The culture voucher may indeed be the "soul food". Why not? For the first time workers will have money for cultural consumption.
The newspaper A Folha published an editorial ("Vale-populism", 10/1) that was critical of the culture voucher(VC). The editorial calls it "populism" and personal promotion and election-directed bill that has sought approval since 2009. With the regulation of the VC, companies can give 50 reals to employees who primarily receive up to five minimum wages (3,390 reals ) to spend on culture.
Brazil has in recent years, first with Lula and now with Dilma, been taking giant steps to end the misery. I need not to mention the numbers of those that today have entered the middle class. The Bolsa Família, trounced by the opposition today is a proven tool for poverty eradication
The culture voucher may indeed be the "soul food". Why not? For the first time employees have the money to spend on cultural consumption: be that books, movies, DVDs, theater, museums, shows, magazines ...
I remember when we did the CEU’s (Unified Educational Center) research (2004) for the first time on the eastern part of the country, 100% of respondents had never entered a theater and 86% had never been in a cinema. When Denise Stoklos made her mime show, the audience was restless until they managed to understand the language and you could do not hear a fly in the theater, they were all fascinated.
Fostering theater, knowledge acquisition and cultural baggage! No wonder that Fernanda Montenegro was amazed with the audience of CEUs. These people, finally will be able to enjoy and choose more than they can today. And those who do not have CEU have television and we know what is offered to a given audience. We also know what neighborhoods are like.
There is a whole crowd of Brazilians (17 million) who now earns up to five minimum wages (3,390 reals) that can potentially besides eating, feed the spirit. This is a bill that touches both ends: the citizen who will consume and cultural producer who will have more audience for his/her offer.
When we reach this potential, $ 7 billion reals will be injected into the culture. Our forecast is to reach $ 500 million this year.
In 2008, the Ibope conducted research on indicators of culture in Brazil and showed that the vast majority of the population is left out of consumption of cultural products: 87% not attending cinemas, 92% have never been to a museum, 90% of the country's municipalities do not have a cinema and 78% have never attended a dance performance.
According to Folha, we are supporting blockbusters and self-help books. An elitist view. Everyone has the right to consume what pleases them. Do not forget when visiting a telecentre, I was outraged that the majority of young people in the chats were talking about a reality show. I was warned by the manager: "This is an instrument that they are learning to use. Then he can fly to other interests. Or not. "
It is worth remembering that hunger for access to culture is huge, which was evident in the kilometric queues to see then impressionist exhibitions presented free by the Bank of Brazil.
What a Folha is also underestimating is the enormous leverage that the VC may represent to the economy. The supply chain of culture is the biggest investment of short-term profitability. For a play, you include the artists, the carpenter, designer, wardrobe, technical staff....
As regards the investment in training and support to activities of smaller commercial success, as quoted a priority for a Folha priority, the Culture Points of the Ministry, deal exactly with this concern, as well as the Arts and Sport CEUs that we have 124 in construction in the country at the moment.
"We want food, entertainment and art." (Titãs)
MARTA SUPLICY, 67, is Minister of Culture. She was mayor of São Paulo (2001-2004), Minister of Tourism (2007-2008) and senator (2011-2012).
http://www.funarte.gov.br/funarte/a-gente-nao-quer-so-comida/