The open calls, foreseen in the Évora_27 Bid Book, are opportunities for artists, associations, institutions and communities, from Alentejo and from abroad, to be part of the artistic program of Évora 2027 – European Capital of Culture. They aim to encourage dialogue, collaboration and inclusion, with a view to the cultural and social coevolution of the Alentejo region. In this sense, four open calls are launched during the preparation of the European Capital of Culture.

Projects are expected that establish dialogues with the concept of Vagar, that deepen relationships between tradition and experimentation, that promote diversity and inclusion, that stimulate citizen participation and that contribute to a fairer and more prosperous future for all people.

We will give stage to new ideas, narratives and approaches that value cultural diversity, promote sustainability, cooperation, interdisciplinarity and intersectorality.

Vagar Line is an open call addressed to cultural agents, artists, creators and collectives who are nationals of, residents in, or professionally active in Portugal, inviting the submission of projects aligned with the European values.

The open call “Vagar Line”, open until 22 March 2026, is aimed at the national cultural and artistic sector, with the goal of enriching the artistic programme of Évora_27 – European Capital of Culture through proposals of collaborative creation and mediation, encompassing all artistic fields, to be presented throughout the year 2027 in various spaces and locations across Alentejo, contributing to a diverse, participatory and territorially inclusive programme.

Year of implementation: 2027
Target audience: Cultural agents, artists, creators and collectives who are nationals of, residents in, or professionally active in Portugal.
Budget: €1,000,000
Applications: 22.01.2026 to 22.03.2026
Regulations: (PDF attached here)
Application form:Évora_27 VAGAR LINE 
FAQ: (PDF attached here)
Jury: John Romão, Jury President (Artistic Director of Évora_27); Delfim Sardo (Curator, university professor, writer, art and architecture critic); Filipa Oliveira (Director of MNAC – National Museum of Contemporary Art); Magda Bizarro (Co-director of the Artistic Programme of the Festival d’Avignon); Mário Carneiro (General Director of the GDA Foundation). Alternate members: Luís Fernandes (Musician, programmer, artistic director of Theatro Circo and Gnration); Sara Franqueira (Set designer, university professor, co-curator of the 16th edition of the Prague Quadrennial).

More info: linhadovagar@evora2027.com

Our Lab is an open call open to artists, whether individually or collectively, and to collective entities of a private or public nature, residing or headquartered in Europe (excluding Portugal) or in non-European countries, with proven experience in the fields for which they are applying.

The open call Our Lab invites international artists and cultural organizations to explore the concept of VAGAR, the central theme of Évora_27. The proposed projects should offer creations that strengthen human essence and imagine alternative futures, in harmony with European values.

The call covers the following artistic areas: Theatre, Dance, Music, Circus, Street Arts, Opera, Architecture, Design, New Media, and Cross-disciplinary Artistic Projects. Selected projects will be presented in Évora and across the Alentejo region in 2027, in four different types of spaces: cultural (such as theatres and museums); heritage (such as convents and churches); public and urban (such as streets, squares, and avenues); and natural (such as gardens or the Montado, Alentejo’s unique agroforestry ecosystem). The selected projects will form part of the official artistic programme of Évora 2027 – European Capital of Culture, during the year 2027.

Year of implementation: 2027
Target audience: Artists, whether individually or collectively, as well as legal entities of a private or public nature, residing or headquartered in Europe (except Portugal) or outside Europe, with proven experience in the fields for which they are applying.
Budget: 2.000.000€
Applications: 13.11.2025 a 13.01.2026 - deadline extended until 31.01.2026
Regulation: (PDF attached here)
Application form:Évora_27 OUR LAB
FAQ: (PDF attached here)
Júri: John Romão, President of the Jury (Artistic Director of Évora_27); Chloé Siganos (Director of Performing Arts at the Centre Pompidou); Javier Peña Ibáñez (Curator, cultural programmer, director of the Concêntrico Festival); Joana Henriques (Director of Public Programs at MAAT - Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology / EDP Foundation); Rui Horta (Choreographer, dancer and cultural programmer, founder and former director of O Espaço do Tempo). Substitute members: Lorenzo Pappagallo (Curator, cultural manager and artistic director of the Escena Patrimonio Dance Festival, UNESCO Spain); Lucía García (Director of IMAL - Interactive Media Art Laboratory, Brussels).

“Our Turn” is an open call aimed at artists, associations, and cultural agents from the Alentejo region, encompassing all artistic fields, and arts and crafts of the region.

The general eligibility requirements for this open call stipulate that projects must have an European dimension and involve the collaboration and co-production of cultural associations and/or national and international artists.

The selected projects will become part of the official artistic program of Évora 2027 – European Capital of Culture.

Year of implementation: 2027
Target audience: Artists and cultural associations based in Central Alentejo and other subregions of Alentejo; artists from Alentejo who are not currently residing in the region
Budget: € 1.300.000
Applications: November 10, 2025 to January 10, 2026 - deadline extended until 17 February 2026
Regulation: (PDF attached here) 
Application form:Évora_27 OUR TURN
FAQ: (PDF attached here)
Júri: John Romão, President of the Jury (Artistic Director of Évora_27); Celina da Piedade (Accordionist, singer, composer and researcher); Jesse James (Curator, cultural programmer and artistic director of the Walk&Talk Biennial); Rita Fabiana (Curator and coordinator of Live Arts at the Modern Art Centre of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation); Tiago Navarro (Director of the School of Arts of the University of Évora). Substitute members: Ana Borralho (Artist and cultural programmer); Luís Sousa Ferreira (Designer, cultural programmer, and assistant to the Artistic Director of Teatro Nacional D. Maria II).

Information sessions: Schedule online

More info: anossavez@evora2027.com

Conceived by the Artistic Direction of Évora_27 and coordinated by choreographer and programmer Madalena Victorino, the Open Call “Our Voice” is aimed at the eighteen school clusters of Central Alentejo and the two private educational institutions in Évora.

Including stages of mapping, creation, artistic experimentation, and curatorship, “Our Voice” engages school communities in an active process of participation, inside and outside schools, entirely discussed, reflected upon, and defined by students of all educational levels.

The results of the projects developed will become part of the official artistic program of Évora 2027 – European Capital of Culture.

Academic years: 2026/2027 and 2027/2028

Target audience: School clusters of Central Alentejo and two private educational institutions

Budget: €400,000

Applications: 22.09.2025 - 30.11.2025

Design, funding, and coordination: Évora 2027 Association

Institutional partnership: Portuguese National Plan for the Arts (Plano Nacional das Artes)

Institutional support: Regional Services Directorate of Alentejo (Direção de Serviços Regionais do Alentejo)

Regulation (PDF attached)

Application form : Évora_27 OUR VOICE