Between June and October 2025, the Santos Rocha Municipal Museum in Figueira da Foz will host a series of talks entitled “Facing Colonial Legacy in the Museum,” an initiative promoted by IN2PAST in partnership with the Santos Rocha Municipal Museum, which brings together leading national and international voices to critically reflect on the colonial legacy in Portuguese museums.

Over the course of six sessions, researchers, artists, curators, writers, teachers, and personalities from Figueira da Foz invite the general public and the local community to participate in a plural and open debate on memory, heritage, and identity. The cycle is the result of a collaboration between several research centers: IHC (NOVA FCSH- Univ. Évora) LAB2PT (University of Minho), CRIA (NOVA FCSH and ISCTE-IUL), CHAIA (University of Évora), ICS (University of Lisbon), IHA (NOVA FCSH), CITAR (Portuguese Catholic University – Porto), i2ADS (University of Porto), CITCEM (University of Porto), and HÉRCULES (University of Évora).

The event also features the active participation of local personalities, such as Pedro Mota Curto (Director of the Figueira Mar School Group) and Andrea Gaspar (Anthropologist and teacher at the Figueira da Foz Urban School Group), reinforcing the involvement of the Figueira da Foz community in this fundamental debate. Artists such as Francisco Vidal and Nuno Silas bring the visual arts perspective to the center of the discussion, enriching the exchange of experiences and knowledge. We also count on the participation of Aristóteles Kandimba, writer, researcher, producer, and founder of the Coletivo Tributo aos Ancestrais PT (Tribute to the Ancestors Collective PT), whose contribution has been fundamental in the recovery and appreciation of Afro-descendant memories and cultures in Portugal.

Funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) through IN2PAST – IN2PAST is the Associated Laboratory for Research and Innovation in Heritage, Arts, Sustainability, and Territory. This series of talks is a unique opportunity to critically think about the role of museums in contemporary society and contribute to a more plural, inclusive, and transformative memory. The sessions always take place at 3 p.m., with free admission.

Join us and be part of this collective reflection on heritage, memory, and social transformation in Figueira da Foz!

Room sheet of ‘Facing Colonial Legacy in the Museum’ here