As part of the effort to take advantage of the World Soccer Cup this year in Germany, Brazil’s Minister of Culture, Gilberto Gil, has just officially launched the Brazilian Culture Cup (Copa da Cultura), which will intensify cultural and commercial ties between Brazil and Germany throughout the whole year of 2006.
Germany is expected to receive a total of 600,000 tourists for the Cup and Brazil will be present to show that there is more than samba and soccer going on in its part of South America.
The Culture Cup in Germany follows the success of the 2005 Brazil Year in France which reached a total of 15 million people and presented 436 events.
Over 200 events, in 30 different German cities, are scheduled as part of the Brazilian Culture Cup. There will be lots of music, cinema, theater and dance, along with expositions of art and photography.
On the eve of the first game of the World Soccer Cup, there will be a Peace Show in Munich with part of the revenue going to UNICEF programs in Brazil. The Culture Cup has a budget of US$ 10.8 million, which will be paid for 50-50 by Brazil and Germany.
According to minister Gilberto Gil, the most interesting thing in Brazil is its varied culture and the idea of the Culture Cup is to make people aware of that.
In the period between May 25 and July 9 the German public will be exposed to a panorama of contemporary Brazilian culture, with an emphasis on quality and diversity.
Agência Brasil
