Mission, Vision & Values
Mission
ASSOCIAÇÃO F/SOS – Fotografia, Solidariedade e Obras Sociais is a non-profit cultural association dedicated to the promotion, development and support of activities in the fields of photography, art, culture, education and social solidarity.
Our mission is to use photography and visual culture as cultural, educational and social tools that foster inclusion, participation, empathy and environmental awareness. Through the creation, production and dissemination of photographic, artistic and cultural projects, we aim to expand access to culture and encourage meaningful engagement with contemporary social and environmental challenges.
We develop exhibitions, publications, festivals, educational programmes and community-based initiatives, working in collaboration with artists, educators, public institutions, private organisations and community partners at local, national and international levels.
Vision
F/SOS envisions a society in which photography is understood as a shared cultural practice and a public good, capable of connecting people, territories and diverse perspectives.
We aspire to be a reference for the socially engaged use of photography, where artistic creation, education and community involvement intersect to strengthen cultural participation, social cohesion and environmental responsibility. We believe in a cultural landscape that is open, accessible and attentive to the voices and experiences that shape our collective future.
Values
The work of ASSOCIAÇÃO F/SOS is guided by a set of core values that inform all its projects and partnerships:
Inclusion
Ensuring access to cultural participation for diverse communities, with particular attention to underrepresented and vulnerable groups.
Collaboration
Building partnerships with artists, institutions, educators and social organisations, recognising collective work as essential to cultural and social impact.
Education and Knowledge Sharing
Promoting learning, critical thinking and the transmission of knowledge through photography, visual arts and cultural practices.
Responsibility and Care
Acting with social, cultural and environmental responsibility, aware of the ethical impact of images and artistic practices.
Commitment to Photography
Defending photography as a living, critical and transformative language, capable of documenting reality, questioning norms and imagining alternative futures.
Institutional Commitment to Sustainability
The work of ASSOCIAÇÃO F/SOS – Fotografia, Solidariedade e Obras Sociais is grounded in social, cultural and environmental responsibility. Alongside its artistic and community-based mission, the association engages formally with public frameworks that promote sustainable development and collective responsibility.
F/SOS is an official signatory of the Pact for the Circular Economy in the Centro Region, coordinated by the CCDR Centro. This commitment reflects the association’s alignment with regional public policy and its responsibility to develop concrete actions that contribute to a more circular, sustainable and socially engaged cultural ecosystem.
Between 2026 and 2027, this commitment is expressed through projects developed in the context of the F/262 – Festival Internacional de Fotografia, where sustainability, education and community involvement are integrated into cultural practice.
How We Understand Our Work
Photography
For F/SOS, photography is a shared language. A way to observe, question, remember and imagine. It is both an artistic practice and a tool for dialogue between people, places and experiences.
Access & Inclusion
We work to make cultural participation more open and approachable. This means thinking about who is invited, how projects are communicated, and how people can take part, regardless of background, age, ability or experience with art.
Community
We believe culture grows through collaboration. Our projects are developed with artists, educators, institutions and communities, valuing listening, care and long-term relationships over one-off actions.
Responsibility
Images carry meaning and impact. We approach photography with social, cultural and environmental responsibility, aware of its power to shape perception and influence collective memory.
Participation
Participation can take many forms, creating, learning, visiting, sharing or simply being present. All are valid. Photography allows multiple ways of engaging with culture, at different rhythms and depths.
English (UK)