Linha do Vagar is the new open call launched within the framework of Évora_27 – European Capital of Culture, addressed to cultural operators, artists, creators and collectives who are nationals of, residents in, or professionally active in Portugal. With applications open from 22 January to 22 March 2026, this call aims to select artistic projects aligned with European values, grounded in approaches to creation, mediation and collaborative engagement with territories and communities.

With a total budget of €1,000,000, Linha do Vagar seeks to enrich the artistic programme of Évora_27 through proposals from all artistic disciplines, to be developed and presented throughout 2027 across multiple spaces and contexts in the Alentejo region. The open call clearly embraces a territorial ambition, promoting a diverse, decentralised and participatory programme capable of engaging with different audiences, rhythms and local realities, while valuing time, listening and sustained relationships with places.

The initiative is addressed to professionals and collectives working in contemporary artistic practices who are interested in engaging in processes of collaborative creation and mediation, strengthening the European dimension of the project through critical, inclusive and socially engaged proposals. Linha do Vagar is thus embedded in a vision of culture as a space for encounter, reflection and collective construction, in line with the core principles of the European Capital of Culture.

Applications are submitted exclusively online, through completion of the official application form and in accordance with the conditions set out in the regulations, both available for consultation. A Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document is also available, providing clarification on key aspects of the application process, selection criteria and funding conditions.

The jury for this open call is chaired by John Romão, Artistic Director of Évora_27, and includes Delfim Sardo, curator, university professor and art and architecture critic, Filipa Oliveira, Director of the MNAC – National Museum of Contemporary Art, Magda Bizarro, Co-Director of the Artistic Programme of the Festival d’Avignon, and Mário Carneiro, Director General of Fundação GDA. Substitute jury members are Luís Fernandes, musician, programmer and artistic director of Theatro Circo and gnration, and Sara Franqueira, scenographer, university professor and co-curator of the 16th Prague Quadrennial.

Linha do Vagar positions itself as a strategic opportunity for artists and cultural organisations to actively participate in shaping a European Capital of Culture that is deeply rooted in its territory, attentive to its communities and open to experimentation, inviting proposals that reflect on time, place and Europe in a critical, sensitive and shared way.