CASA DAS CALDEIRAS A JOURNEY THROUGH HISTORY A UNIQUE SPACE FOR ARTISTIC AND CULTURAL DYNAMICS A 1920’s industrial building designed to generate energy for the Matarazzo Industrial Complex, landmark of industrialization in Brazil, Casa das Caldeiras today symbolically rescues its original function as a generator of power for arts, culture and society. It provides new perspectives for cultural development by promoting the fusion of artistic, social and cultural initiatives. Casa das Caldeiras Cultural Association [ACCC] develops its projects through partnerships, cooperation and networking with national public and private institutions, and international agencies. The building of Casa das Caldeiras represents an important part of the collective memory of the city of São Paulo. Together with the Casa do Eletricista, Casa das Caldeiras is the last remnant of the once vast industrial complex of the Matarazzo Industries in the neighborhood of Agua Branca. Designed to be the steam power plant of the complex, the now protected monument and its tree masonry chimneys stand tall since the birth of the industrial development of the city. C ASA DAS C ALDEIRAS C ULTURAL A SSOCIATION CULTURE Casa das Caldeiras has been working with in-site cultural actions for more than eight years. This work began with a passionate call from artists and audiences for the fully restored space. Between the years of 2002 and 2006, several artistic projects experimentations in the space and for the space were developed, involving performance, drama, visual arts, music and circus. Workshops and cultural discussions were some of the activities promoted, carrying out the historical and unusual context offered by the building. At the beginning of 2006, Karina Saccomanno Ferreira, Casa das Caldeiras’ owner and director, together with Joel Borges, director of the French Association IXKIZIT, developed ACCC’s cultural project with the aim of setting up a Cultural, Artistic, Intellectual and Social Project for the space. ACCC is grounded on Heritage Promotion and Cultural Development. In order to carry out the idea, a triennial work plan began in 2008 with a dynamic project of an artistic and cultural action, opened to the contemporary research in the field of arts and society. The project itself had potential to inspire transformations regarding Cultural Inclusion and Artistic Production in Brazil. ACCC is today an unique partner for elaborating and sheltering Cooperation Projects (artistic exchanges and cultural development), associated with national and international cultural and social structures, artists, researchers and civil society. ART - TERRITORY – HERITAGE ART, TERRITORY and HERITAGE form the trinomial that fully translates ACCC’s aims as a shelter for the artists‘ development and for readings, actions and interventions at the space considering the contemporary issues of our society. The Cultural Project is guided by the articulation of programs and activities, of which residents are interlocutors in charge of cultural exchange, in-site artistic production, and interventions on territory in dialogue with heritage. In every single activity we aim at generating reflection of the cultural and social context, where the public can exercise its citizenship and become the actor of the space process. These programs deal with specific approaches, but together they result in an unified and engaged Cultural Project, taking Cultural Inclusion forward as a priority, being committed to raise awareness of the population about heritage spaces. THE CULTURAL PROJECT In January 2008, ACCC started its artistic and cultural occupation plan to carry out its programs focusing on the cultural and social diversity, complementarity and potential of contamination among activities. 3 ONGOING ARTWORK PROGRAM: Artistic residence program, Ar- TODODOMINGO [EVERYSUNDAY] ACTIVITIES: one special day on tistic Production and Cultural Exchange Project. the week to communicate and promote the Artistic Production and RESPECT PROGRAM: Social Action, Cultural Inclusion and Cultural Exchange Project. FORMATION RESIDENCY: a research space of the learning process and experienced knowledge of nowadays teenagers and young peo- the Social Actions, and to create knowledge on heritage value through guided visits. VCU.BR [Brazilian Unity of Video Community]: a multimidia Videolab training program for 10 young low-income participants. ple through workshops and activities with public school students. 4 The Artistic Residency Program offers logistic and administrative ONGOING ARTWORK PROGRAM The Ongoing Artwork Program values the artist's process in the course of its development and regarding the work-in-process at the site, which is a result from the project exploration of the territory, holding support, project structuring follow-up, and space in a context of knowledge, methods and impressions exchange among the residents. In addition, the program supports new research and experiments from the artist’s creative and intellectual development process. a challenge dialectics between Art and Heritage that the Casa das The diffusion of the in-residence artistic projects are promoted during Caldeiras uniquely provides. the TODODOMINGO meetings and at the TEMPO FORTE exhibition, where the artists can participate presenting and sharing their work-in-progress, their research and reflections to the public. Later on, the artists will present the final result of their work to the public according to their plan. The artists have, in the context of their residency, the opportunity to develop open workshops and lectures for the public, sharing and exploring their researches in a multicultural context. SELECTION PROCESS Every January ACCC launches an open call for proposals, and selects the projects based on a combination of relevance, contemporary art context, match with the themes and territory, and potential for dialogue with other submitted or approved projects. The target of ACCC is to promote experimentation, giving opportunities to established artists developing new creations as well as young developing artists with high potential. ACCC is opened as well to consider other artistic residence proposals during the year from artists, civil entities and private or public institutions according to its agenda. 5 TODODOMINGO [since 2008]. The activities of TODODOMINGO [EVERYSUNDAY] PROGRAM consist of communicating the Ongoing Art Work Program and the Respect Program to the public, which is an active actor for the pro- grams’ development. TODODOMINGO also relies on a permanent exhibition of pictures, videos and objects translating the Casa das financial support 2013: Caldeiras’ historical and cultural importance during the guided visits through the building. The program foments the conception, curating, planning and production of exhibitions, shows, workshops, lectures and seminars cycles, as well as research and artistic-cultural documentation. At TODODOMINGO Casa das Caldeiras presents other projects and embraces the diversity of the city production. 6 ACCC - A private non-profit cultural organization phone / Fax: ++ 55 (11) 3873-6696 e-mail: [email protected] blog: www.casadascaldeiras.com.br/blog website: www.casadascaldeiras.com.br address: Avenida Francisco Matarazzo 2000 CEP 05001200, Água Branca, São Paulo – SP – Brazil CASA DAS CALDEIRAS CULTURAL ASSOCIATION TEAM PROJECTS Project Director: Joel Borges ACCC President: Karina Saccomanno Ferreira CASA DAS CALDEIRAS TEAM Executive Director: Karina Saccomanno Ferreira Administration Manager: Kátia Lima Administrative Assistant: Junior Silva Production Assistant: Mariano Câmara General Services Team: Davi / Laudicéia / Ricardo / Marquinhos 7