On 16 of April, Campos Melo Secondary School came together to celebrate the opening of ESCOLA TEMPO, a new mural created as part of the Erasmus+ School ARt Gallery project.
The multiplier event had the honour to be opened by the School director Sandra Gamboa, also with the presence of the regional representative of Plano Nacional das Artes (National Plan for the Arts) António Pereira, and brought together students, teachers, the visual artist Tiago Hesp, the digital artist André Peixoto, the Mistaker Maker team and partners to celebrate not only the finished artwork, but also the creativity, collaboration and learning that made it possible. It was a special moment for the whole school community and an opportunity to recognise everyone who contributed to the project.
At the centre of the celebration was ESCOLA TEMPO, created by artist Tiago Hesp together with the school’s 12th-grade art students, with the support and involvement of their teachers. The mural was the result of several weeks of exploration and experimentation, during which students looked closely at their school, its history, objects, architecture and everyday life. Through drawing, collage and collaborative painting, they explored how a school can represent the passage of time—connecting its past and present while imagining its future. What began with observations and sketches in the classroom eventually became a large-scale artwork on the school wall.
In this opening day the real protagonists were the students and teachers. Their enthusiasm, ideas and commitment transformed the project from an artistic concept into something tangible that will remain part of the school.
ESCOLA TEMPO now has its place on the walls of Campos Melo Secondary School. A school can become a gallery, a canvas and a living part of its own history. The opening on 16 April was therefore more than the unveiling of a mural. It was a celebration of art, education, collaboration and community.