Mission

Narrativa aims to share and value photography as a form of expression and communication.

History

In 2018, after 10 years of professionally photographing for Lusa - Portuguese News Agency and having received international recognition for his documentary projects, the founder of Narrativa, Mário Cruz, decided to create an annual project that brings together different authors to develop projects together with which they can alert, reflect and communicate through photography.

After three editions that culminated in projects which received more than 10 national and international distinctions, Mário Cruz decided to take another step towards valuing Portuguese photography by creating a physical space that provides free access to his personal work and library with the ambition for it to become a meeting point for photography in Lisbon.

With this step, the founder wants to encourage the use of photography as a form of expression and communication, to younger generations and to those interested in documentary photography, regardless of the area in which they are professionally dedicated.

Narrativa became a non-profit association in January 2023.

Alex Paganelli, André Dias Nobre, Filipa Leite Rosa, Francisco Romão Pereira, José Fernandes, Maria Beatriz de Vilhena, Mário Cruz, Matilde Fieschi, Patrícia de Melo Moreira, Rodrigo Vargas and Sebastião Almeida are the founding members of the cultural association.

NARRATIVA

Narrativa promotes training courses dedicated to different areas of photographic intervention with a special focus on documentary and authorial photography.

Narrativa offers free access to its library.

Narrativa develops specific educational programs for children and young people.

Narrativa organizes exhibitions, conferences and debates with recognized and emerging authors.

Narrativa intends to create bridges between institutions with the common objective of sharing and valuing photography.

Awards

Ricardo Lopes - 2020 Estação Imagem Grant and 2019 LensCulture Portrait Awards for the project Interior

Gonçalo Fonseca - 2020 Leica Oskar Barnak Newcomer Award and Estação Imagem Award in the Everyday Life category for the project Nova Lisboa

Sebastião Almeida - 2020 Estação Imagem Award in the Contemporary Issues category for the project 809384 - Nationality N/A

Rodrigo Antunes - 2020 Estação Imagem Award in the Sports category for the project Olympic Blindness

Francisco Romão Pereira - 2021 Estação Imagem Award in the Everyday Life category for the project Mother

José Fernandes - 2021 Estação Imagem Award in the Contemporary Issues category for the project Deaf Blindness

Pedro Gomes Almeida - 2021 Estação Imagem Award in the Portrait Series category for the project Entre as Margens do Ser

Tiago Fonseca - 2021 Estação Imagem Award in the Daily Life category for the project Buraco

João Silva - 2022 FNAC New Talent Award for the project Do Teu Ombro Eu Vejo O Mundo

Alex Paganelli - Honorable Mention at the 2022 FNAC New Talent Award and 2022 Estação Imagem Award in the Portrait Series category for the project Where the City Ends

Rui Costa - 2023 FNAC New Talent Award for the project Uma Azeitona Bordada em Azul

Elisa Freitas - 2024 Photography and Territory Award for the project Do Mar

Maria Abranches - 2025 World Press Photo, 2024 Cortona On The Move Award, 2024 Lens Culture Emerging Talents Award, and an honorable mention at the 2024 FNAC New Talent Award for the project MARIA

Publications

Despojos de Guerra - Leonel de Castro

Jamaika - José Sarmento Matos

Living Among What’s Left Behind - Mário Cruz

Maria - Maria Abranches

OMNIS - NARRATIVA

Póvoa e Meadas - Filipa Leite Rosa

ROOF - Mário Cruz

Uma Azeitona Bordada em Azul - Rui Costa

50 Anos 50 Retratos - NARRATIVA

More about these publications here.