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Minas Gerais’ Quadrilátero Ferrífero, or Iron Quadrangle, is one of Brazil’s richest cultural, environmental and historical regions, home to two UNESCO World Heritage towns and Brazil’s largest iron ore reserves. The Quadrilátero Ferrífero region offers centuries of history through its architecture, monuments, archaeological sites, culinary, rituals, handicrafts, religious festivals and natural resources. Yet its local communities, natural environment and rich cultural heritage are at imminent risk from catastrophic natural and humanitarian disasters resulting from industrial mining. The closure of some of these sites, due to recent major dam failures, has caused not only contamination of the environment but also the loss of thousands of jobs, affecting directly or indirectly almost one million people.
Despite the unique cultural and national significance of the region, to date, there has been no systematic research to measure the impact of recent disasters on the area’s cultural heritage or on the lives of its local communities. By creating a comprehensive assessment of the heritage value and cultural references present in the Iron Quadrangle, our Roots of Resilience project addressed this need, looking to mitigate environmental risks and prevent further disasters. Beyond this, the project explored the resilience of local communities and focused on the creative potential of local artists and their traditional practices. Another key goal was to enhance the role of cultural heritage in political and educational agendas and influence decisions by policy-makers. Access the full project report here: https://peoplespalaceprojects.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/roots-of-resilience-report-english.pdf [peoplespalaceprojects.org.uk]
Speaker: Leandro Valiati, Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Creative and Cultural Industries, AHCP - Institute of Cultural Practices; Director, MA Creative and Cultural Industries, The University of Manchester.
Moderated by Doris Sommer, Ira Jewell Williams Professor of Romance Languages and Literatures; Director of Graduate Studies in Spanish.
Leandro Valiati's research portfolio is based on two macro themes: Critical economic impact of Culture (evidence-based for management and policies) and The Arts Economy (Social Vulnerability, Mental Health and wellbeing). Both focus on discussing economic development from the perspective of the creative industries' management and policies, emphasising wellbeing and mental health, critical studies in arts management and public policies; equality and social choice; youth, gender, race, and labour market. Over the last years, he has developed a series of evidence-based research projects related to the UK CCI sector, engaging relevant arts organisations and policy agencies in the UK, Brazil, France and Spain.
Presented in collaboration with Cultural Agents.