Mapping New Geographies of Cultural Production in Brazil through Pontos de Cultura

Start date: 7 October 2024
End date: 6 October 2027
Funder: The British Academy
Primary investigator: Dr Victoria Adams

Value

£357,986.40

Description

In the early 2000s, Brazil pioneered efforts to democratise access to culture and encourage cultural production in geographically diverse and marginalised communities. The recognition of pre-existing cultural institutions and community centres throughout the country as Pontos de Cultura [Cultural Points] that were eligible to receive funding for activities and multimedia equipment was central to this endeavour.

This project will collaborate with Pontos de Cultura across Brazil to consider the programme’s impact twenty years after its introduction, as well as how it has evolved and endured under distinct political administrations. The first major academic study to offer qualitative analysis of the programme over such an extensive time span, this project will ask what the experiences of the Pontos de Cultura contribute to our understanding of the sustainability, possibilities and perils posed by government-led initiatives and digital media as communities seek support and visibility for their work.