LAC – Laboratório de Actividades Criativas is a non-profit cultural association formed in 1995 and based in the Old Prison in Lagos. Its main objective is to stimulate and promote artistic creation in the Algarve. Its activity is based on three areas: Creation, through the hosting of long and short-term artistic residencies with a special focus on Visual Arts and Performing Arts (music); Program, where it promotes and hosts exhibitions, concerts, conferences, shows, etc. and Audience development, where, through the Educational Service, it develops a series of workshops in the most varied artistic disciplines, aimed at the community in general and the school community in particular.
It also promotes the circulation of works, both by artists in residency and from its collection throughout Portugal, and develops projects of an international nature, such as the street art project ARTURb; ROOTS, which addresses pressing contemporary issues such as human trafficking, classic and contemporary slavery, as well as gender and environmental issues.
LAC is part of RPAC – Rede Portuguesa de Arte Contemporânea (Portuguese Contemporary Art Network) and is funded by the Ministry of Culture/DGArtes, the Municipality of Lagos and CRESC Algarve 2020.