Quinta das Relvas

Founded in 2016 and headquartered on a farm dating back to 1789 in Branca, Portugal, Associação Quinta das Relvas is a non-profit NGO dedicated to non-formal education activities at the intersection of Arts and Sustainability. Using Permaculture methodology, the multidisciplinary team approaches the farm as a living laboratory to collaboratively develop, share and promote educational experiences such as artistic residencies, workshops, conferences, trainings, internships, volunteering programs and international exchanges (including Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps activities). The project prioritises youngsters still studying or at the beginning of their careers, as well as those with fewer opportunities, giving them access to culture, creative thinking and sustainable practices in a rural context. Programs range from bio-construction youth exchanges to artistic research residencies (GRÃO), training courses combining Permaculture and Green Art (GALA), and food forest management exchanges. Quinta das Relvas also operates an eco-hostel, welcoming visitors interested in sustainable living, arts and permaculture. Central to its philosophy is the belief in interconnectivity — that connecting people, entities, projects and ideas amplifies impact and lightens collective work. The Association is actively building a co-work community and forging partnerships with aligned projects to increase the complexity and reach of its actions, promoting social participation, collective creative and critical thinking, the reconsideration of rural life, and the decentralization of access to culture and training.