An impossible space

These six years of Largo in Peniche have been among the most meaningful things to happen in our lives. It was everything we imagined — and more.

We wanted it to be a space to make ideas happen. And it was.
We wanted it to be a place to share with everyone. And it was.
A laboratory for collaboration.
An open door to experimentation.
A welcoming space for those just starting out.
A meeting point between different lives.
A shelter for those in need.
An inspiration for learning.
A useful tool for those trying to make things happen.
A safe haven for those who feel different.
A place where we don’t feel alone.
An alternative to the status quo.
A resistance to common sense.
A kind of sanctuary for collective care.
An island of sanity.

And it was.

We wanted it to be a home for us.
And it is.

We also wanted it to be not just ours, but slowly becoming everyone’s.
This space that is also:
Coworking. Makerspace. Library of things.
Event venue. Tinkering lab. Social observatory.
Place of imagination. Botanical garden. Living room for neighbours.
Kitchen for community events. Family zone. Play area.
Information hub. Meeting place for the city.

From here, we expanded to the street, the neighbourhood, the city.

• We founded Peniche’s first coworking space — and one of the most respected in the country.
• We organised the celebrated TEDxPeniche.
• We created The Window Next Door to give new life to abandoned spaces in the city.
• We recovered computers for children at home during the pandemic through the Recycle for Learning.
• We made a book to strengthen the community spirit and share local history and culture: Peniche - Treasure Island.
• We won the funding programme Bairros Saudáveis (Healthy Neighbourhoods).
• We invited neighbours to transform their streets with the RUA+ proposal.
• We launched the Library of Things and the Makerspace, where you can learn to repair and borrow almost anything.
• We revived the neighbourhood party with the Dia da Abóbora (Pumpkin Day).
• We held festivals, assemblies, presentations, workshops, classes, concerts, residencies, and exhibitions.
• We had late-night cinema and community dinners in the street.
• We planted a garden where there was once only rubble. We brought flowerbeds, shrubs, and trees to the sidewalks.
• We opened streets where there used to be walls.
• We built a Street Kitchen and new spaces to gather.
• We restored a public building and changed the face of the neighbourhood.

Hundreds (or thousands? We’ve lost count) of you took part in these and so many other “impossible” ideas that Largo helped make just a little more possible.

In our capacity for creativity and resourcefulness, we wanted this space to be free to become whatever people needed — regardless of political or economic pressures. We never meant for it to be a business or a service. It was a conscious choice: to reject private property and instead cultivate a collective sense of belonging.

We believed we could sustain this idea financially through our own work — work we saw as useful enough to not have to worry about the possibility of having to shut down.

We know it’s a privilege to do what we do. But in the world we live in, even when work is essential to collective wellbeing, it’s not recognised or supported by an economy based on transactions and extraction.

Since we began, we’ve been through a pandemic and two wars. We now face the legacy of structural inequalities, unchecked technological acceleration, climate change, and the economic and political instability that follows.
We know this is not an easy time to try doing things differently — it’s more needed than ever, but also more demanding and exhausting.

Determined to make this our life’s work, we’ve focused on sharing what we’ve learned and developing the practices that Largo is part of. As a team, we’ve been working to create the conditions for financial stability — enough to cover what a space like Largo requires.

The last two years have been a transition period. We’ve been documenting our journey, organising our work, and improving our communication — all to better show our value and secure the support we need to keep going.

As many of you know, we are a large family — but there are still few of us who can contribute financially. It’s long been unsustainable to hold down other jobs or freelance work just to support this work, which is what we truly want and need to do.

At the same time, expenses keep rising. We’ve often had to rely on support from family and friends just to pay basic bills. Even so, there were times we had to choose what we could afford to pay. Some debts have piled up, and now we face a considerable deficit.

Thankfully, our landladies have been generous, understanding allies. But we’re reaching a breaking point for both sides.

We owe more than a year in rent. And if we can’t catch up soon, we’ll have to let go of our space in Peniche.

We’ve counted on your support before. During the pandemic, thanks to your contributions and reduced rent, we managed to keep Largo open.
Today, we’re asking for your support once more.

More than a contribution, it’s a gesture of belonging.
It’s recognising that this space is also yours.

Thank you!