The goal of Brazil in Berkeley is to encourage the study and research of Brazilian politics and culture at Berkeley and in the Bay Area. In addition to the public forum, which includes lectures, conferences and cultural activities, CLAS hosts the Rio Branco Visiting Chair of Brazil. These activities have resulted in a transnational working network of Brazilianists.

Lavinia Barros de Castro
“The Brazilian Economy Today”

Is Brazil improving? In this talk Ms. Barros de Castro will analyze different perspectives on the Brazilian economy. Topics to be discussed include fiscal policy, the new pattern of trade and capital flows, debt and country risk evolution and the results achieved by the inflation target model.

Lavinia Barros de Castro is an economist at the Brazilian National Development Bank and teaches at IBMEC, Rio de Janeiro. She is one of the editors of the recently published Economia Brasileira Contemporanea, which is in contention for the 2005 Brazilian Jabuti Book Prize. The author also worked on the Brazilian version of Vocabulaire Économique et Financier (1998) which has been translated into four languages. Ms. Barros de Castro is currently a visiting scholar at the Center for Latin American Studies.

-Government of Brazil Inflation Report (in Portuguese)

Thursday, August 25, 2:00 pm
CLAS Conference Room, 2334 Bowditch Street

Paul Heritage
“Parallel Power: Shakespeare, Gunfire and Silence”

On June 8, 2004 Shakespeare silenced the guns in the no-man’s land separating two warring drug gangs in Rio de Janeiro . This lecture looks at a production of “ Antony and Cleopatra” produced in association with the Cultural Group Afroreggae on the frontier between two favelas. Exploring the divided nature of the divided city, Paul Heritage will place the performance of Shakespeare within the context of the gang culture that dominates the borderlands of Rio de Janeiro .

Paul Heritage is Professor of Drama and Performance at Queen Mary, University of London . For over a decade he has been working on a range of socially engaged arts projects across Brazil , including the Love in Time of War project in Rio ’s favelas.

- Short biography of Professor Heritage
- Article on the People's Palace Project
- Taking Hostages: Staging Human Rights, by Paul Heritage

Co-sponsored by the Department of Theater, Dance and Performance Studies.

Friday October 14, 4:00 – 6:00 pm
Geballe Room, 220 Stephens Hall

João André da Rocha
“Workshop on Brazilian Dance”

Popular celebrations and festivals allow us to reflect upon social integration and regulation, creativity and interaction among groups. Popular culture can also be used as a tool to promote cooperation and conflict resolution among social groups. In this workshop, João André da Rocha will focus on Brazilian popular dance as a means of creating a dynamic of social interaction and communication.

João André da Rocha is a visiting scholar at Queen Mary, University of London and a lecturer in the Department of Communication and Performance at the Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo.

To enroll in this workshop, please send send your name, address and phone number to Lilian Pedrosa (lilian@berkeley.edu). Space will be limited and enrollment is on a first come first serve basis. Enrollment confirmation will be sent via email.

Co-sponsored by the Department of Theater, Dance and Performance Studies.

Saturday, October 15, 11:00 am – 12:15 pm
Room 126, Barrows Hall

Paul Heritage
“Seminar: Staging Human Rights”

Theater director Paul Heritage will discuss Human Rights in Scenes, a performance-based human rights project in Brazilian prisons from the Amazon to São Paulo . Professor Heritage will also discuss strategies to improve social integration and communication by using elements of popular culture and arts. João André da Rocha will present his research on Mané Gaiola, Brazilian street artist.

Paul Heritage is Professor of Drama and Performance at Queen Mary, University of London . For over a decade he has been working on a range of socially engaged arts projects across Brazil .

João André da Rocha is a visiting scholar at Queen Mary, University of London and a lecturer in the Department of Communication and Performance at the Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo.

Co-sponsored by the Department of Theater, Dance and Performance Studies.

Monday, October 17, 10:00 am
CLAS Conference Room