The transition of ‘Sons de Mudança’ [Sounds of Change] to Teatro Avenidas “allowed us to expand and welcome other young people from the area and even from outside it,” explains Abel Arez, the project’s artistic director. “What we aim to do is give them opportunities to create their own art, their own music, their own shows, and from there, take part in cultural life.”

And there has been no shortage of opportunities. For Isaías Costa, the excitement of taking part in the project comes from “creating new songs.” Folly Sallah highlights his progress in writing lyrics, while Joana Jordão, who began with percussion and singing, is now “more dedicated to the piano.”

More than just a rehearsal space, the project has become a place of encounter and creative release. “Abel helps us, gives us ideas and pushes our creativity,” says Apollo Pimentel. “It’s been really good for me – sometimes it’s a way I use to relieve stress.”

For Abel Arez, the change compared with the early sessions, when “it was hard to get anything out of them,” is striking: “Our biggest difficulty now is not making them create, it’s making them stop creating, because they are always full of ideas.” He adds: “I feel they are all much more mature, with greater ability to think, and with huge creative capacity.”

That growth is also reflected in how the young people relate to others and in their self-confidence. “I was already quite sociable, but now I feel it’s multiplied. For example, I wouldn’t have been able to do this a year ago: nowadays, I’m in an interview, speaking calmly and everything,” shares Folly.

Between improvised beats, shared songs and live performances, ‘Sons de Mudança’ has also become sounds of transformation — individual, collective and community-based. “I’m certain that this experience will always make them people with greater ability to connect with culture and, above all, greater confidence in themselves to take part in cultural life”, concludes the artistic director.