Campo Rota do Sentir juntou jovens, verão e pensamento em Miranda do Douro2.

Between 27 and 29 June, Campo Rota do Sentir, a creative holiday camp, took place, to which fourteen young people from each of the school groups involved in this project (AE de Miranda do Douro and AE Dr Bento da Cruz, Montalegre) were invited.

Based at the Barrocal do Douro Youth Centre, this initiative was organised by the partners of Rota do Sentir: Association for the Study and Protection of Donkeys (AEPGA) and Rota Clandestina, with the collaboration of the National Arts Plan (PNA).

These days ensured a summer enjoyment during which there was a challenge: each participant had to look inside and outside themselves, assuming each unique identity as the first starting point for thought and creation.

“The camp can be summed up in one word – identity”; “The holiday camp was the place where I rediscovered myself, amid laughter, conversations and memories that will remain forever as little treasures”; “It was a break from the holiday routine, where I had fun, learned, and was always connected in some way to what I love most – music”.
From the testimonies of some of the young participants, we gleaned the essence of the days spent in Miranda do Douro, divided between exploring the territory, each individual's personality and the possibilities of creation, with the participation of artists such as guitarist Pedro Jóia.

In the opinion of Renzo Barsotti, mentor of Rota do Sentir, this project aims to discuss the potential of the arts as pedagogical tools, essential to cultural and social dynamics, as well as to closely observe the discursive and practical transformations of artistic production in the face of growing demands for social and environmental sustainability. Hence the focus on young people and their relationship with the territory. The Rota do Sentir programme runs from 2025 to 2026 in the municipalities of Miranda do Douro and Montalegre, and includes meetings, shows, workshops and residencies.