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A festival on Portugal's highest mountain

16.02.2017

Throughout the month of January, a festival took place on the highest mountain of Portugal: Pico Island, Azores. With a programme packed full of art exhibitions, book launches, film screenings, presentations, mountain hikes, ballets, musical compositions and presentations by visual artists working on mountain-themed art and products, the Montanha Pico Festival drew audiences to the middle of the Atlantic Ocean to celebrate the mountain island of Pico.

The Montanha Pico Festival 2017 was the third edition of the festival organized by Mountain Partnership member MiratecArts. On 11 December 2016, International Mountain Day, MiratecArts launched the official programme of the Festival, which opened on 3 January 2017. In the lead up to the Festival, the third International Mountain Photography Contest was held on the theme “Portugal’s Highest Peak”. The winners – Nelson Silva, Davide Sousa and Jorge Gonçalves Silva – were awarded MiratecArts support packages, including a solo exhibition, travel and accommodations to participate in the Photographic Encounter and Expedition, to be held on the island of Flores on 9-12 June 2017. As a bonus prize, they also won the opportunity to sign a contract for their images to be printed on official stamps of the Portuguese Republic.

Terry Costa, President of MiratecArts, said the highlight of the Festival was a saxophone concert by Luis Senra held at 1 800 metres on 28 January. Watch the performance here.

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