Since 2005, the Brazilian Cultural Institute (BCI) has received funding from the City of Houston through grants from the Houston Arts Alliance (HAA).
The Houston Arts Alliance (HAA) is a 501C3 non-profit arts organization. The mission is to support and promote artistic life in the Houston region through programs, initiatives and alliances. Advancing the nonprofit arts industry in Greater Houston improves the region’s quality of life, ensures a competitive economy, and creates an appealing tourist destination. As one of the country’s fastest growing cities and the world’s energy capital, Houston is now a center for art of extraordinary caliber and diversity.
“The HAA has been vital to our growth as an organization. From our first grant in 2005, which funded our annual Capoeira event, to subsequent General Operating Support and Expansion grants, they have allowed us to diversify and expand our programming. Most recently, we were accepted into the MODE Arts Incubator program which is really taking our organization to the next level. As Executive Director of a non-profit, I am honored to have the support of the City of Houston and the HAA.”
– Mauricio Campos, President/CEO
The Harris County Department of Education formed the Cooperative for After-School Enrichment (CASE) in 1999, to mobilize the community to ensure that every child in Harris County has access to an after-school program. CASE has been endorsed by all 26 Houston/Harris County School Superintendents and by the Joint City/County Commission on Children. CASE has supported our Summer Camps since 2007, allowing us to partner with different schools and community centers throughout Houston. We have also participated in “Kid’s Day” for the past four years, which is an event organized by CASE where arts organizations partner with a school to teach a dance or musical show for the kids to present in a professional theater. This opportunity allows the kids to perform on a professional stage and experience the life of a professional performer. In 2010, we received a grant from CASE to help finance our Capoeira After School Program at KIPP Sharpstown. This program extends our reach within the school and allowed us to purchase uniforms and musical instruments.
In 2011, we received another grant from CASE to finance our work with The Center for Success and Independence (TCSI) in the Fall of 2011 through the Spring of 2012. This program allowed us to work with at-risk youth by exposing them to extra-curricular activities and a culture they might not have otherwise experienced. We taught the students how to play various Brazilian instruments and worked on their ability to trust others through artistic expression.
We have collaborate with HCDE and CASE for Kids since 2007 as they have supported us to provide after school and summer programs teaching Capoeira, Portuguese, Brazilian percussion and for the first time in Houston a skateboarding program.
Since 2008, our Organization partnered with Young Audiences of Houston, providing an educational program entitled, “Exploring Brazil Through Capoeira.” YAH offers dynamic arts programming by a roster of nationally recognized artists tailored for Pre-K through 12th grade students in both school and public venues. YAH programs include performances, workshops, and residencies in the fine arts, as well as teacher professional development training.
These highly participatory programs are uniquely designed to reinforce core curriculum classroom instruction, provide positive role models, enhance student’s self-esteem, foster creative and critical thinking skills, awaken interest in learning, and broaden the understanding of the world’s arts and cultures.
The National Arts Education Research Center at New York University has found that test scores in academic subjects improve when the arts are used to illuminate learning. Through our partnership with Young Audiences, the Brazilian Arts Foundation has reached students outside Harris County, in areas like La Porte and Richmond, Texas, and engage with an at-risk population that might not otherwise have access to the arts or cultural education.
The Consulate General of Brazil in Houston has supported the Brazilian Arts Foundation through promoting our events and programs to the Brazilian community, as well as assisting in the Houston Brazilian Festival by financing our efforts to bring Brazilian artists to perform at the event.
They have donated boxes of books to the Brazilian Cultural Institute, allowing us to start our BAF Library project, as well as invited our President, Mauricio Campos, to represent Houston’s Brazilian community at the III Conferencia das Comunidades Brasileiras no Exterior at the Palacio Itamaraty in Rio de Janeiro.
We are very proud to collaborate with Midtown Houston since 2017, together we are providing cultural education through “Capoeira” and “Samba de Gafieira” as Houstonians of all ages have the opportunity to learn and enjoy the Afro-Brazilian culture.
Midtown Houston is a model of urban living in the center of Houston. Residents, businesses, and visitors enjoy a sustainable, walkable community with a thriving arts and entertainment scene and green oases. It has been the site of nationally-awarded development, including Federal Transportation Agency recognition and the Presidential Award of Excellence in Design and Implementation. In addition, in 2012 Midtown Houston was awarded the Texas Commission on the Arts’ Cultural Arts and Entertainment Designation, a first for a management district in the state. The neighborhood is a focal point for harnessing the power of cultural resources to stimulate economic development and community revitalization. Explore what makes Houston Midtown a great place to live, work, and play. We’re right in the middle of it all!
