In 2008, the Associação Viver a Ciência (VAC) started the Simbiontes, a project aiming to raise funds for biomedical research in Portugal. This event privileges the interaction and mutual enrichment between different sectors of society – scientists, artists, children, elderly people, patients' groups, etc., and consists in organizing pedagogic workshops during which the participants create original materials that are then used for science fundraising.

The first Simbiontes’ event was dedicated to fundraising for cancer research. We established a partnership with the Instituto Português de Oncologia (IPO) and the Centro de Arte e Comunicação (Ar.Co.), and provided children in treatment at the Lisbon IPO with inspiring art and science moments through the exploration of a story.

Pedagogic and creative workshops were organized based on the story “A Menina do Mar” by Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen, which inspired these sessions every Wednesdays at the Lions room from November 2008 to April 2009. The workshops started with the story telling after which science workshops were developed, revealing curiosities about the marine characters and the habitats described in the story. The children then moved on to the artwork by making paintings and drawings based on the interpretation of what they learned during the science workshops.

As a sequence of this work developed at the IPO, the Simbiontes team developed a science book for young children written by Raquel Gaspar, a marine biologist (VAC) and illustrated by Ângelo Encarnação, a plastic artist (Ar.Co). This book entitled "Os Amigos da Menina do Mar" explores some scientific concepts and uncovers a few mysteries related to the marine characters and the habitats of the story. The book, financially supported by the Crioestaminal, is on sale in several bookshops throughout the country and part of the profit reverts to the Simbiontes Prize in cancer research.
The original works performed by the children were exhibited to the public (in November and December 2009, Chiado Plaza, Lisbon) and auctioned in an event where entertainment, public engagement with science and fundraising for cancer research came together.

The auction, part of the books’ profits and several other initiatives that followed as a consequence of this project, resulted in the creation of Simbiontes Prize. This is a 10 000 euro prize that will distinguish the best cancer research project to be performed in a Portuguese laboratory. VAC will organize a public contest and choose an international jury panel specialist in cancer research that will classify and find the best applying project.

The President of Sic Esperança, Mercedes Balsemão, supported the Simbiontes Project.

Other initiatives

Exhibition of the original illustrations of the Book “Os Amigos da Menina do Mar”, by Angelo Encarnação (Ar.Co).
This exhibition happened at the Chiado Plaza in Lisbon in December 2009. 30% of sale reverts to VAC.

Fundraising Dinners
The restaurant Flores at the Bairro Alto Hotel and the Sabores do Ano 2009 organized two fundraising dinners where 5 Euros per meal reverted to the Simbiontes prize. In these events three paintings performed by the children at the IPO were also auctioned.

Restaurant Week
The Restaurant Week is a solidarity initiative organized by the Sabores do Ano that involves over 40 of the best restaurants in Lisbon. It consists in donating 1 Euro for each meal to a pre-established institution during approximately one week. VAC was one of the beneficiary institutions of the 3rd edition of the Restaurant Week in Lisbon that raised over 6000 euros for our initiatives.
 

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Partners



- Individual donation: Luís Quinta
 
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Project Team | Gallery | Simbiontes in IPO de Lisboa webpage