• Galician and Portuguese schools submitted a selection of images chosen by families to the contest, with the aim of promoting intangible heritage in the classroom.
• As in previous years, there is also a podcast category, with the participation of several pieces produced by students.
• After analysis by the jury, the winning proposals will be announced next fall.
• This week, Ponte…nas Ondas! also receives the 16th Rosalía de Castro Language Award, awarded by the Provincial Council of A Coruña.
Nearly 500 old photographs and several dozen podcasts were received and accepted into the contest after deadline at the end of June for the 8th edition of the “Images of Heritage” Contest, promoted by Ponte… nas Ondas!
Schools from Barcelos, Porto, Monção, and Póvoa de Varzim (Portugal), as well as Ponteceso, Ferrol, Negreira, Ordes, Foz, Mos, Santiago de Compostela, Vigo, and Noia (Galicia), among many other locations, submitted class projects on intangible heritage.
The proposal is simple: recover old photos saved by families, digitize them, and write a text related to the image. A family-friendly old photography contest that allows young people to learn about many aspects of cultural heritage documented in these family images.
Giving Voice to Images
The images in family albums contain expressions and experiences that are sometimes unknown to students. It is essential for young people to understand their recent past and know how to interpret it. In this process, family involvement is essential to help students understand the cultural contexts of the images.
Since the fourth edition, students have also been able to produce podcasts about the images. This is an additional form of participation, in which they can interview family members, neighbors, etc., about the photographs and their context.
Examples of award-winning images (previous edition):
• A traveling still through the lands of Amandi
• The first soda factory in the Laza municipality at the beginning of the 19th century
• A grape harvest image
• A great-great-grandfather fisherman in the lands of Barbanza
• A doll dress contest in the 1950s
•……
A journey filled with recognition
In 2025, Ponte… nas Ondas! celebrates three decades of disseminating, preserving, and promoting the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of Galicia and Portugal through radio programs, educational and community activities and projects.
In 2022, UNESCO recognized Ponte… nas Ondas! as a “Model of Good Practices for the Safeguarding of ICH,” in a joint application by Portugal and Spain—the first entry on this list for both countries.
Other awards and distinctions:
• 2023 Galician Culture Award (Language)
• aRi[t]mar Special Jury Prize – Galician-Lusophone Friendship Embassy (2022)
• Municipal Medal of Merit (Valença City Council, 2022)
• Meendinho Award (2021)
• Lois Peña Novo Award (2017)
• Ondas Award (2014)
• Galician Language Writers Association Award (2005)
• Galicia Communication Award (2005)
The gala for the 16th Rosalía de Castro Award from the A Coruña Provincial Council will be held on July 18th 2025. Ponte…nas Ondas! will be recognized in the entities category for its pioneering educational and cultural initiative, promoting the use of the Galician language since 1995 in real, creative, and intergenerational contexts.
