New technologies in support of creativity and innovation

In Portugal, the creative use of new technologies by young people is promoted through an integrated policy environment combining cultural, educational, youth and digital transformation policies. Rather than being addressed through a single culture‑specific strategy, digital creativity is embedded within broader approaches to innovation, skills development and cultural participation.

Within the education system, digital technologies are increasingly incorporated into creative practices, particularly through project‑based learning, artistic experimentation and interdisciplinary approaches. The National Arts Plan (Plano Nacional das Artes – PNA) explicitly encourages the use of digital tools in artistic creation, including audiovisual production, digital storytelling, multimedia experimentation and hybrid artistic forms that combine analogue and digital processes. These practices seek to enhance creative expression, critical digital literacy and aesthetic exploration, rather than focusing solely on technical proficiency.

Digital innovation is also supported indirectly through national digital strategies aimed at strengthening digital skills, access to infrastructure and technological competence. While these strategies are not culture‑specific, they create structural conditions that enable young people to engage with digital creative tools and environments. As a result, digital creativity develops at the intersection of cultural education and digital skills policies.

Beyond formal education, young people increasingly use digital platforms as spaces for creative experimentation and dissemination. Social media, collaborative platforms and online production tools enable young people to create, share and adapt cultural content, blurring traditional boundaries between creators and audiences. These informal and self‑directed practices play a significant role in shaping contemporary forms of youth creativity and innovation.

Overall, new technologies operate as enablers of creative processes, supporting innovation both within institutional settings and through informal, youth‑driven practices. Public policy in this area focuses primarily on providing access, skills and frameworks, rather than prescribing specific forms of digital creative expression.

Facilitating access to culture through new technologies

New technologies play an increasingly important role in facilitating young people’s access to culture in Portugal, particularly by reducing geographical, physical and informational barriers. Digital access complements onsite cultural participation and broadens the reach of cultural institutions and programmes.

Cultural institutions such as museums, libraries and archives provide digital access to collections, educational resources and cultural content through online platforms. Virtual exhibitions, digitised collections and online educational materials allow young people to engage with cultural heritage and artistic production regardless of physical proximity. These tools are particularly relevant for young people living in territories with limited cultural infrastructure.

Libraries and archives coordinated by national authorities play a key role in this area by offering digital catalogues, online reading platforms and access to documentary heritage. Digital library services support literacy, research skills and cultural participation among young people, while also enabling preparatory and follow‑up activities linked to onsite cultural experiences.

Digital mediation also enhances access to culture within education. Schools use digital resources to contextualise cultural activities, prepare visits to cultural institutions and extend learning beyond physical encounters. In this sense, digital technologies function as a bridge between formal education and cultural participation.

While digital access expands opportunities, it does not fully replace physical participation and remains dependent on levels of digital literacy and infrastructure. As a result, facilitating access to culture through new technologies is increasingly addressed in conjunction with efforts to promote digital inclusion and skills development.