Five projects will receive R$100,000 to strengthen the preservation of the region's cultural knowledge and practices; the ceremony will take place on September 13 in Pelourinho, Salvador (BA)

The Neoenergia Institute, in partnership with the Ministry of Culture and the São Paulo Institute of Art and Culture (ISPAC), is holding the Conectar Cultural Awards Ceremony on Saturday, September 13, an initiative that seeks to strengthen the preservation of cultural knowledge, practices and identities in the Recôncavo region of Bahia. The event will take place from 4pm, at Largo Tereza Batista, in Pelourinho (Salvador), and will mark the announcement of the five projects selected in an unprecedented public call, each of which will receive R$100,000.

More than just an award, Conectar Cultural is a movement to value Brazilian cultural diversity, combining financial recognition with technical support for the initiatives that have been selected. The action reinforces the Neoenergia Institute's commitment to expanding the reach and social impact of its programs.

"We remain committed to promoting actions that increasingly boost the social development of the communities involved. Conectar Cultural shows how cultural manifestations are fundamental to transforming knowledge into a living and lasting heritage, building a legacy for future generations that reflects the vitality and plurality of knowledge in the Recôncavo region of Bahia," says Renata Chagas, CEO of the Neoenergia Institute.

In addition to Chagas, the ceremony will be attended by Thiago Freire Guth, CEO of Neoenergia Coelba; and representatives of partner institutions, who will present the awards to the winning projects. Among them are Adriana Cerqueira (IPAC), Danilo Barata (UFRB), Cristiane Taquari (Secult-Bahia), José Beto Severino (UFBA) and Nelma Aronia Santos (UNEB). The event will also feature a performance by the Recôncavo Choir, celebrating the identities of Afro-descendants in a choral singing performance.

Thiago Guth highlights the importance of Bahia's Recôncavo for the state's culture. "Neoenergia Coelba is proud to support an initiative that recognizes the cultural richness of Bahia's Recôncavo. Conectar Cultural shows that investing in culture is investing in social development, because it promotes inclusion and creates opportunities for communities.Being part of this movement is a reaffirmation of our commitment to walk together with Bahia, valuing its history and boosting its future," said the CEO of Neoenergia Coelba.

In addition to the cash prize, the selected projects will have their initiatives monitored during their implementation and their knowledge and know-how recorded in a physical and digital, trilingual publication, destined to become an academic reference. The multimedia catalog will include QR codes that lead to videos and other complementary content, expanding the presentation of each initiative. The publication reinforces the importance of the culture of the Recôncavo Baiano, and the winning projects will be monitored for six months, strengthening each proposal from the inside out.

Listening and mobilization - TheConectar Cultural award is the result of a real journey of mobilization throughout the Recôncavo. Between May and June, two-day meetings were held in six cities - Cachoeira, Santo Antônio de Jesus, Cruz das Almas, Saubara, Maragogipe and São Francisco do Conde - bringing together around 250 participants. The aim was to increase the number of cultural groups taking part and to help them meet the requirements of the call for proposals.

More than technical guidance on project preparation, the meetings were marked by welcoming, active listening and accessible language, ensuring an inclusive and transparent process. In this way, Conectar Cultural has consolidated itself in the Recôncavo as a collective movement of visibility, guidance and appreciation, offering culture makers not only a space to exchange knowledge, but also the opportunity to recognize their belonging to the region's cultural history and reaffirm their transformative value.

"As Gabriel García Márquez said, 'culture is the profound exercise of identity'. More than an ornament, it is an essential part of a people's dignity, reflected in their art, language and traditions.Conectar Cultural is born out of this generous vision and is an action that values and strengthens cultural production on various fronts," says Marcia Gliosci, ISPAC's executive director.

The result of a partnership between the Ministry of Culture, the Neoenergia Institute and the São Paulo Institute of Art and Culture (ISPAC), sponsored by Neoenergia via the Federal Law on Cultural Incentives, Conectar Cultural has established itself as an innovative model for valuing Brazilian intangible cultures. The initiative has the support of the Bahia State Department of Culture - SECULT, through FUNCEB, IPAC and CCPI, the IPHAN Superintendence in Bahia, UFBA, UFRB, UNEB, the Hansen Bahia Foundation and the Recôncavo Popular Institute.