Organize a Screening
If your association, school or group has an interest in hosting a screening, let's talk. We can help you organize it.
Contribute
If you live in Bahia or are traveling there in the future, take a look at several options you have for helping with groups like those featured in our film.
Get the Press Kit - text only
Members of the press, grab complete information about the film and our project with this text release. 375 KB.
Get the Press Kit - full version
Get our entire press kit here. It includes the press release, photos, logos, and the trailer in QuickTime. 59MB.
Video Podcasts
This is a media project. Instead of writing lengthy newsletters, we'd rather just show you what we're doing with moving images and sound.
Getting Involved in Bahia
There's a lot you can do to make the world a better place. If reading about or watching the stories of the community leaders featured in Rhythmic Uprising are inspiring to you and you want to help out, take a look at some options you have for helping to further empower those leaders and their work.
Taking Equipment to Bahia
Video, camera, and computer equipment are really expensive in Brazil. The federal government has extreme, diabilitating taxes placed on imported electronics that make their prices two to three times what they would be in the US for example. For grassroots groups like these, obtaining the tools of communication they need is nearly impossible. If you're traveling to Bahia and have a bit of cash to spare, then help out by buying a piece of equipment and hand delivering it to one of these groups. You can contact me, Ben Watkins, or any one of these groups directly to find out what's on their "wishlist" at this time. It's a great feeling to deliver the arms of communications to people who will use them appropriately. You'll get a great feeling from it and you'll instantly make friends with group members which in itself is a much more rewarding experience than anything else you might do as a common tourist.
Volunteering with the grassroots orgs
If you're going to be spending a decent amount of time in Bahia (or if you live here), volunteering your time and knowledge atgrassroots organizations like those featured in Rhythmic Uprising can be as simple as sending an email or showing up at their front door. It's almost critical that you speak some portuguese first, so get those CDs, tapes, books, podcasts, exercises rolling now.
Below, I list contact information for the groups featured in our film, but I suggest you check out Rhythm of Hope in Brazil. ROHB is dedicated to facilitating change by putting able folks in contact with groups that need their help. There are literally thousands of these types of groups in the city of Salvador and surrounding interior of Bahia. ROHB founder, Phillip Wagner keeps tabs on many of them and is a wealth of information and guidance on volunteering there.
Bejé Eró:
Bejé Eró is a relatively small group and so they can afford to be very flexible. They hold after-school activities for their kids 3 days out of the week. You can organize your own contribution to learning with this group. See how Judy Durkin and Bill Delano conducted a video workshop in the the April, 2006 podcast or take a look at what Kati Greaney accomplished with photography in the March, 2008 podcast.
Anativo Oliveira and Rejane Maia, Founders
http://bejeeroart.blogspot.com
bejeero@bol.com.br
ACANNE:
The "Slave Ship Association of Capoeira Angola" is a real community capoeira association. When you go to Bahia (the Mecca of capoeira angola), you can easily find many options in the way of capoeira gyms and associations and many of them cater to tourists and charge accordingly. If you want a no-holds-bar, real-deal capoeira experience, show up on Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights at Mestre Rene's center. He charges foreigners a very modest fee. Association members practice free. Mestre mentors many youth in the community. If you're staying for a while, you'll learn that being part of a true capoeira association means supporting the well-being of all its members including these youth.
Mestre Rene, Founder
http://www.acanne.org
mestrerene@yahoo.com
Projeto Didá:
Didá is an all-women drum corps. They have a large variety of classes and activities for girls from 3 to 45 years of age including computer lab and languages. Contact Dida President Viviam Caroline to work out some options of how you can contribute.
Viviam Caroline, President
http:www.projetodida.org
viviam_dida@hotmail.com
Circo Picolino:
Circo Picolino is the circus group featured in our film. At a minimum, you'll want to attend one of the fantastic shows while in Salvador. They have a lot of needs including web, video, and infrastructure.
Anselmo Serrat, Founder
http://www.fotolog.com/circopicolino
circopicolino@terra.com.br
Instituto Mídia Étnica:
The "Ethnic Media Institute" is a group of black media activists in Bahia who are dedicated to assuring the presence of black voices in Brazilian media. They run a number of varying media-based projects and always welcome a helping hand. If you are a specialist in an area of journalism, videography, photography, broadcast, etc, then think about working with them to hold a special workshop while you're in town.
Paulo Rogério Nunes, Executive Director
http://www.midiaetnica.org
rogerio@midiaetnica.org