More than a form of expression and entertainment, art can be an instrument of social transformation, with improvements in cognitive, physical and social development. And this contributes to positive changes in all age groups.
For children, contact can happen in early childhood, with pieces that are appropriate for the children’s ages. For cases where early contact with cultural activities is not possible, a study developed at the University of the Extreme South of Santa Catarina (UNESC) assessed how teenagers enrolled in high school were more dreamy and imaginative after taking art classes at school.
Outside the world of imagination, cultural activities help with school performance. This has been proven by Northwestern University in the United States. According to the study, musical initiation during high school stimulates brain responses, improves skills and improves the ability to learn. And this happens even in unrelated areas, such as physics and mathematics.
In addition, according to the Sociedade Artística Brasileira, the participation of teenagers in classes or musical rehearsals reduces the chance of these young people getting involved in crime or drugs. And the whole community wins: an IPEA survey highlighted that places with greater opportunities for art and culture have lower rates of homicide and drug trafficking.
But access to cultural facilities in Brazil is not yet available to everyone, especially on the outskirts. Almost 20% of Brazilian municipalities do not have a public library; more than 70% do not have a museum, theater or concert hall; in 83%, they don’t have a cinema..
To change this reality, the action of the Third Sector is fundamental. Often, NGOs are responsible for creating artistic and cultural actions in peripheral regions. More than democratizing access to art and culture, these actions achieve results in the fields of education and citizenship.
This is the case of the projects of Ramacrisna Institute. To get a notion, the Youth Orchestra – one of the institution’s most recognized artistic and cultural actions – helps not only to develop the artistic sense. This is what the conductor Eliseu Martins de Barros reveals.
“The sound waves emitted by the music help the student to concentrate better, which helps with studies and logical reasoning. It also helps to improve the self-esteem and empowerment of young people, through the recognition that the Orchestra gets from the presentations.”, he assesses.
In addition, cultural activities also serve as an incentive to pursue higher education training and inclusion in the labor market. One example is that several participants join the Adolescent Apprentice project and have a source of income.
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The encouragement of culture is one of the banners of the Ramacrisna Institute. At the Professor Arlindo Corrêa da Silva Library, projects are developed to encourage reading, board games and drawing. In addition to having a collection of more than 9,000 books of children’s and adult literature available for loan.
For those interested in film and photography, Antenados Producer is the perfect place. The project has the Cinematheque Antenados, which provides computers for individual use and holds commented movie sessions. In addition, at Antenados Multimedia School there are courses in journalism, photography, cinematography and video editing. These courses consist of theoretical and practical classes, as well as course completion work..
For those interested in music, the Youth Orchestra offers classes in musical theory and practice, in string, wind and percussion instruments. Annually, young people perform concerts and workshops at the Spring Music Fest.
With the covid-19 pandemic, it was necessary to make adaptations to the cultural projects of the Ramacrisna Institute. The Orchestra, for example, had to adapt the activities: rehearsals and classes online or with mask and social distance and virtual presentations, which can be watched all over the world. At a time of social isolation, when socialization and mental health were harmed, continuity helped students.
“The boys, before returning from activities, were at home with nothing to do. So they started to have a lot of idle time and this brings various types of psychological and social problems. The return of the orchestra’s rehearsals broke this issue and helped these students a lot”, highlights Conductor Barros.
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