Anda&Fala - Associação Cultural promoted (between 10/11 and 08/12) the open call for the 1st edition of the nova vaga Prize, with the aim of supporting new creative values in the Azores Archipelago, in the expanded field of visual arts. Of the 20 applications received, the judging committee selected the Azorean artists Isabel Medeiros, Joana Albuquerque and Sofia Rocha, and awarded two honorable mentions to Júlia Furtado and Pedro Evangelho.

Isabel Medeiros, Joana Albuquerque and Sofia Rocha are the winners of the 2024 nova vaga Prize, following a decision by the judging panel made up of Jesse James (Artistic Director of Anda&Fala), Marta Espiridião (guest curator), Filipa da Rocha Nunes (writer and curator) and Fátima Mota (gallery owner).

The Evaluation Committee assessed the 20 applications received, highlighting the quality, diversity of backgrounds and relevance of the fields of action and research of the various applicants, especially as this was the first edition of the Prize. It also decided to award two honorable mentions to Júlia Furtado and Pedro Evangelho.

The winning artists - Isabel Medeiros, Joana Albuquerque and Sofia Rocha - will be awarded creative grants of €4,000 each. From January next year, they will be accompanied individually by guest curator Marta Espiridião and the Anda&Fala team, with a view to developing new research/creative work and presenting the results in a group exhibition at vaga - espaço de arte e conhecimento, the association's headquarters and cultural space in Ponta Delgada, between September and December 2024. In turn, the honorable mentions for Júlia Furtado and Pedro Evangelho will be translated into invitations to take part in vaga's programming, also in the last quarter of 2024.

The nova vaga Prize is a biennial open call for people/collectives born and/or resident in the Azores, between the ages of 18 and 35, who aspire to develop their practice in the expanded field of visual arts. It succeeds the Walk&Talk Young Creators, which, between 2014 and 2022, awarded 14 artists with a creative grant, as part of the Walk&Talk - Arts Festival Artist Residency Program, and a final presentation in its various editions.

The 1st edition of the nova vaga Prize, together with the 6th edition of PARES - Support Program for Artistic Activity in the Azores, is part of the activity plan and cultural advocacy strategy of Anda&Fala - Associação Cultural. Together, the two open calls total around €20,000 of direct investment in the artistic ecosystem of the Azores region in 2024, stimulating emerging dynamics and their autonomy, and deepening artistic practices and dialogue between artists and cultural agents.