Belém hosts the 'Voices of the Oceans House' during COP 30
The action conceived and promoted by the Schürmann family, at the Casa das Onze Janelas, will be open from November 6 to 22, with free admission
Starting on November 6 of this year, the Cultural Space Casa das Onze Janelas (Cojan), in Belém, will host the Voices of the Oceans House, a project led by the Schürmann family, recognized as the first in Brazil to sail around the world on a sailboat. With institutional support from the Government of Pará, the initiative is part of the official program of the 30th United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP 30), promoting art, science, and environmental education free of charge to the public.
The announcement of the project in the capital of Pará took place this Tuesday (24), at a press conference held at Praça da Fonte, the outdoor area of Cojan. “We are uniting a cultural and artistic facility, which is our Casa das Onze Janelas, with participation in the construction of the experience that visitors will have from Amazonian artists. We will take advantage of this moment when the whole world will be focused on the Amazon during COP 30, so that art and culture can make this call to the world, so that we can create a new, more sustainable model, with more balance and social justice,” highlighted the State Secretary of Culture, Ursula Vidal.
The head of Secult also emphasized that “the Voices of the Oceans House will also be a space for science, technology, and innovation. It will be a very stimulating experience for our children, youth, and adults. Belém will be culturally vibrant during COP 30.”
Art, technology, and environmental education - Divided into eight spaces, the Casa das Onze Janelas will host local and national talents focused on art, ancestry, science, education, technology, and regenerative entrepreneurship, seeking to reconnect civil society with the ocean, through the "dive" into artistic installations and sensory activities. One of them is the exhibition “Voice of the Oceans,” an immersive experience in 700 square meters (m²), which is having its second edition after captivating the audience in São Paulo (SP) in 2024.
The "Voices of the Oceans" is 100% Brazilian, with a global impact, and carries messages of unity for the defense and recovery of the oceans. In addition to the Government of Pará, the project is supported by the United Nations (UN), the Federal Government, and the organization of COP 30.
Alert - Captain Vilfredo Schürmann, the initiator of the initiative, issued a warning about pollution in the oceans. “The first time we passed through Pará was in 2022. We spent two months sailing through the State, and we were welcomed with open arms. But during this period, we identified concerning situations, such as the presence of microplastics. We realized, then, the importance of an institution like the UN and the Voices of the Oceans Project being present to conduct studies and alert the population. We are ambassadors of UN Environment, and large institutions like Greenpeace will be with us,” said Vilfredo.
“We are composing this experience collectively, bringing the oceans to COP 30. The Casa das Onze Janelas was a gift. We are excited to be here because this museum already has a large local community, and we want to enhance this by bringing this inspiring perspective to the forefront, a perspective towards the solution,” stated the director of the Voices of the Oceans Institute, Fabíola Carlotto.
The Voices of the Ocean House will have an extensive program, divided between high-impact experiences and social awareness actions. In addition to the main exhibition, the public will be able to visit two sailboats anchored at the pier, which are part of the expedition, and participate in cinema sessions, multimedia studio, lectures, book launches, and other actions linked to the initiative for COP 30.
The proposal also directs its efforts and media strength towards other multidisciplinary ocean preservation projects. The House will operate from November 6 to 22, with free admission.
