Maria Marighella took office, this Thursday (2) night, as president of the National Arts Foundation (Funarte), in a ceremony at Sala Cecília Meireles, in downtown Rio de Janeiro. The event was called “The Arts Take Possession!”: a promise of changes not only in the institution’s managers, but also a reconstruction of the country’s cultural and artistic policies. The new president promised a more direct relationship between Funarte and the people, through measures that respect national diversity.
“Our collective task, which will be carried out by many hands, has a great challenge right from the start: to resume Funarte on the eve of its 50th anniversary, to restore, inside and out, respect for male and female servants, for arts workers and to the Brazilian people. Faced with the attacks of the last period, censorship and persecution, in addition to policies for the Brazilian arts, we will defend the process of memory, truth, justice and reparation. We will refound the country with the strength of Brazilian culture and arts”, said the first Northeastern woman to preside over the institution.
Maria Marighella is 47 years old, is from Bahia, an actress graduated from the Federal University of Bahia. She is the granddaughter of writer and guerrilla fighter Carlos Marighella, founder of Ação Libertadora Nacional, who was assassinated by the military dictatorship in 1969. She was theater coordinator at Funarte between 2015 and 2016. She accumulates experiences as theater coordinator at the Cultural Foundation of the State of Bahia (Funceb) and director of Cultural Spaces at the Secretary of Culture of the State of Bahia (Secult/BA). Currently, she is on leave of absence from the position of councilwoman in Salvador (PT-BA).
Rio de Janeiro (RJ), 02/03/2023 – New president of the National Arts Foundation (Funarte), Maria Marighella, collegiate team and authorities during an inauguration event, in the center of Rio de Janeiro. Photo Tomaz Silva/Agência Brasil – Tomaz Silva/Agência Brasil
In addition to the president, the new names of Funarte’s Collegiate Board of Directors were presented. The body is subordinate to the Ministry of Culture and has, among its main attributions, the development of public policies to promote different arts: visual, musical, corporal, theatrical and circus. The Minister of Culture, Margareth Menezes, participated in the event and said that, after the “dismantling process” of the portfolio in the previous government, the moment is to resume the importance of the ministry, which has Funarte as one of the fundamental parts.
“Culture is a tool for transformation, emancipation, qualification and it is also an economic vector. We need to make better use of our culture. From the outskirts, from digital culture, from popular cultures from all regions of Brazil”, highlighted the minister, and then complemented: “We understand that culture is a living thing. And she always reinvents herself. There is no way to kill culture”.
First Lady Janja Lula da Silva also attended the inauguration ceremony.
“You know the path we took last year, taking culture throughout the campaign. I am very happy to be here today. Congratulations, Mary. You will do a wonderful job at Funarte”, she said.
