ADAO is a non-profit cultural association based in Barreiro, dedicated to the promotion of the arts, crafts and contemporary creation. Founded in 2015, it is housed in the emblematic former Volunteer Fire Station of the Sul e Sueste Railways, a building that served the city for 96 years and today stands as a leading creative centre, next to the Barreiro road-rail-river terminal.

Since its creation, ADAO has been establishing itself as a structuring hub for urban, cultural and social regeneration on the South Bank of the Tagus. Its operating model is based on the sharing of resources, cooperation between creators and openness to the community, welcoming more than a hundred artists and professionals from different fields every year.

ADAO’s mission focuses on creating conditions for artistic development, on valuing both traditional and contemporary skills, and on promoting access to culture. To this end, the association provides studios, workshops and workspaces to visual artists, craftspeople, architects, musicians, performers and other cultural agents, fostering a collaborative and multidisciplinary working environment.

Alongside this, ADAO develops a regular programme that includes training activities, residencies, public presentations, concerts, exhibitions and events such as Open Days, which promote encounter between creators and the public and strengthen ties with the local territory. The association also acts as a networking and exchange platform, establishing partnerships with cultural, educational and artistic organisations at both local and national level.

Independent and cooperative, ADAO presents itself as a space of welcome, experimentation and the crossing of paths, where different generations, artistic languages and practices coexist and develop. More than a physical location, ADAO is a point of departure and passage for ideas, projects and communities, contributing consistently to the strengthening of Barreiro’s cultural fabric and to the building of a more inclusive, participatory and sustainable cultural future.