Australian cultural festival aims to deepen ties with Brazil

Australia will next year stage a major cultural festival in Brazil for the first time, aimed at promoting links between the nations ahead of the Olympics.

Mark Bromilow in Sao Paulo

Mark Bromilow in Sao Paulo Source: AAP

Mark Bromilow says he needs a strong nerve as he sets about building a cultural bridge between Australia and Brazil.

Bromilow is the executive producer of the latest 'Australia now' festival, to be held next year in Brazil for the first time.

Ahead of next year's Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Australia has targeted Brazil for the major cultural festival aimed at promoting links and collaboration between the two largest nations and economies in the southern hemisphere.

Which is where Bromilow comes in.

Born in Adelaide, the self-described independent producer, director, writer, translator, educator and not-so-good actor is tasked with producing a festival that shines a light on Australian culture for Brazilians.

Bromilow, who has worked extensively in Australia, Asia, Europe and North and South America, has been based in Sao Paulo for the past five years, speaks Portuguese and understands Brazilian culture and business ways as well as anyone.

"Things are different, so you have to expect the unexpected," he told AAP.

"Everything happens at the last minute in Brazil. You have got to have a bit of a strong nerve to handle doing things in Brazil.

"I remember the previous (Australian) consul-general in Sao Paulo, Greg (Willis), said to me once 'Sao Paulo is not for beginners'. And generally Brazil is not for beginners.

"We gringos ... we like to have things organised in advance. But you have to kind of re-learn how you operate when you operate here.

"You still have to have that same rigour ... but at the same time you need to have a certain tolerance for flexibility otherwise you go crazy."

Bromilow is finalising the Australia now program for a travelling festival next April and May, with announcements expected in the New Year.

There will be shows and events in many Brazilian cities including Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia, Florianopolis, Belo Horizonte, southern and north eastern Brazil and the Amazon.

Bromilow's task is to present Brazilians with Australian culture in every sense of the word.

The initiative of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, managed by the Australian Embassy in Brasilia, is not just an arts festival.

"In the lead-up to the Olympics, sport diplomacy is important," Bromilow said.

"We will also have artists working in disadvantaged areas, leaving legacies in the community. There will be fashion, gastronomy, and science and education as well.

"It's Australian culture in the broadest sense and the purpose from our perspective is to show Australia as an innovative, forward-thinking, inclusive, open society - that it's a great destination for tourism, for investment, for education and for business, and for cultural exchange."

Beyond the obvious synergies of sun and surf, Bromilow said Brazilians are intrigued by Australian culture.

"They are really keen to know more about Australia and are very proud that Australia has chosen Brazil as a focus; it's really refreshing, the openness to the project," he said.

"If you say to the average Brazilian: 'Australia, what do you know?', they know kangaroos, they know beaches and surf, and they know Aboriginal art.

"They know Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, Tim Cahill, AC/DC and Men at Work - but that is about it.

"Brazilians have a generally positive, if limited, vision of what Australia is. The goal of 'Australia now' is to broaden and deepen that image."

Bromilow is confident he knows what aspects of Australian culture will "speak" to Brazilians.

"One is expressions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture. This is something that Brazilians are fascinated by, but they know very little," he said.

"This is going to be a feature of the festival.

"By acknowledging the importance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture through the festival, I'm also hoping, in some small way, to encourage Brazilians to become more open to the indigenous peoples of Brazil."

Music will be another key plank.

"Music is a way that it's very easy to collaborate because musicians have their own language and, independently of verbal language, they can communicate," he said.

"So music is going to be a very strong focus."

Circus, contemporary dance, interactive activities for children, food, fashion, virtual tours of Australian architecture, an outdoor cinema, sportspeople - all have been earmarked for the festival.

Bromilow, seeking more support from corporate and government sponsors in Australia and Brazil, said the South American country was chosen because of its growing importance as an economic power.

"This is a cultural program aimed at building bridges because culture is a fantastic way of bringing people and cultures together, and in fact often bringing business and governments together.

"It's very exciting for me to be that conduit for this connection on a cultural level.

"We have amazing cultural product in Australia, we punch a lot more than our weight. I don't have any problems finding great stuff to bring over here and great artists to work with."

Bromilow said he felt privileged to be able to showcase Australia in his new country.

"It's exciting to facilitate some opportunities that I believe will have some repercussions not only on the cultural level, but hopefully building a greater understanding of who we are as a people."


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5 min read
Published 31 December 2015 11:16am
Updated 31 December 2015 12:15pm
Source: AAP


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