The Vibrant Soul of Lisbon: The Santo António Celebrations
June 10–16, 2026
“Pereira maintains he met him one summer’s day. A fine fresh sunny summer’s day and Lisbon was sparkling.”
— from Pereira Maintains, Antonio Tabucchi
TPW returns to enchanting Lisbon.
The Santo António Festival is one of Portugal’s most celebrated street parties — an extraordinary annual event held every June that draws thousands of visitors to the vibrant capital. This passionate festival honours Saint Anthony, the patron saint of Lisbon, happy marriages, and lost things. Over time, it has evolved into an explosion of street parties and a joyful celebration of the city itself, transcending its purely religious origins.
Lisbon is a multifaceted and seductive city. You can lose yourself in its charming historic quarters, take long, pleasant walks, and stop at one of the evocative miradouros to admire breathtaking views over the city and the majestic river flowing towards the boundless ocean. Hop on one of the iconic yellow trams, and pause for a delicious lunch in one of the many small, welcoming restaurants, savouring freshly caught fish and local flavours.
This was the classic image offered to visitors until a few years ago. Recently, however, a quiet yet powerful transformation has taken place: many once-abandoned areas are now experiencing a second, glorious life. The city’s rhythm remains unhurried, but beneath the surface a new and unmistakable energy can be felt. You will still find elegant, old-fashioned restaurants with waiters in white shirts and black ties — and, right next door, modern music bars full of creativity and edge. These are not copies of venues found elsewhere in Europe; they exude a distinctive elegance and unmistakably Portuguese style. The melancholic sounds of fado intertwine with lively jazz and the vibrant hip-hop beats of Angola and Cabo Verde — a continuous and fascinating journey through past, present, and future.
To photograph all this — the evocative settings, the city’s dynamic day and nightlife, and its new, pulsating rhythm — Pauliana Valente Pimentel will be your perfect guide and extraordinary teacher. Born in Lisbon and still deeply connected to her city, Pauliana uses Lisbon as her base when not travelling the world to photograph. She will introduce you to her friends and reveal secret corners of the city you would never find on your own. Together, you will explore places where public life is lived intensely, and she will guide you in developing your own photographic project on the city. You will encounter Lisbon in all its dimensions — its warm inhabitants, its vibrant streets, and its bustling local trades, by both day and night.
Her energy is contagious; she knows everyone and everything in Lisbon, and she will make this workshop a truly memorable experience.
This workshop is ideal for those wishing to refine their street-photography skills, push their creative boundaries, and immerse themselves deeply in the life of one of Europe’s most vibrant capitals. Over the week, there will be daily meetings and critique sessions.
Meals are independent, although, as always, we usually end up sharing dinner together.
BIOGRAPHY
1975, Lisbon. As a visual artist, she has been exhibiting regularly since 1999 in various European countries, including Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, England, Germany and Greece, as well as outside Europe, in the USA, China, Turkey, and Africa (Morocco, Cape Verde). In 2005, she attended the photography course of the Gulbenkian Programme for Creativity and Artistic Creation. She was a member of the Kameraphoto collective from 2006 until its dissolution in 2014. Currently, she teaches photography at ETIC and World Academy in Lisbon, conducts workshops in different countries and leads a three-month online mentoring programme each year. She is pursuing a PhD in Contemporary Art at the Colégio das Artes of the University of Coimbra, where she is part of the CEIS20 research centre.
Her books include VOL I (Pierre von Kleist, 2009), Caucase, Souvenirs de Voyage (Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, 2011), Quel Pedra (Camera Infinita, 2018), Narcisismo das Pequenas Diferenças (Lisbon Municipal Archive, 2019), Rub Al’Khali (Empty Quarter) (Kioskzine, 2021) and Faro-Oeste (EGEAC, Lisboa Cultura, 2024).
She has directed several films, including Diz-se que Portugal é um bom país para se viver (It is said that Portugal is a good country to live in, 40 min, Portugal, 2011), Jovens de Atenas (Youth of Athens, 13 min, Athens, Greece, 2012), Entre Nous (Between Us, 51 min, Portugal/France, 2014), Quel Pedra (3 min, loop, São Vicente, Cape Verde, 2014), Al Bidayer (12 min, loop, United Arab Emirates, 2017) and New Age Kids (10 min, loop, Lisbon, Portugal).
In 2015, she was awarded the Visual Arts Prize by the Portuguese Society of Authors, and in 2016, she was nominated for the NOVO BANCO Photo Prize She was represented by 3+1 Arte Contemporânea Gallery for five years and Salgadeiras Gallery for seven. She currently collaborates with various national and international galleries.
Her work is part of private and institutional collections, including the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (CAM), Partex, EDP Foundation (MAAT), Novo Banco, and the Portuguese State Collection.
PRACTICAL INFO
| WORKSHOP DATES | June 10-16, 2026 |
| WHERE | LISBON, PORTUGAL |
| WORKSHOP FEE | € 1.200 |