Brazil’s Ministry of Culture has launched a new initiative for Brazilians to take courses in a range of culture and arts subjects. Brazil Culture Connection for Exchange (a rough translation for Conexão Cultura Brasil Intercâmbios) will provide grants for some 400 people to pursue courses and training in Brazil and abroad.
Applications were opened July 31 and are valid for study in the period between November 2014 and March 2015.
Subjects include music, performing arts, circus arts, visual arts, film, animation, games, mobile software and application programming, literature, TV, radio, publishing, fashion, design, architecture, advertising, gastronomy, cultural management, entertainment, cultural production, film production, audio and video operation, screenplay, sound design, costume design, staging, lighting, lutherie, graphic and visual editing, restoration, crafts, popular culture and heritage, museums and memory, and cultural tourism.
The program also offers an opportunity to work in events and productions in Brazil and abroad.
The initiative is an unprecedented partnership between the Ministries of Culture, Education and Foreign Relations. Applicants must be pre-approved by one of the eligible institutions, which include the Instituto Europeo di Design, the Federculture, the University of Bologna, the British Council, the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Barbican Centre, the SouthBank Centre, The Globe Theatre, the BBC Scottish Symphony, the Science Museum, and the Edinburgh Festival.
Once accepted, applications will then be subject to approval by an expert commission. According to Culture Minister Marta Suplicy, participants will take part in local arts productions upon they return to share what they have learned.
Literary Festival
Urbanism, communities, and Russian poetry and prose are some of the themes of FLIP, the International Literary Festival of Paraty, Rio de Janeiro. The literature exhibit began July 30 and is in its twelfth edition.
This year it pays tribute to the Brazilian author-cartoonist, Millôr Fernandes, known by Brazilians simply as Millôr.
The main program will feature nearly 50 authors from 15 countries. For the first time, Russia will be represented in the event as Vladimir Sorokin debates Russian literature with US essayist Elif Batuman.
In the opening debate on Wednesday, Art critic Agnaldo Farias extolled the relevance of the work of author Millôr Fernandes for Brazilian art. He mentioned erudition and irony as some of the elements in Millôr’s graphic work, which he said was influenced by such renowned artists as Miró and Picasso from Spain, Paul Klee from Switzerland, and others. The critic rated some of the cartoons shown in his lecture as “pure visual poetry.”
On the sidelines, there will be debates on illustration, literature and society, public policies for reading, as well as book launches, theater readings, and film screenings. More than 200 activities have taken place until, Sunday, August 3. Organizers were expecting about 25,000 people to attend.
