Start PME sponsors Walk&Talk Biennial 2025
Start PME is honored to support the Walk&Talk Biennial 2025, one of the country’s most significant cultural events, which will take place from September 25 to November 30 on São Miguel Island, Azores. This sponsorship reflects a deep conviction: culture is a strategic pillar of human and collective development, capable of projecting territories, bringing communities together, and opening new circuits of artistic creation and critical thought.
Start PME sponsors Walk&Talk Biennial 2025
Start PME is honored to support the Walk&Talk Biennial 2025, one of the country’s most significant cultural events, which will take place from September 25 to November 30 on São Miguel Island, Azores. This sponsorship reflects a deep conviction: culture is a strategic pillar of human and collective development, capable of projecting territories, bringing communities together, and opening new circuits of artistic creation and critical thought.
From its origins to international recognition
Since 2011, this initiative, promoted by the Anda&Fala association, has fostered artistic creation deeply connected to the cultural and geographical context of the Azores. Originally conceived as an annual festival, Walk&Talk has, over twelve editions, built a reputation as an experimental and participatory platform, with more than 500 creators engaged in residencies, performances, installations, and public programs.
In 2023, it began its transition to a biennial format, with the inaugural edition taking place in 2025. This new arrangement allows for broader temporal scope and deeper engagement with the territory and local communities, through residencies and projects developed during the interim years – known as the “Path to the Biennial.”
“Gestures of Abundance”: An ethical, ecological, and political curatorship
The inaugural biennial edition is artistically directed by Jesse James and curated by Claire Shea, Fatima Bintou Rassoul Sy, and Liliana Coutinho. Under the theme “Gestures of Abundance”, the Biennial proposes a reflection on new forms of coexistence, inviting artists and audiences to rethink the transition from a logic of scarcity to a culture based on generosity, collective imagination, and the interdependencies between human and non-human.
This concept is embedded in multiple dimensions of the program, which includes exhibitions, performances, concerts, symposiums, guided tours, workshops, and collective rituals. The Walk&Talk Symposium, from November 7 to 9, will be a particularly significant moment, creating a space for dialogue that bridges local perspectives with global debates on ecology, identity, and community. In parallel, the mediation program “Sintonizar” will strengthen connections between artists, audiences, and communities, consolidating a cultural engagement model that goes beyond aesthetic enjoyment, fostering lasting ties with the Azorean territory.
Relevance in the national artistic landscape
The Walk&Talk Biennial today holds a prominent place in the Portuguese contemporary art scene, not only for its international character but also for how it repositions the country’s cultural geography. By establishing itself in the Azores, it demonstrates that artistic creation can flourish in territories traditionally considered peripheral, transforming them into centers of cultural innovation. This decentralization contributes to diversifying the national cultural offering and places Portugal within international networks of artistic circulation.
The Biennial also stands out for its interdisciplinarity, bringing together visual arts, music, performance, architecture, and social practices, creating an expanded and integrative experimental field. Its importance is measured not only by the visibility of the artists involved but also by its ability to engage local communities in creative processes, transform the territory into a stage, and place the Azores on the global map of contemporary culture.
Economic and territorial impact
The impact of the Walk&Talk Biennial transcends the cultural sphere, reaching economic and social dimensions of significant relevance. The event attracts national and international visitors, promoting cultural tourism and boosting the local economy, from hospitality to restaurants and transport. This circulation of people and ideas strengthens São Miguel’s identity as a cultural destination, creating opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses that directly benefit from increased tourist flows.
The Biennial’s model, which prioritizes continuity and community engagement, also ensures lasting effects. It is not just an event concentrated on specific dates, but a living platform that sustains artistic dialogue throughout the biennial cycle. This design contributes to talent retention, the internationalization of Portuguese artistic production, and the strengthening of territorial cohesion.
Alignment with public cultural policies
Walk&Talk aligns with a strategic direction that Portugal has been consolidating over the past decades: investing in culture as a driver of sustainable development and social cohesion. By supporting the Biennial, Start PME embraces this vision, in line with public policies that view culture as an investment rather than an expense. It is a field that contributes to cultural diplomacy, the country’s international projection, and the empowerment of local communities, particularly in outermost regions such as the Azores.
The Walk&Talk Biennial is, therefore, more than a cultural event: it is an instrument of national and international projection, a driver of territorial development, and a vital space for critical reflection on the present and future of Portuguese culture.
The meaning of Start PME’s sponsorship
Within this context, Start PME proudly and responsibly assumes its role as sponsor of the Walk&Talk Biennial 2025. Supporting this initiative means actively participating in building a future where culture is recognized as an essential dimension of collective progress. It means affirming that art and critical thought are engines of innovation, identity, and cohesion. Ultimately, it is about sharing the conviction that abundance is born from the encounter between people, ideas, and territories.
