Culture: A Development Indicator in Contemporary Society
 
With regard to culture, the Plan of the Autonomous Region of the Azores pursues a continued qualification of the cultural activity and heritage, as essential factors to valorise the Azorean society.
The priorities of the cultural policies for the next quadrennium include a balanced management of the cultural heritage in its various expressions, being in harmony with the Regional natural heritage, in a permanent dialogue between centenary traditions, deeply rooted in the populations of the Archipelago, which are the essential denominator of their way of being in the world, and an attitude of continuous renewal and belief in the Future.
The renewal and production of new cultural assets are based on the awareness, which is reflected in the options of the Plan for Culture, on the vital importance of these assets for the Future, expressed both in the new buildings created for cultural purposes and in the initiatives to stimulate the creation of cultural assets, which will thus contribute to convey the creative and intellectual capacity of the Azorean people in the context of contemporary societies.
The consolidation of the equipment network for cultural practice is one of the most prominent actions for Culture during this legislative period. The relevant investment present in the budget is an undeniable sign of the commitment that the structural renewal of the facilities for cultural purposes represents in the enhancement of the cultural activity and its consumption.
The accomplishment of new emblematic works that will indelibly mark this legislative period, such as the new Angra do Heroísmo Public Library and Regional Archives, the Ribeira Grande Contemporary Art Centre, the renewal of S. Jorge Museum, the enlargement of the Graciosa Museum, the investment in a Multipurpose Cultural Centre on Corvo, the conclusion of the long reconversion process of the Recolhimento de Santa Bárbara, as well as the maintenance of all Regional Museums other interventions in the museum network, the creation of the Casa Manuel de Arriaga on Faial – a tribute to the commemoration the Republic’s centenary – and the future creation of the Autonomy Museum. All these projects convey the importance of a medium and long-term investment in the cultural sector, which will endure for the forthcoming generations.
The creation of new audiences and the interaction of cultural initiatives with Education and Tourism are also a concern of the cultural policy and strategy present in this Plan, which illustrates the transverse nature of Culture regarding the various aspects of the life of the Azorean citizens.

The action of the Regional Directorate of Culture includes:
 - Supporting extra-curricular education, Municipal Libraries Network, revitalising educational services associated to Museums and Libraries and valorising traditions related to cultural and recreational associations;
 - Promoting the inventorying, classification, preservation and enhancement of the cultural Heritage, which is extended to archives, libraries, museums and architecture, and artistic production regarding the music, theatre, plastic arts and audiovisual areas;
 - Fostering the publications on cultural subjects, ranging from children and youth publications to publications on the inventory of the different types of heritage in all cultural sectors;
 - Promoting cultural enjoyment and consumption, revitalising the activity of local cultural agents and allowing the access to artistic productions from abroad, through Festivals, thematic Cycles, regular productions, concerning the various areas of artistic expression;
 - Encouraging initiatives for the creation of new audiences;
 - Continuing the development of artistic training programmes, such as the Orquestra Regional Lira Açoriana;
 - Supporting contemporary artistic creation, with specific incentives to the creative stimulus of young artists;
 - Implementing programmes in a joint initiative with the Environment and Tourism sector;
 - Supporting extra-curricular courses at Training Schools;
 - Promoting publications on cultural subjects;
 - Supporting the Public Reading Network;
 - Awarding Scholarships for Artistic and Technical Training;
 - Promoting the Contemporary Art of the Azores – ArTcA: Programme for the acquisition of Contemporary Art with the purpose of creating a cultural estate and encouraging artistic creation and its dissemination;
 - Supporting Relevant Cultural Interest Activities;
 - Fostering the training and promotion of theatre groups in the Region;
 - Acquisitioning and Restoring artefacts with Cultural Value;
 - Inventorying Artistic and Cultural Heritage;
 - Inventorying and Processing Archives in the Region;
 - Classifying Buildings in Protected Areas;
 - Supporting Archaeological Research;
 - Protecting the Whaling Heritage;
 - Disseminating and awareness-raising of Cultural Heritage.