A table is set for a meal, with new etiquette rules. 6 places are laid out, but only 3 are taken - two guests, one host. The lunch is served and a conversation about the future begins.

Canal180 joins forces with S.P.O.T. to create an experience. In closed spaces of the city of Porto, we challenged people who although available cannot do their jobs in the same way. These places are occupied, a chef is invited to cook a meal, artists to bring light to the space, and finally, photographers and videographers capture the moment.

In each of the 4 episodes of And After Tomorrow?, a new topic is discussed. Music, cultural programming and the behind the scenes of live shows, and the challenges they entail in the near future, are reflected upon.

“How do you see public space?” asks geographer Álvaro Domingues, the host of this last episode of And After Tomorrow?, to start the conversation about the public space and the public sphere, with Fernando Almeida (Pele) and artist Miguel Januário (Mais Menos). Miguel sees public space as a canvas, a stage. For him, what is interesting about public intervention is crossing a corner and coming by something unexpected, something that doesn’t belong there, but that is starting to more and more.

Fernando Almeida says that his vision, and that of Pele, comes from the projection of the citizen unto the public space - how do we think of the idea of politics, as something inseparable from the citizen themselves and their positioning in public space. From the concepts of public space, they branch into talking about the role technology plays in it, and the differences between physical and virtual spaces, and how both can be considered public spaces.

Miguel thinks “social media is the extension of public space. This is very interesting because it has changed the way we do and look at intervention in public space”. Especially in times of isolation, we became detached from physical spaces, and everything comes to us through these windows, even assassinations (as of George Floyd). Demonstrations and the occupation of public spaces to protest became a grey area over the past two months. At the same time, “the construction or deconstruction that we have been observing, coming back to the idea of demonstration of protest, of virtual and real, we have been seeing a theft of public space in private space”, says Miguel.

The lunch took place by the Carlos Ramos Pavilion, at the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Porto, where S.P.O.T. styled the table once more, this time with flower arrangements by Paula Brasaani and food by Chef Pedro Limão. It was up to Gattopardo to direct this episode and to Dinis Santos to photograph it.

With a lyricism she deems characteristic, Cristina Alves starts the conversation asking about the day after tomorrow. At the Jardim Botânico do Porto, Chef Vasco Coelho (Euskalduna) and Isabel Tavares (Comida de Rua) join her to discuss the current situation for their restaurants and street food company, respectively, as well as the whole industry at large.

“I think the future is in reinvention, in adaptation” says Cristina, as they discuss what they have been doing to adapt to the situation. Isabel started participating in drive-ins, initiatives she sees as a way to overcome current restrictions. Vasco started cooking for the homeless, then joining a group of Porto restaurants cooking for the hospitals. Now, they look to the future, certain that “we will always want to eat and everyone misses restaurants and events” and so, “there’s hope”, as Cristina ends on a positive note.

Inside one of the cold greenhouses, surrounded by plants and flowers, Inês Ananás e Hortelã styled the table and Isabel Castro Freitas arranged the flowers, for a meal prepared by Chef Rui Paula. This episode was directed by Bauti Godoy, filmed by Canal180 and photographed by Tiago Lessa.

What about those who work behind the scenes of live shows? An industry that has stopped completely, one that being behind the scenes, makes many unaware of its role or complexity. So, for the 3rd episode, the conversation was taken to Plano B, a club in Porto, where Célia Correia (Stagehand) and Hugo Costa (In Rock We Trust), moderated by Inês Maia, discussed the live show industry, and its technicians.

The technicians and those who work on culture’s behind the scenes, are often invisible and therefore forgotten by the support programs made available by the government. This issue became widely discussed amongst the pandemic, including in this Público article Célia Correia was interviewed for and in an open letter. Hugo Costa himself, was invited to take part in a solidarity fund to support his ‘road family’.

Whilst such measures are only palliative, hopefully we can learn from this situation and create protection for the future, so that people are not forced into changing careers. “One of the good things about this crisis is that there is more unity within the sector”, says Inês Maia. Célia herself states ”I am not giving up on this job, because it is something that I like”, even though she will likely need to find a job in the in-between. 

At Plano B, it was Raio Verde that directed this episode and João Pedro Marnoto the chosen photographer. Chef Camilo Jaña (Portarossa) was in charge of the food, served on a table set by Coração Alecrim with flower arrangements by Pé de Flor.

The second conversation takes centre stage at Coliseu do Porto Ageas. João Carvalho, from Ritmos, António Guimarães (“Becas”), from Passos Manuel are hosted by Mónica Guerreiro, from Coliseu Porto Ageas, to discuss the future of cultural programming and the cancellation of events in a fittingly empty room.

Talking about the process of cancelling Vodafone Paredes de Coura, João Carvalho can’t remember the last time he spent a Summer without a festival. Discussing the repercussions of the cancellations, António Guimarães and Mónica Guerreiro speak of their plans to reopen Passos Manuel and Coliseu Porto Ageas, respectively, considering the challenges of reprogramming cancelled acts when “one of the concerns of programmers in general, is to program upon the spirit of time. In what way we can reflect what we're living.” — Mónica Guerreiro

This time, it was Maria Dentada in charge of the food, Romã Eventos of the styling and Bosque Conceitos Florais of the flower arrangements. The episode was directed by Miguel C Tavares and photographed by Renato Cruz Santos, whose photographs have been used both in this page and the video.

The doors of Museu Nacional Soares dos Reis, under refurbishment since last Summer, opened for the 1st episode of And After Tomorrow?. During the conversation, José Costa Reis, wonders “When was the last time this room received a lunch?”. Probably two hundred years ago, back when Carrancas Palace (the late 18th century building now occupied by the museum) was not yet a museum, before 1833.

The first of these experiences brings together Capicua and Inês Nadais in a conversation hosted by José Costa Reis, part of the Museum’s team. Sharing a 3-plate meal cooked by the Chef Pedro Braga from Restaurante Mito, the participants discuss journalism in times of confinement and the future of the music industry who unable to do live concerts, often their main source of income, are rethinking ways of financial survival. Capicua worries that “The record lost its value and if concerts lose their value too there's nothing left for us to get paid artistically.”

In confinement it’s art people turn to. As Capicua points out “It's impossible to stay home for 2 or 3 months without music, movies, books, art. That's solitary confinement. And people realized that our work has value and it's a vital need, which is something people tend to forget.”. This becomes particularly important to note at a time when society has failed to protect its artists. As Inês Nadais points out “It's very clear that we have to change the law and develop a regime for intermittent and precarious workers.”.

For this first episode, it was up to the Canal180 team to capture the conversation. The styling was done by S.P.O.T. themselves, who have also co-produced this episode, and flower arrangements by Filipa Alves. Raio Verde were responsible for the photographic capture of the moment; their photographs that have been used both in this page and the video.