Oé-Cusse, East Timor (October 18^th, 2021): A team of seven (7) artists from Arte Moris is currently in Oé-Cusse to execute a street art installation along the wall at Alfandega in the capital Pante Macassar. The artwork will showcase in a tangible way the long and colourful culture and history of Oé-Cusse, making it an important attraction for tourists and locals.

Prior to the artwork installation, a socialisation will be held on October 19^th with the community, the local authorities, and other stakeholders. The main purpose of this activity is to discuss the nature and type of artwork and landscaping that will be installed, and how the local community can monetise and benefit from Oé-Cusse’s newest tourist attraction. The monitoring and maintenance of the project after completion will also be on the agenda to ensure that the art painted remains of a high quality.

Following the socialisation, Arte Moris will conduct a three (3) day training programme from October 20-22 for ten (10) young aspiring artists from Oé-Cusse at the Alfandega Hall in Pante Macassar. The young persons will be trained to become volunteer painters to support the team from Arte Moris in implementing the street art installation, prepare them for managing its upkeep, and for painting future works of art in Oe-Cusse.

This training follows two recent activities that also helped to build capacity among the youth in Oé-Cusse. In August 2021, 90 of the 108 persons that were trained in hospitality and jewelry making by ETDA were youth, and in September 2021 all 13 persons that were trained in tour guiding were also from this demographic.

This project is part of the UNDP and SAR-ZEESM tourism project, designed to build capacity within the community, correct the skills and knowledge gap in tourism, and to improve the quality of hospitality services and attractions in Oé-Cusse. It is in keeping with the recommendations of the Regional Strategic Plan (2019-2023) for Oé-Cusse and the National Tourism Policy.

Overall, the project will also contribute to the achievement of Timor-Leste’s development strategy, positively impacting the achievement of several of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Established in 2003, Arte Moris is a not-for-profit Fine Art School, Cultural Centre and Art Community based in Dili, using the creative arts as a building block for psychological and social reconstruction. This project was the idea of Swiss artist Luca Gansser and cultural coordinator Gabriela Gansser and was born in the aftermath of the Indonesian military occupation and the extremely violent events leading to the country's independence restoration 2002. The Honorary Patron of Arte Moris is Dr. Jose Ramos Horta, winner of the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize. 

The Arte Moris team currently in Oé-Cusse is being led by Julianto Pereira (Iliwatu Danabere for the artist signature), one of the founding members and a Director, and an active artist at Arte Moris since 2003.