Partnership contemplates initiatives worth up to R$ 200,000 in small municipalities in four states and the administrative regions of the Federal District

The Ministry of Culture (MinC) and Neoenergia are launching the Rouanet in the Interior program on Thursday (26) in Salvador. With the aim of democratizing cultural funding in regions historically less covered by the Rouanet Law, the pioneering initiative will invest R$ 6 million in cultural projects carried out in small municipalities in the states of Bahia, Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Norte and São Paulo and in outlying administrative regions of the Federal District. The launch event was held at the headquarters of the Neoenergia Coelba distributor in Salvador.

The program contemplates at least 30 cultural projects with a maximum value of R$200,000 each and seeks to strengthen artistic and cultural production outside the major urban centers and make cultural actions and initiatives viable in small towns.

For the Minister of Culture, Margareth Menezes, Neoenergia's work, through the Neoenergia Institute, shows the relevance of private social investment for socio-economic development in various Brazilian regions, especially those outside the major urban centers.

Rouanet no Interior represents another firm step in the strategy adopted since the beginning of the administration to nationalize the Rouanet Law's investments and make them reach places that have historically not been covered. Brazilian culture pulses strongly in the countryside, in small towns, in traditional communities and on the outskirts, and strengthening these territories means expanding opportunities, generating work and income and making access to cultural funding increasingly broad and democratic.The partnership with Neoenergia reinforces how private social investment can go hand in hand with public policy to transform realities and value local identities in all regions of the country."

Neoenergia's CEO, Eduardo Capelastegui, says that promoting culture in cities in the countryside reinforces the company's commitment to expanding social inclusion, especially in locations where Neoenergia is present. "This partnership values local identities and creates opportunities for communities that need them most. We believe that decentralizing investments strengthens Brazilian diversity, universalizing access to culture."

Applications will be accepted exclusively through the Cultural Incentive Law Support System (Salic), starting this Thursday (26). For more information, visit the public notice page.

"With Rouanet no Interior, we aim to reach further and further into Brazil with the cultural incentive mechanism, as well as giving cultural agents their first access to the resources of the cultural incentive law," says Henilton Menezes, MinC's Secretary for Promotion and Incentives to Culture.

Focus on regionality and cultural diversity

In addition to focusing on cultural events in small towns, the Rouanet no Interior program prioritizes projects that present affirmative action and accessibility. The regulations establish scoring criteria for teams made up mostly of women, black people, indigenous people, traditional peoples, people with disabilities and LGBTQIA+ audiences. Proposals must also cover the areas of Performing Arts, Music, Visual Arts, Humanities and Heritage.

The cities covered by the call for proposals are:

• Bahia: Abaíra, Andaraí (Vila de Igatu), Barra da Estiva, Iramaia, Iraquara, Ibicoara, Jussiape, Lençóis, Mucugê, Palmeiras and Rio de Contas;
• Pernambuco: Afogados da Ingazeira, Serra Talhada, Santa Cruz da Baixa Verde, São José do Egito, São José do Belmonte and Triunfo;
• São Paulo: Cananéia, Iguape, Ilha Comprida, Pariquera-Açu and Registro;
• Rio Grande do Norte: Acari, Caicó, Carnaúba dos Dantas, Cerro Corá, Currais Novos, Jardim do Seridó, Lagoa Nova, Parelhas and Serra Negra do Norte;
• Federal District: Ceilândia, Planaltina and Brazlândia.

The program will also encourage the participation of newcomers. Cultural agents who submit their first project to the incentive mechanism receive extra points and are exempt from having to prove that they have previously worked in the cultural field. In addition, the notice encourages specific manifestations of minority groups, such as manifestations of Afro-Brazilian culture, urban culture, traditional culture, childhood culture and DEF culture, with a focus on the preservation of knowledge and the role of people with disabilities.