Special | Management in focus – Incentive to Culture

Gabriel Abreu – Cenarium Magazine

BOA VISTA (RR) – The cultural sector received major investments during the administration of former mayor Teresa Surita (MDB). Among the marks of her administration are the delivery of the Municipal Theater of Boa Vista, the investments in traditional festivals and in the International 9th of July Race. Culture was included among the priorities of her administration.

The city’s traditional festivals received special attention. Every year in Boa Vista there is the largest “Arraial da Amazônia”, Carnaval, and the “Christmas of Peace” spectacle. These festivals boost the city’s economy, filling the hotel sector, benefiting the transport, service providers, seamstresses, peddlers, and traders in general.

Municipal Theater

A milestone for Boa Vista’s culture was the delivery of the Municipal Theater of Boa Vista, in 2017, with a 620-square-meter stage, following international specifications for scenic spaces, such as carpet flooring, wood-paneled walls, and ceiling with acoustic plates, in addition to side fire exits. The delivery of the theater marked a new moment in the artistic scene of Roraima, which now has a large space for the presentation of musical performances, theater, dance and other cultural movements.

The building also has a 166-seat “theater school”, which supports the performing arts and music courses developed in four classrooms. The space has the most modern solar energy system in the country, which generates 90% of the energy that powers the theater.

The theater is an imposing, modern building, located on Avenida Glaycon de Paiva, in the São Vicente neighborhood. The space has a performance hall with 1,100 seats and space for exhibitions, ready to receive musicals, theater, dance, and other cultural movements. It is compared to large theaters in cities such as Berlin, Paris, and London, recognized worldwide as cultural centers.

The theater also has a modern architectural style and high-tech stage equipment, such as light, sound, and image machines, as well as a stage with a pit for symphony orchestra. In addition, the theater’s brand was inspired by graphics of the Yanomami people, who occupy the largest indigenous land in Brazil, mostly located in the state of Roraima. There are four graphics that represent the four senses of human beings: sight, hearing, touch, and taste.

Christmas of Peace

Another important event held in Boa Vista is the Christmas of Peace, which was born during the administration of former mayor Teresa Surita, with the proposal of bringing families together for a special moment, where the Christmas message would infect all hearts, besides always filling everyone with hope for the New Year that will come next.

“We started this work back then and it has been growing every year, becoming a true tradition. It’s a magical moment, when we bring families together to transmit this message of hope and renewal that the Christmas spirit represents”, said the former mayor.

The Christmas of Peace takes place every year in the Pintolândia neighborhood, one of the farthest from the center, which brings together at least 15,000 people to watch the spectacle with the participation of hundreds of members of the municipality’s social projects.

More than entertainment, Natal da Paz also represents job and income generation for several cultural professionals involved directly and indirectly in the spectacle, including from the stage setters to make-up artists and choreographers.

More than 400 people participate in the creation and idealization process of this great spectacle. In addition, many merchants take advantage of the date to earn extra income.

9 de Julho International Race

There is also the 9 de Julho International Race. The activity is part of the municipal calendar of events to celebrate Boa Vista’s 132nd birthday this year. The competition is considered the biggest in Roraima and the only one in the North Region officially recognized by the Brazilian Athletics Confederation (CBAt), integrating the Caixa/CBAt National Calendar of Street Running.

Culture in the pandemic

Besides fostering the culture sector with events, the former mayor Teresa Surita has encouraged projects that benefit the occupation of public spaces with shows by local artists in the squares. These artists participate in Culture edictals and receive fees for cultural performances.

During the pandemic, when businesses had to be closed and events could not take place, the City of Boa Vista guaranteed the income of about 5,000 cultural professionals, with the payment of fees for online shows. It also held, in a virtual way, the Boa Vista Junina, guaranteeing income to those who survive the events.