Andy tours Brazil

Prof Andy Pratt and Prof Geoff Crossick (head of Crafts Council, ex head of AHRC, and ex VC of University of London, and ex VC Goldsmiths) were invited to a 3 venue lecture tour of Brazil, in association with the British Council, and with NECULT/UFRGS university in Porto Alegre; Geoff and Andy met the VC of UFRGS (Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul) (see picture). As well as meeting with the team at NECULT and its Director Leandro Valiati, both gave a lecture; they also gave lectures in Rio de Janeiro, and In Sao Paulo. (in the last week of July)

As well as lectures and universities, they also visited a particularly interesting ‘creative cluster’ in Floresta (Porto Alegre- see picture). In Rio they were guests of the Mare favela, and the observatory and university of the favelas (see picture). This was a fantastic ‘once in a lifetime’ visit to a favela, as guests of the people, and the self-organised cultural institutions. On the other side of town, they were able to see more conventional urban regeneration of the port area. The major event that Geoff and Andy spoke at in Sao Paulo was took place at the contemporary art museum (see picture). Andy and Geoff were interviewed by the media.

Geoff spoke of his recent work elaborated in a report for AHRC on ‘cultural value’; Andy discussed the challenges and opportunities of measuring and documenting the creative economy (both commercial, and informal, and non-commercial, and state aided).