Marta: 'rolezinho' impacts cultural policy for young people.
According to the Minister of Culture, the large youth gathering being promoted by the ministry between February and March will be an opportunity to understand what young people want from the area, especially the poorest; "[We want to listen to the youth] who buy brand-name sneakers but don't go to the movies," said Marta Suplicy.
Camila Maciel
Reporter from Agência Brasil
São Paulo – The Minister of Culture, Marta Suplicy, said today (17) that the “rolezinhos” should impact the ministry’s youth policy. “In November, when we had the culture conference, we talked about having a big meeting between culture and youth. The ministry is already working on this. We are evaluating how to do it, because it was an idea and, now, with this “rolezinho” story, we have to adapt a little,” declared the minister after participating in the launch of the culture voucher card for Banco do Brasil employees, in the capital of São Paulo.
She informed that the meeting should take place between February and March of this year. The minister believes that this will be an opportunity to understand what young people want from the area of culture, especially the poorest. "[We want to listen to the youth] who buy brand-name sneakers but don't go to the movies. Or don't even know how cool it is to take a guided tour of a museum and understand a little about what happens in the arts," she said.
With a background in psychology, the minister considers the "rolezinhos" (mass gatherings of young people in shopping malls) a complex issue. "It has a lot to do with being a teenager. Being able to have things they never had, like a 3G cell phone, brand-name sneakers, a t-shirt of their soccer idol, and being able to show off in places they've never been. As a psychologist, I can understand this very well, but it has a broader meaning that we have to evaluate [in the ministry]," she stated.
She emphasized that she does not consider the current policy of public notices to be the most appropriate for this segment. "We have to think about something new. And we don't know what that new thing is. We will find out from them what they consider important," she said. According to the minister, the agency's proposal is to democratize access to cultural goods, and for that, it is necessary to reach young people. "Those who can only afford to buy brand-name sneakers need to be able to enjoy culture in another way. Finding a way to make that happen is what our action will be."