MIL Culture and Politics
The tenth edition of MIL will unfold in two distinct phases. The first is the new MIL Culture and Politics, which will take place between May 21st and 23rd at Casa Capitão, bringing together different agents from the cultural sector and thinkers to critically examine the relationships between culture, power, and knowledge production. This edition features names such as Malcom Ferdinand, Geoffroy de Lagasnerie, Cynthia Cruz, Kate Pasola, and Alice Cappelle.
The event kicks off at 11:30 am on Thursday, May 21st, with a session dedicated to the role of cultural policies in Portugal. Throughout the afternoon, there will be numerous talks, workshops, and working sessions addressing different dimensions of the relationship between culture and politics—from the material conditions of knowledge creation and construction to forms of meaning production and conditions for participation in the public sphere.
Throughout the afternoon of May 21st, highlights include a forum on cultural rights in Portugal, featuring Spanish researcher and cultural consultant Daniel Granados, one of the driving forces behind the Barcelona Declaration on Cultural Rights, and moderated by Paulo Pires. Also featured is a workshop on analyzing and rewriting language in the cultural sector, led by Maria Vlachou, executive director of Acesso Cultura.
The convention continues on Friday, May 22nd, with three keynote speeches. Opening the day at 10:00 AM, journalist Kate Pasola will analyze the transformations of cultural journalism in the context of digital platforms, highlighting the inequalities that continue to determine who can write, publish, and be heard. In the early afternoon, Alice Cappelle will focus on the production and circulation of political and cultural narratives in digital environments, questioning the role of platforms in their amplification and simplification.
The day also includes a series of sessions dedicated to digital infrastructures and the role of platforms in cultural production and the circulation of knowledge, debating the conditions of access, visibility, and political and collective participation in the digital space. Also noteworthy are sessions on open source and cultural production, journalism in the context of social networks, and models of participation and collective production, which delve deeper into the central themes of the program.
The program also includes the screening of two films that share this edition's slogan: "Pressing the Present." Both Apocalypse in the Tropics, by Petra Costa, on Thursday, and Orwell: 2+2=5, by Raoul Peck, on Friday, document ongoing political processes and transformations, offering a critical reading of power structures, dominant narratives, and the tensions that mark our present time.
Outside of working hours, Mil Cultura e Política has a different vibe
In its early days, MIL Cultura e Política extends until nearly midnight, with moments of encounter and creation, including concerts, DJ sets, and participatory sessions. Thursday night's program includes a jam session with Soma Cultura, a concert by Sopa de Pedra, and a DJ set by Irmão Makossa. On Friday, Febre 90s, Grupo Coral do Auto-Tune, and Bar Aberto, who have just released a magnificent EP, will perform. There will also be a sample session with Cigarra, Puçanga, bieu s2, Don't Call Me Tako, and Marcelo Lopes.
Finally, on Saturday, the program takes on a format more focused on cultural enjoyment, with fewer conversation segments and a multidisciplinary program that includes spoken word, exhibitions, performances, concerts, DJ sets, workshops, and more films. Lesma, Manga Cava, Jorge Rosa, Rezmorah & Mahfoud, Rádio Cacheu, Mães Solteiras, and the enormous Àkila aka Puta da Silva — singing only repertoire by Brazilian women — are among the artists who make up the lineup on May 23rd.
Most activities are free of charge with registration via an online form, with the exception of the
Sopa de Pedra concert (on the 21st).
Unicorn Factory Lisboa - Beato Innovation District
Entrance 2: Rua do Grilo nr. 121, 1950-144 Lisbon
