The project Salvem les Fotos will receive increased funding from the Ministry of Culture

The initiative is seeking more volunteers to continue restoring thousands of family photographs

October 23, 2025 – The Minister of Culture, Ernest Urtasun, visited the Museu Comarcal de l’Horta Sud to learn first-hand about the Salvem les Fotos project, which will receive new funding from the Ministry, to be channelled through the Fundació Horta Sud, in order to strengthen its development, hire specialised staff, and speed up the recovery work.

This investment, amounting to one million euros, is part of a broader package of grants —adding to the previous four million euros— aimed at strengthening the film, book, cultural heritage, performing arts, music, and visual arts sectors.

Within this framework, other organisations such as the Acadèmia Valenciana de l’Audiovisual, the Fundació pel Llibre i la Lectura (FULL), the Federació Valenciana de la Indústria Musical (FEVIM), the Associació Valenciana de Professionals de la Cultura (AVPC), and the Associació de Professionals de la Il·lustració Valenciana (APIV) will also receive support.

The minister highlighted the importance of this type of project, stressing that “this is not only about funding: it is about memory, community, and cultural rights; about returning families’ memories and supporting the projects that give life to towns.”

Urtasun added that “rebuilding culture means rebuilding community,” and recalled that the Ministry “has stood by the sector from day one so that no museum, venue, bookstore, or project was left behind.”

With this new investment, the Ministry of Culture reaffirms its commitment to rebuilding the Valencian cultural fabric and preserving collective memory through projects such as Salvem les Fotos, which not only rescue images but also stories, connections, and the shared identity of a territory.

During his visit, Minister Urtasun was accompanied by the Government Delegate, Pilar Bernabé; the President of the Fundació Horta Sud, Imma López; the President of the Mancomunitat, José Cabanes; the Mayor of Torrent, Amparo Folgado; the Manager of the Fundació General de la Universitat de València, Cristóbal Suria; and the photographic restorer, Alejandra Nieto.

Volunteering

The Museu Comarcal is calling on citizens to join this recovery effort. Those interested can write to museu@museuhortasud.com to participate as volunteers. Collaboration hours are Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and on Tuesdays and Thursdays until 6:00 p.m., with a minimum commitment of two hours per week.