Once upon a time there was a woman called Adriana Jurczyk Duarte, who, as Hans Christian Andersen once did, came to Portugal; but, unlike the Danish writer, she came not just for a few months, but to stay and live in this southern country. When she visited Sintra she felt how Andersen had felt being in this magical place two centuries before her; that ‘every foreigner finds in Sintra a piece of his homeland.’
Many years have passed since her arrival in Portugal and that time has brought experience, knowledge, new languages and people, maturity, nostalgia and much more. Most importantly, all these years, emotions and experiences led her to create a new project in Portugal – Moonluza, Unipessoal Lda. And so her new journey began …
Moonluza’s name is inspired by Monte da Lua, Mountain of the Moon; enchanting Sintra and its forests and mountains. The second part ‘Luza’ refers to Lusitania and ‘z’ connects it to Adriana’s Polish roots. Like the name itself the company connects people, cultures, traditions. Each project designed by Moonluza starts with a thematic seed which, like wine, goes through a maturation process to become a fruitful and inspired whole. The range of projects is as big as the imagination can go and still more….
INTERVIEW WITH ADRIANA JURCZYK DUARTE
What is Moonluza? What it means to you, to us?
“As soon as I think of Moonluza, I remember the inspiring people I met, the healing stories which were shared and the smell of nature during our walks with the amazing views of beautiful Sintra. I feel this all as a vibrant and positive memory, as a treasure, deep inside me together with a warm wish to return and absorb more magical Moonluza moments.” Marlien, Portugal/the Netherlands
“Moonluza is a place where you can let go and rediscover forgotten sides of yourself. It is magical, inspiring, full of engaging people and ideas. With the stunning backdrop of Sintra Moonluza feels like a fairy tale brought to life.” Emma, France
‘Moonluza means for me to be part of the magic that happen when You meet and all our stories come to life.. Moonluza for me is to be part of a big international storytelling family.’ Mia-Maria, Sweden
“É um retiro, uma experiência imersiva de trabalho e de férias ao mesmo tempo, em que aprendo e ganho conhecimentos, mas também em que descanso, relaxo, entro em contacto com partes de mim profundas e bonitas ou com tensão que precisa de ser libertada, além de me sentir livre, espontânea e conectada com os outros participantes de vários países e culturas, podendo todos expressarmo-nos em plenitude. Tudo embrenhada na magia aleatória e misteriosa de Sintra, um dos meus locais preferidos!” Catarina, Portugal
“Moonluza introduces a new opportunity for connection with a community of Story lovers and practitioners in a “Fairytale environment.” The events we experienced as a group also led to a personal Hero’s Journey and put into perspective our identity in relation to time and space. Thank you for the cultural exchange and the enriching experience with Story!” Paulo Brazil/Finland
“Meeting colleagues and friends worldwide, receiving, giving and sharing knowledge and insights. Finding magic movements in the everyday life.“ Pia, Norway
‘In Moonluza’s events I have found that magical balance that is all too often absent from more formal conferences: soulful intelligence, active listening and generous sharing in a space of participation and reciprocity.’ Daniela, Portugal/Japan
‘Moonluza is a source of inspiration and magic for me which really connected me with my own inner essence.’ Imke, the Netherlands
‘I do not know or remember how Moonluza drifted into the electrical workings of my computer. It is an absolute mystery to me. But I do know that I registered for the workshop – Storytelling in Therapy – quite spontaneously and without any second thought, as if it was meant to be. And it was. In Sintra I found another family. One that shared my love of knowledge, exploration, and discovery. A group of people that were authentic, kind, and open. And holding this all together like a mother hen, was Adriana, the genius and spirit behind this all. Adriana is Moonluza – a deep unbridled passion of things that are meaningful, magical, and magnificent.’ Lisa, Canada
“Moonluza offers a magical opportunity to dive deep into the land of stories and walk in the shoes of the characters with like-minded people in a beautiful fairy tale setting” Jennifer, Spain/Scotland
‘Um espaço (um portal fantástico) de co-criação onde a liberdade & o respeito são parte integrante da crescente consciência de interconectividade entre os participantes e a Natureza circundante.’ Mónica, Portugal
“Moonluza means food for my soul” Linde, the Netherlands