‘Reconstruction’: artists from Amazon talk about good expectations with the re-creation of the Ministry of Culture

Marcela Leiros – From Cenarium Magazine

MANAUS – The promise of President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) of recreation of the Ministry of Culture, extinct by Bolsonaro Government and transformed into Special Secretariat, has generated great expectation to professionals involved in the sector. Despite not yet having confirmed the name of who will command the portfolio, artists and representatives of the class expect the new government to “rebuild” the category.

The cultural sector was the most impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. A survey by the Ministry of Economy, released in 2020, showed that the artistic, creative and entertainment activities were the occupations that most felt the economic effects caused by the coronavirus. Added to this is the weakening of public policies aimed at culture and even vetoes by the current president to projects that stimulate the sector’s economy.

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The president of the Municipal Council for Cultural Policy (Concultura), poet Tenório Telles, says that the re-creation of the Ministry and a minister who is prepared and sensitive to cultural agendas will result in good fruits for society. For him, the cultural process is complex and dynamic and demands attention and responsibility in the formulation and implementation of policies and projects.

“My expectation is that this process will result in the professionalization of those who work with culture in our country, through the promotion of entrepreneurship and independent initiatives, reducing, in the future, the dependence on the public sector. The consolidation of the creative industry will be a great advance in terms of work and income opportunities for artists in our country”, declares Tenório.

Telles also adds that with the political instability and the pandemic, which has damaged all economic segments, what is expected is that the new government will be able to create a national project that highlights the cultural segment. “I think that reality demands a new moment, in which the cultural process is treated in a technical way, without exclusivism and, mainly, valuing the cultural diversity of the country and its creators”, he adds.

Positive expectations

The professor of dance at the Amazonas State University (UEA) and former member of the National Commission of Incentive to Culture (Cnic), Getúlio Lima, says that the scenario of the last four years was “extremely chaotic” with the inferiorization of the folder, which even generated significant tax collection. He says he has only positive expectations with the possible recreation of the organ.

“I have many expectations, all positive. I believe that we will have much more possibility of growth and action, because public policies that were already working will be resumed and others will be reviewed. The return of the Ministry of Culture will re-establish the field of the arts”, he declares.

Lima makes a comparison between governments and also adds that it will take effort to rebuild what he calls the “damage” done in the management of Jair Bolsonaro (PL). “In the previous governments we had positive advances in the field of culture, with the effective participation of civil society. I am hopeful that we will resume these advances again. We will need to work hard”, he affirms.

Cultural transition

After being elected with 50.83% of the valid votes, Lula started to structure his transition team. The Culture area is formed by the former minister of Culture, Juca Ferreira; the national secretary of Culture of PT, Márcio Tavares; singer Margareth Menezes; musician and poet Antônio Marinho; and PSOL federal lawmaker from Minas Gerais, Áurea Carolina.

In Manaus, the cultural producer, illustrator and designer Sarah Farias says she perceives, in the artistic class, a “climate” of resumption and reconstruction, and not of new conquests, for now. “The hope is that we will have a government working for culture in Brazil to get back to where it was ten years ago”, she says.

She worked, until 2016, exclusively, in the organisation of shows and exhibitions, but was forced to look for another source of income. “The last four years have only deepened the scenario that had been going on since 2016. [Michel] Temer tried to dismantle the Ministry, but gave in to pressure from the class. Bolsonaro did not respond to artists in the same way and proceeded with the dismantling of the ministry as soon as he took office. Public incentive to culture decreased absurdly”, she explains.

A look at the Amazon

The musician from Para, Nilson Chaves, with a career spanning over 50 years, reminds us that the Amazon is already a region that is normally “invisibilized” and hopes that the next government “will manage it well”. “I’m not one to have expectations, but I hope that he [Lula] does a good job, a good management. I think that in the previous one, for a change, the North, the Amazon, was very much forgotten and in almost all presidential governments it was always very much forgotten”, he says.

Chaves also highlights that culture is an area constantly affected by economic crises and the Covid-19 pandemic was just one of the factors that contributed to the weakening of the sector.

“One cannot judge everything and place all the responsibility for the cultural difficulties on the current president. Of course he has parts [of guilt], he is not a person linked to culture, he is not interested in culture, but unfortunately I see this in all managements. Culture is always like that, there is a crisis, take the money from culture”, he concludes.