things she loved: her formation in Social Science and Culture.
The work in the House of the Artist is a rewarding full time experience, according to Mrs. Conceiçao, where the most important thing is the human relation established with the House guests.

Economically Casa do Artista is dependent by its own earnings, beside some support coming from outside institutions.
The external members (almost 2000)pay a due and contribute to the House existence; some money come form the Social Security that is co-participating in the expenses and a collaboration is established with the government, supporting the Theater Armando Cortez. Beside all this, the house rents a gallery and other spaces for the development of different activities and formations, helping so the economy of the House.

I ask Mrs. Conceiçao what makes her feel home.
The feeling of Home, she answers, comes from the warmth of the spaces, from the furnitures and their affective references, for the family memories connected with each object decorating a space: she feels Home in her own flat, a space she inhabits since almost 40 years in Lumiar.

Also a working place can be considered as Home: passing from the public administration to the show production, accepting many different challenges along her life, Mrs. Conceiçao keeps from the working houses she passed by good memories and some good friendships! These good experiences are part of the background she brings with her as a precious baggage she will share in this new adventure in Casa do Artista where she works since two months.

Casa do Artista has in this moment 72 residents, and at the moment is "fully booked" with a long waiting list.
Assistance is guaranteed 24 hours on 24, with working shifts that cover all the day and the night period (8h-16h/16h-12h/12h-8h). There is a full time security service, and the hosts have the full freedom of going in and out, organizing their time and life without any restriction.
Single or double rooms are available, the weekly food menu (with choice among meat-fish or diet menus)is given to the guests so that they can chose what they prefer to eat, assistance during the eating time is provided, medical assistance id guaranted and cultural activities are some of the facilities offered to the Artists living in the house.
 
The dynamic energy of Ricardo and of all the workers involved in the Casa do Artista, its many spaces, the Gallery, the Theater Armando Cortez (with a program for children and adults and always some tickets available for the residents)all these elements make of this House a different place, pleasant to visit and to spend time in.

…to listen is to imagine…

Thank you Mrs. Conceiçao for your time and disposability in speaking with me.

Good Listening!