Bela Flor/Campolide March with new organization in 2024

After a year of absence from the Lisbon Popular Marches competition, the Bela Flor/Campolide March returns in 2024, now being organized by the Academia de Artes Internas (ADAI), based in Campolide, and led by José Carlos Almeida.

The Bela Flor/Campolide March is one of the marches that returns, in 2024, to the Lisbon Popular Marches competition. In 2022, it came in 19th place, which did not give it direct access to the following year’s edition, nor was it selected in the competition, meaning it was left out of the 2023 edition. Until now, the March was organized by Associação Viver Campolide, but , due to lack of availability, another entity had to pick up the pace, in this case, the Academy of Internal Arts (ADAI), which took on the project, so that, as the president of this collective, José Carlos Almeida, says, “the tradition if it remained.”

Likewise, it was the only community in the parish to show interest in organizing the march. “I gathered a group of people who understand marches, who were and are available to continue this project”, explained the leader, remembering that he immediately expressed his interest in organizing the march, right after the draw. “I tried to join people who already had and have experience in this area”, continued José Carlos Almeida. “The objective is to do our best”, he also emphasizes, adding that rehearsals take place every day, from Monday to Friday, at the Municipal Police pavilion, next to Avenida José Malhoa, and that there are only “two male marchers” missing.

Association has around 400 users

“There are some old marchers, and others who have never marched”, explains the leader, noting, however, that there is a good relationship between the group and that the older ones support the younger ones. The godparents, in 2024, will be actress Marta Gil and presenter Idevor Mendonça. The rehearser and choreographer of the Marcha da Bela Flor/Campolide, in 2024, is Leandro Portelinha, and the mascots are Caetana and Lourenço. The lyrics will be by Nádia Correia, the scenography by Daniel Oliveira, and the coordinator is Carla Quaresma. The standard bearer is Maria do Céu Tomás.

ADAI has been in existence for two years and promotes cultural and sporting activities, and in the future, it plans to have a “broader and more comprehensive area of ​​intervention”. “In addition to Campolide, we already work in Campo de Ourique”, highlights José Carlos Almeida, remembering that ADAI was created to work with “people with differences, including various age groups, but also deaf, blind, or people with mobility reduced.” Some activities promoted by ADAI are, for example, Tai Chi, personal development, music therapy, dance therapy, yoga, pilates, among others, and there are around 100 members and around 400 users.

Currently, the facilities operate in the Calçada dos Mestres neighborhood, but ADAI is waiting for a new headquarters in the Bela Flor neighborhood, something that has already been promised by the Lisbon City Council, and which should be delivered soon. With the new space, highlights José Carlos Almeida, it will be possible to “expand our intervention”, but also to be “more comfortable because we are in a temporary space”.