Context
Quinta do Mocho is a public housing neighborhood in Sacavém, just outside Lisbon. Originally built in the 1990s to rehouse families from informal settlements, it’s one of many bairros sociais that were part of Portugal’s urban social housing policies. The buildings are dense, uniform, and often under-maintained.
The area is home to a large African diaspora, especially Cape Verdean, Angolan, and Guinean-Portuguese families, many of whom arrived during or after the post-colonial migration waves. There’s a strong sense of cultural identity here, with music, food, and shared experience playing a big role in daily life.
Economically, Quinta do Mocho has faced marginalisation, with high unemployment rates and limited access to resources, especially for youth. But it’s also full of underground opportunity: musicians, designers, dancers, and footballers have emerged from this community and gone on to make waves nationally and internationally.
It’s located about 30 minutes on foot from Talude (where the grogue factory is).
Collaboration & Opportunity
- Creative Hub: There’s real interest in establishing a dedicated space for local creatives. It looks like a local government-offered venue has fallen through, and the community is exploring renting independently. Supporting fundraising for this could be a winnable issue for the Lisbon Circle.
- Side Events for PSF: Artists in the area are open to hosting activations as part of the Road to PSF campaign. There’s potential to collaborate on music, fashion, and cultural showcases.
- Marketplace Integration: The decentralised marketplace being developed for the Talude grogue factory could also serve local freelancers—hairdressers, nail artists, clothing makers—by giving them a platform to list and promote their work.
- Content Creation: There’s strong enthusiasm for a documentary-style project that captures the culture and stories of the neighbourhood. One local contact is reaching out to a filmmaker who specialises in skate/music videos. If that doesn’t work out, it might be a great opportunity for others in the community to get involved in documenting and storytelling.
Communications & PR
One of the local community leaders would be an excellent guest for an upcoming X Space or in-person event. Given their public profile and local influence, they could also support comms and PR efforts around any local activation we run in Quinta do Mocho.
Next Steps
- Community Meeting: Happening at 3pm on August 6, just before the next Lisbon Circle.
The idea is to attend the meeting, then head straight to the Circle and hopefully bring a few people along with us.
I also connected with an arts collective from the area who want to explore collaboration further. There’s strong momentum and interest locally, and I expect a solid turnout.
Please leave any comments if you have ideas or would like to get involved 
I hope to see you at next week’s, Circle! Logos Circle: Lisbon · Luma