A city transformed: Reimagining Portimão’s cultural landscape, P.O.I.S! is a driving force for urban renewal and artistic expression
– April 30, 2025 | Text Beatriz Maio | Photos Jonty France
With a vision of reimagining Portimão’s cultural landscape, P.O.I.S! – Palco das Ondas Invisíveis (Invisible Waves Stage) – has emerged as a driving force for urban renewal and artistic expression.
More than just an association, it’s a collective effort to revitalise the city through creative projects and cultural events, inviting both locals and visitors alike to take an active role in shaping their surroundings.
“We must stop, look at Portimão and how it works, and think about what the ideal city would be like. First, we dream and then we draw up a plan to make it a reality, because it really is possible. And it can’t just be us, there has to be a joint effort,” highlighted one of the association’s founders, Camille Bobeau.
A native of Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, France, Camille studied at the Marseille National School of Architecture, where she became increasingly aware of “the impact of architects on public spaces and their relationship with people”.
Her move to the Algarve in 2020 was initially a personal decision to join her partner, Yorkshire-native Jonty France, who had already spent a decade in Portimão.
Together, they opened Le French Cookie, a small shop on Rua Direita, an experience that quickly revealed to Camille the “lack of people frequenting the town centre and participating in the local economy”.
Determined to contribute beyond the walls of her own business, she secured an internship at Maria Mendes Atelier in Alvor, gaining first-hand experience navigating Portuguese bureaucracy and eventually securing a permanent role there.
She started taking classes with Carolina Fontinha, originally from Albufeira, and their conversations often turned to the cultural gaps in Portimão and the ways they might be addressed.
The desire to do more led them to create the Turfu Team, which is focused on the development of various projects, such as a mural on Avenida Guanaré, and partnerships with local artists and art studios.
Camille envisioned a more colourful and livelier city. One of her early ideas was to paint the Accessible Route – a pedestrian pathway designed for people with reduced mobility – along Rua Direita.
Lacking the time to create the designs herself, she reached out to her friend Charlotte Mohns, a French artist known as Cairos.
Their proposal was presented to the municipality, and with the support of local traders and European funding, the first transformation was set in motion.
By the summer of 2023, P.O.I.S! Studio had formally taken shape. Camille and Charlotte were soon joined by their respective partners: Jonty, with a background in business and music, and French architect Gaspard Kyria.
Encouraged by the municipality’s positive reception to their work, they developed a large-scale initiative and created a competition to recruit 10 artists from across Portugal to contribute to an urban art project.
Spanning 1.3 kilometres from Zona Ribeirinha to Largo da Mó, Cidade a Cores (City in Colour) introduced 12 striking works of street art by different artists between June and August (10 by the recruited artists and two by Camille and Charlotte).
“Even though they’re all very different and some are nothing alike, overall, it all flows very well,” Camille reflects.
A month later, the association launched the InDireita Street Fest, a multidisciplinary cultural event that took over Rua Direita. Music, crafts, gastronomy, workshops, and even sporting activities transformed the street into a vibrant hub of creativity. For the founding team, it was a milestone moment, marking the culmination of months of planning and collaboration.
Musician Guilherme Mateus joined the core group, taking on a central role in organising the event. “We’ve combined everyone’s skills very well,” Camille says, explaining that she managed administration, urban planning, and logistics with the local authorities, whilst Jonty oversaw music and technical production. Guilherme, a trained sommelier, curated the food and drinks experience.
Following the event’s initial success, the second edition took place in December, with a third in March. Now, preparations are underway for the next instalment, set for September 22.
With each iteration, the organisers aim to refine and expand the programme, keeping it dynamic and immersive. “We’re always open to partnerships with local organisations. We believe it’s important to have this dynamic with the community,” says Camille.
Looking ahead, P.O.I.S! Studio hopes to strengthen ties between local authorities, residents, and cultural groups, fostering a collaborative approach to urban development.
The team is already considering a range of new initiatives, from a music event at Portimão’s bandstand to a guided tour of the city’s key urban landmarks.
Some ideas remain in their early stages, but the overarching mission remains clear: to “make waves” in the cultural landscape and empower others – whether established creatives or emerging talents – to do the same.
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