The 20205 Rede Nordestina workshop brought together partners from Brazil and the UK to share experiences of their initiatives at the intersection of art and social and political change. The workshop featured four prominent artists and teachers who work with Northeastern Brazilian artforms that they have learnt through a lifetime of study and experience.
Our time in Olinda gave us a chance to visit Mestra Di’s academy and continue the conversations of the previous project. It was great to be there in person, play capoeira with her group and the children, and contribute to the music. The academy is a small room down an alleyway in Olinda. There are…
A necessary challenge for all researchers is not only to find ways of researching that are not exploitative or extractive, but that support the people who collaborate in the research. In Olinda, Pernambuco, we engaged in a spoken and musical conversation with five artists: Leo Lima, Mestre Ulisses, Mestre Juarez, Negão do Coco and Mestre…
The Festas Juninas in the Northeast of Brazil are the June Festivals celebrating the days dedicated to Saint John (São João) and Saint Peter (São Pedro). Moving between Recife and Olinda in the state of Pernambuco gave insight into the centrality of music to cultural life. Music is what brings people together, it is how…
The aesthetic turn opened significant academic space; it focused, though, on erudite artists in the Global North – Europe and North America. In doing so it shone light on the politics of maybe 1% of the 1%, if we consider artists as 1% of the population. In expanding analysis, though, it did not rise to the challenge of engaging with 99% of the 99%.
On 26 June 2024, we explored the aesthetics of the majority world as part of the DSA Conference, held at SOAS University of London. An aesthetic lens brings into focus sets of perspectives, narratives and conceptual frameworks that are illegible to socio-economic methodologies. The panel presented research that amplifies performing artists and local medias in…
Capoeira with Mestra Di In the last post from this project, here are some photos of Mestra Di’s capoeira work with children in Olinda, Pernambuco, Brazil. This is how it all happens
Instrument-making with Luan Following from the last blogs, here are some photos of the workshops led by Mestra Di and Luan. The children are making capoeira instruments – pandeiros – using recycled materials
How is it possible to address the impacts of everyday racism and sexism on children? Mestra Di heads a children’s capoeira group, Luz di Angolinha in Olinda, Pernambuco. Pernambuco is in the Northeast of Brazil, one of the areas most affected by inequality, discrimination and violence, which disproportionately impact women and people of Afro-Brazilian or…
“Eu creio que todo mestre e toda mestra é educador, e tem que envolver as crianças, porque a parte delas é a transformação.”
“I believe that every mestre or mestra is an educator, and has to involve children, because that’s where the change takes place.”