PODCAST: PORTUGAL MANUAL
LISBON DESIGN WEEK 2026 SPECIAL SEASON
De La Espada has been a major supporter of Lisbon Design Week since its first edition, and for 2026 we are the official sponsor of the special Lisbon Design Week season of the Portugal Manual podcast.
Throughout design week, Portugal Manual recorded a series of 10 episodes that bring visibility to the practices, processes, and people shaping the landscape of design and craftsmanship in Portugal today.
More than a one-off collaboration, our partnership stems from a shared way of thinking about design, production, and the networks that sustain them.
Listen to the first episodes of the special season below, or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes will be released weekly throughout the summer.
Please note: These episodes are conducted in Portuguese unless otherwise indicated.
EPISODE ONE
In the first episode of this special season, Portugal Manual founder Filipa Belo speaks with co-founder of De La Espada, Luis De Oliveira. They discuss creativity and risk, the need to continue experimenting even when a project is already established, and the role of design in valuing materials, crafts, and human labour.
They also address the relationship between craftsmanship and contemporary production, the challenges of accessibility, the importance of events like Lisbon Design Week, and collective responsibility in building a more sustainable creative ecosystem.
A conversation about vision, collaboration, and the future of Portuguese design.
EPISODE TWO
In the second episode, Guto Requena, Le Brimet, and Filipe Ventura speak with Filipa Belo about technology, AI, computational design, and the new territories of contemporary creation.
EPISODE THREE
In episode three, Filipa Belo is in conversation with Sam Baron, Joana Teixeira, Sebastian Filgueiras, and Tiago Ferreira discussing identity, heritage, creative direction, and building brand narratives.
EPISIDE FOUR
In the fourth episode, Filipa speaks with Izabela Depczyk, founder of Her Clique, about the democratisation of access to art, the role of cultural communities, the importance of representation, and creating bridges between artists, collectors, and new audiences.
This episode is conducted in English.
LEARN MORE ABOUT PORTUGAL MANUAL
In addition to their podcast, Portugal Manual supports Portuguese artisans through over 120 projects, from facilitating creative collaboration and business opportunities, to amplifying messaging, to encouraging public engagement with artisanal craft skills.
Learn more about their inspiring work in our Journal, where Portugal Manual founder Filipa Belo shares insights on what the organisation has achieved so far, and what is coming up next.
Top image by Pedro Sadio; Filipa portrait courtesy of Portugal Manual
