The project “Máscaras” is conceived as an integral performance to protect and conserve, to promote and sustainably develop a cultural aspect of great traditional in the whole cross-border area of Bragança-Zamora, known as “masks” tradition associated to the “winter festivities”.

This integral performance consists of three activities:

First:

- This first performance consists in remodelling and recuperating a building to create a museum in Bragança. It shall expose objects and costumes associated to the Winter Festivities, for which the process of rehabilitation has begun in the “Edificio de la Ciudadela”. This museum shall have an exposition of all the characteristic elements associated to this tradition. It shall consist of a ground, first and second floor, all these areas shall be dedicated to museum activities.

- In parallel to this museum, another building shall be recuperated by giving it a double function; it shall be divided in two floors: on the first, the information point and thematic related products selling, and on the second floor an interactive area for the craftsmen of this traditional art to demonstrate the tailoring of the traditional costumes and masks associated to these feasts.

- Complementary to these two buildings, a research of contents shall be realized. The monitoring of the museums’ instalment is done through a cooperative protocol between the Town Council of Bragança and the “Superior School of Education of Bragança’s Polytechnic Institute”, with the objective to assure and promote the cooperation between related institutions. This way creating synergies at a human and material resource level that both these institutions have.

Second:

Dissemination activities in certain areas.

- Develop safeguarding and local heritage promoting activities through the creation of a “Biannual Exhibition” between Bragança and Zamora, where various activities are to be developed: seminars, conferences, contests, expositions…with the purpose to identify this county within the routes of the international events and relating the mask thematic.

- Elaboration of a Web site that shows all the activities to be carried-out and the project in general. It is understood as a meeting point and as experience exchange between users and craftsmen.

- Elaboration of a joint catalogue and a calendar where the traditions relating the “masks” are gathered and a craftsmen network is established between Bragança-Zamora, as well as a joint route that promotes cross-border tourism relations and communication flow.

- To hold two joint cross-border seminars, one in Bragança and another in Zamora to promote and disseminate experiences and methodologies, therefore establishing synergies between all the local development agents, institutions (public and private) as well as craftsmen.

Third:

This activity consists in elaborating a research study to achieve “Asset of Cultural Interest” and for the future application to the UNESCO of “Intangible Heritage” proclamation.

This project’s activity is directed to:

- Safeguarding cultural heritage.

- Respecting the communities, groups and individual’s cultural heritage..

- Awareness of cultural heritage at a local, national and international level as an essential aspect of the communities’ progression and sustainable development.

The planned objectives:

- Create basic infrastructures to protect, safeguard, upkeeping and promoting intangible heritage associated to the mask tradition.

- Recover cultural activities related to “masquerades” in all the areas of intervention.

- Create a cross-border craftsmen network for the permanent contact between sectorial activities to preserve and endure intangible heritage associated to ritual and festival activities.

- Holding of cross-border seminars for the dissemination and promotion of the traditionally cultural activities in this area.

- Joint publication to create a craftsmen route at a cross-border level, as well as itinerary of cultural and tourism activities associated to the “mask” festivities.

- All these objectives can be concised by creating a series of activities in a Cross-border Cooperation realm as a tool for economic, social and territorial cohesion of this whole area.

- Optimize and use the endogenous resources for cross-border collaboration and a balanced development of the two regions. Promote cooperation and use the complementarities with other programes and those created from innovation and knowledge, as well as maintaining a balanced development in both regions regarding their real needs and detected potentialities.

- A joint research regarding cultural activities relating the “mask” thematic in three languages: Portuguese, Spanish and English.