Possession of the superior council of cinema. Ministry of Culture
Possession of the superior council of cinema. Photo: Filipe Araújo / MinC

The Aldir Blanc National Policy for Promoting Culture (PNAB) was officially launched last Wednesday, 27th, at the National Museum of the Republic, in Brasília, by the Minister of Culture, Margareth Menezes, the largest investment of resources destined for the area of ​​culture in the country's history up to that point. Following the publication of decree 11.740/2023, signed by President Lula on October 19, the Federal Government will allocate annually, for the next 5 years (until 2027), 3 billion reais to the cultural sector, totaling an investment of 15 billion of reais at the end of the period.

To date, the Brazilian State's investments in culture have never exceeded 3 billion reais per year, including incentive laws and the government's direct budget. The Aldir Blanc National Policy for Promoting Culture is a direct investment and will be implemented in a decentralized manner, through transfers of financial resources from the Union to the States, Municipalities and the Federal District, through notices, public calls, prizes, acquisition of goods and services linked to the cultural sector and its technical areas. Added to the direct budget of the Ministry of Culture, the Rouanet Law, the Audiovisual Law and resources from the National Culture Fund, in addition to the extraordinary investment of 3,8 billion reais from the Paulo Gustavo Law, it is possible to say that this is a moment unique for the cultural sector in Brazil, one of those that has been most penalized by recent events – the pandemic, the extreme right-wing cultural war, persecution and censorship and denialism.

The Minister of Culture, Margareth Menezes, stated that the PNAB is structuring (since it is aimed at consolidating the National Culture System), comprehensive, plural and lends itself to solving the current needs of the sector. “That’s what makes it a unique and effective initiative, aimed at those at the cutting edge (of cultural activity),” she said. “From now on, the sector has a permanent policy, with annual resources of 3 billion reais, which will transform the parameters of development throughout the country”, celebrated federal deputy Jandira Feghali (PCdoB-RJ), present at the launch, as well as Mary Sá Freire, widow of composer Aldir Blanc, whose name the program is named after.   

To receive resources from the Aldir Blanc National Policy, which will begin to be transferred from 2004 onwards – when notices, awards and public calls for the sector will be launched – federative entities (states and municipalities) and intermunicipal public consortia must register the plans action plan with information (such as goals and planned actions) on the TransfereGov platform. The information will serve as the basis for the Annual Resource Application Plan (PAAR). “PNAB has a transformative character, it will change and consolidate the country’s public cultural policies with the annual contribution of R$3 billion, an unprecedented resource for the sector”, stated the executive secretary of MinC, Márcio Tavares. “The amount that each entity will receive is classified as a mandatory expense and cannot be subject to any cuts or contingencies, just like education and health expenses. This demonstrates the importance of culture for this government”, explained Tavares.

According to information from the Communications Office of the Ministry of Culture, federated entities must promote discussion and consultation with the cultural community and other civil society actors on the implementation of PNAB resources. This must be carried out through culture councils, forums aimed at different artistic languages, public hearings or technical meetings with potential interested parties in participating in public calls, face-to-face public sessions and public consultations. “In this way, it will be possible to implement a process of management and promotion of public cultural policies, capable of promoting human, social and economic development with the full exercise of cultural rights, observing respect for diversity, democratization and universal access” , informs the text.

To regulate the PNAB, the MinC states that it carried out interviews and dialogued with society, organizations and movements for the collective and collaborative construction of the text. Meetings were held with social movements, civil society and culture leaders and debates with the National Council for Cultural Policy (CNPC), ConECta, the National Forum of State Councils of Culture and national cultural movements.

“Participatory regulation reinforced transparency, collectivity and the strengthening of Brazilian culture. Collaboration between civil society and public authorities is essential for the creation of cultural policies that reflect the country's diverse realities. The MinC's effort will allow states and municipalities to establish notices and other measures aligned with local and national needs”, stated the Secretary of Culture Committees at the Ministry of Culture, Roberta Martins.

The decree that created the PNAB provides for the acquisition of goods and services linked to the cultural sector and its technical areas and other instruments intended for the maintenance, training, technical and structural development of agents, spaces, initiatives, courses, workshops, interventions, performances and productions; development of creative economy and solidarity economy activities; audiovisual productions; cultural manifestations and carrying out actions, projects, programs and artistic activities, cultural heritage and memory.

According to the text, the federative entities will prioritize the transfer of resources to local cultural agents in order to value practices, knowledge, practices, languages, production, artistic enjoyment, heritage, memory, diversity, citizenship and local culture. Cultural agents who carry out activities of an itinerant nature (circus artists, nomads and gypsies) will be able to compete in promotion notices in places where they carry out cultural activities or are established formally or informally, without proof of residence being required. At least 20% of the resources must be allocated to actions to directly encourage programs, projects and actions to democratize access to enjoyment and artistic and cultural production in peripheral, urban and rural areas, and in areas of traditional peoples and communities.


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