The Walk&Talk Biennial dignifies Portugal and projects the Azores onto the world stage. For Start PME, it is an honor to be associated with this platform of cultural and social transformation, reaffirming its commitment to supporting creation, stimulating innovation, and contributing to more open, inclusive, and sustainable societies.
See the full program at: https://2025.walktalkazores.org/
Frederico Almeida
04.09.2025
All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted or used, in whole or in part, without the prior written permission of Equações Exaustivas Lda. All trademarks, company names, logos and products mentioned are the property of their respective owners.
From its origins to international recognition
Since 2011, this initiative, promoted by the Anda&Fala association, has fostered artistic creation deeply connected to the cultural and geographical context of the Azores. Originally conceived as an annual festival, Walk&Talk has, over twelve editions, built a reputation as an experimental and participatory platform, with more than 500 creators engaged in residencies, performances, installations, and public programs.
In 2023, it began its transition to a biennial format, with the inaugural edition taking place in 2025. This new arrangement allows for broader temporal scope and deeper engagement with the territory and local communities, through residencies and projects developed during the interim years – known as the “Path to the Biennial.”
“Gestures of Abundance”: An ethical, ecological, and political curatorship
The inaugural biennial edition is artistically directed by Jesse James and curated by Claire Shea, Fatima Bintou Rassoul Sy, and Liliana Coutinho. Under the theme “Gestures of Abundance”, the Biennial proposes a reflection on new forms of coexistence, inviting artists and audiences to rethink the transition from a logic of scarcity to a culture based on generosity, collective imagination, and the interdependencies between human and non-human.
This concept is embedded in multiple dimensions of the program, which includes exhibitions, performances, concerts, symposiums, guided tours, workshops, and collective rituals. The Walk&Talk Symposium, from November 7 to 9, will be a particularly significant moment, creating a space for dialogue that bridges local perspectives with global debates on ecology, identity, and community. In parallel, the mediation program “Sintonizar” will strengthen connections between artists, audiences, and communities, consolidating a cultural engagement model that goes beyond aesthetic enjoyment, fostering lasting ties with the Azorean territory.
Relevance in the national artistic landscape
The Walk&Talk Biennial today holds a prominent place in the Portuguese contemporary art scene, not only for its international character but also for how it repositions the country’s cultural geography. By establishing itself in the Azores, it demonstrates that artistic creation can flourish in territories traditionally considered peripheral, transforming them into centers of cultural innovation. This decentralization contributes to diversifying the national cultural offering and places Portugal within international networks of artistic circulation.
The Biennial also stands out for its interdisciplinarity, bringing together visual arts, music, performance, architecture, and social practices, creating an expanded and integrative experimental field. Its importance is measured not only by the visibility of the artists involved but also by its ability to engage local communities in creative processes, transform the territory into a stage, and place the Azores on the global map of contemporary culture.
Economic and territorial impact
The impact of the Walk&Talk Biennial transcends the cultural sphere, reaching economic and social dimensions of significant relevance. The event attracts national and international visitors, promoting cultural tourism and boosting the local economy, from hospitality to restaurants and transport. This circulation of people and ideas strengthens São Miguel’s identity as a cultural destination, creating opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses that directly benefit from increased tourist flows.
The Biennial’s model, which prioritizes continuity and community engagement, also ensures lasting effects. It is not just an event concentrated on specific dates, but a living platform that sustains artistic dialogue throughout the biennial cycle. This design contributes to talent retention, the internationalization of Portuguese artistic production, and the strengthening of territorial cohesion.
Alignment with public cultural policies
Walk&Talk aligns with a strategic direction that Portugal has been consolidating over the past decades: investing in culture as a driver of sustainable development and social cohesion. By supporting the Biennial, Start PME embraces this vision, in line with public policies that view culture as an investment rather than an expense. It is a field that contributes to cultural diplomacy, the country’s international projection, and the empowerment of local communities, particularly in outermost regions such as the Azores.
The Walk&Talk Biennial is, therefore, more than a cultural event: it is an instrument of national and international projection, a driver of territorial development, and a vital space for critical reflection on the present and future of Portuguese culture.
The meaning of Start PME’s sponsorship
Within this context, Start PME proudly and responsibly assumes its role as sponsor of the Walk&Talk Biennial 2025. Supporting this initiative means actively participating in building a future where culture is recognized as an essential dimension of collective progress. It means affirming that art and critical thought are engines of innovation, identity, and cohesion. Ultimately, it is about sharing the conviction that abundance is born from the encounter between people, ideas, and territories.
The Walk&Talk Biennial dignifies Portugal and projects the Azores onto the world stage. For Start PME, it is an honor to be associated with this platform of cultural and social transformation, reaffirming its commitment to supporting creation, stimulating innovation, and contributing to more open, inclusive, and sustainable societies.
See the full program at: https://2025.walktalkazores.org/
Frederico Almeida
04.09.2025
All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted or used, in whole or in part, without the prior written permission of Equações Exaustivas Lda. All trademarks, company names, logos and products mentioned are the property of their respective owners.
