Arts & Social Transformation Inc.
Arts & Social Transformation is, in essence, a platform for young artists to develop their art through an intense immersion into creativity.
Inherent to every creature is the inner power to create!
Once a year, the A&ST program selects four to six youth from not-for-profit organizations working in the areas of arts in their communities, and with low-income and disfranchised youth and families. The selected youth have the privilege to attend a three-week intensive arts course in Los Angeles — part of the CalArts program called CAP (Community Arts Partnership) and its annual CAP Summer Intensive. During three weeks, the young artists, divided into their areas of arts, work with the professors to discover, solidify, understand and develop their talents.
Since 2009 we have taken twelve youth selected from NGOs, and seven young artists from The British School who participate in the program as English assistants to the young artists from the NGOs.
The young artists
Arts & Social Transformation is about the youth from areas of risk in the slums of Rio, and from less privileged backgrounds in other areas of Rio. The main reason for the program is to see them changing their perspective in life, as well as gaining new techniques to develop their arts.
Being part of Arts & Social Transformation has been important for them, for their families, and for their non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
The founders
Wainer & Magui Guimarães, with their sons Daniel Lucas & Peter Mark, are the founders of Arts & Social Transformation. They were the liaisons between CalArts, Grupo Mosaico — the NGO they founded in Rio to create, develop and cooperate with social transformation projects — and the various institutions and people that through the years joined them to make the program a reality.
"Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much more." — Helen Keller's wonderful words define why Arts & Social Transformation succeeded and is a platform for social transformation.
None of us is as good as all of us together — Arts & Social Transformation began because key people said yes at the very start.
President of CalArts for 29 years — the college founded by Disney. In 2006 he said yes to our vision, opening the door for young people from Rio’s areas of risk to experience CalArts’ annual CAP program. Our son Daniel Lucas, a CalArts student since 2004, was the bridge to that meeting.
Director of The British School in Rio de Janeiro for 25 years. He willingly offered the school’s support — and its students as chaperones and translators, since most of the young artists from areas of risk spoke no English.
More than thirty people in the United States gave financially to found this program — the first circle of many.
“I experienced Arts and Social Transformation while working in Portugal in 1983 and 1984 with university students. My passion for theater and music helped me to build the platform where we gathered the young people into a healthy process of developing their talents. We created plays, and wrote music that inspired us, and spoke to the people about the challenges, tragedies, and opportunities in life. Art was our ‘glue’.
Twenty-four years later, as we came to Brazil to do social work inspired by our Christian faith and mission, we came with a renewed inspiration towards arts because of the way we had seen how CalArts (California Institute of the Arts) had used arts as a tool for social change in the lives of thousands of high school young artists.
As Christians we firmly believe that to do good, and contribute to the well-being of our community, is an integral part of who we ought to be — and so we could not be more thankful to God that our son Daniel studied at CalArts, and there we met the CalArts president. President Lavine opened wide the door for us to create this bridge of Arts & Social Transformation with Brazil.
My dream is that one day programs like this will multiply all over Brazil, and new Portinaris, Jobims and Villa-Loboses will be found — and their lives, their families, their communities will be impacted, as it is already happening.
Finally, Magui and I must pay tribute to two people who joined us early in the process, in 2009: Paul Wiseman, director of The British School in Rio, and Anna Whyte, from Innova Group, who became with us the platform for the establishment, development and continuation of Arts & Social Transformation since 2009. Paul, in 2014, after leaving The British School in 2011, welcomed our Show on the Road team, composed of the top young artists who participated in Creating Arts Together in 2014. Anna Whyte was an integral part of Arts & Social Transformation from 2009 through 2018 as THE master fundraiser, as well as chaperone on four of the trips to CalArts for the CalArts CAP program.”
From the original Arts & Social Transformation site — how the program works, in its own words.
Each young artist has a follow-up from us together with their NGO. They also volunteer at their NGO, to “pay it forward” what they learned during their time in the US.
Everyone who benefits from the young artist being selected participates in the fundraising. Arts & Social Transformation does not have funds — every year, everyone works on raising them. To date, all the finances to pay for the program were raised in Brazil.
Absolutely positive interactions. We are surprised by how A&ST is also a place where different economic groups come together, understanding each other’s challenges and opportunities.
Indication from trusted people, then a meeting with the leaders, and a recognition by us that the NGO is doing a work of excellence.
From among the young artists the NGO presents to us, based on their talent.
We want the cross-cultural exchange.
To go from Brazil to the world.
An important and simple way is to volunteer by getting in touch with us — see the contact page. A) Fundraise for the program. B) Bilingual translators.
Art is where creativity reveals to the world that we are not machines made in series; a work of art, by definition, may not be made in pre-formatted templates.
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Our business arm
Plataforma Mosaico is our commercial partner empowering artists through fair wages, profit-sharing, and sustainable financial independence.
Whether you give, partner, create or instigate — there is a place for you in this movement. Real transformation begins when we build it together.
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