Cultural heritage initiatives launched in São Luís and Paraty

Cultural preservation efforts are underway in Brazil through new community-focused initiatives in São Luís and Paraty.

In São Luís, the Tecendo Redes Culturais organization, in partnership with IESTI, is hosting the ‘IESTI: Território Vivo’ meeting in the Desterro neighborhood of the Historic Center. The program, which includes the ‘Patrimônio em Rede’ and ‘Guardiões da Memória’ projects, aims to value local knowledge and oral histories. The event features discussions on memory and heritage involving students, educators, and cultural masters, alongside an educational walk through the neighborhood to connect physical spaces with community identity.

In Paraty, Rio de Janeiro, a pilot project titled ‘Patrimônios Vivos’ has commenced to implement a digital version of the National Inventory of Cultural References (INRC). This collaboration between Iphan, Fiocruz, OTSS, and the Forum of Traditional Communities seeks to identify the cultural expressions of 15 traditional communities within the Paraty Mirim region, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Starting in September, the inventory will document the material and immaterial heritage of various Quilombo, indigenous, and caiçara communities using a new, more accessible online system designed for direct use by the cultural practitioners themselves.