Sementes is a charity project promoted by the Orquestra de Câmara Portuguesa – Associação Musical whose main aim is to facilitate access to the aesthetic experience of art for children aged 3 to 5 in a vulnerable social context.

The classes help to raise musical awareness, stimulate concentration and the sharing of musical experiences, rhythmic activities and auditory training, the exploration of musical instruments and the creation of performance moments during the sessions.

The kindergarten teachers and assistants accompany the work carried out by the professional musicians, also making them more aware of good practice in the arts and their service to the community.

The Sementes project was born out of an initiative by the Orquestra de Câmara Portuguesa – Associação Musical at the Bairro 6 de Maio Social Centre, in the municipality of Amadora, as part of OCPsolidária, with the first event held on 4 December 2010, with conductor Pedro Carneiro and percussionist João Carlos Pacheco.

Since then, several OCP musicians have collaborated on the project, which continued at this IPSS until 2019, covering an average of 90 children each year, with weekly sessions during the school year and public performances for the local community and partners.

With the success of the Orquestra dos Navegadores, developed by OCP-AM and the Municipality of Oeiras since 2018, the municipality has launched a new challenge to OCP in 2023, this time to work with pre-school children from the Navegadores neighbourhood. The project is funded as part of the Oeiras municipality’s application to the PRR – ‘Communities in Action, Integrated Metropolitan Operations’ funding line.

The Sementes initiative has thus been reborn and is now treading new paths with the children of Oeiras, guided by OCP musicians Sofia Ruivo (violin) and Leonardo Martins (violin).

Project co-funded by the PRR – Recovery and Resilience Plan by the European Union.

recuperarportugal.gov.pt