VPCC News
Happened on Centro Cultural Vila Prudente
On last May 1st Centro Cultural Vila Prudente held one more ECO-FAVELA edition. This time, it happened on Cidade Peruíbe (São Paulo shores). The children were very happy for their first contact with the sea. The city Fireman Department did a conference about the special care the kids must take at dealing with the sea. Also, we visited an Indian reservation where Catarina (teacher and community member) talked about its situation and the Indian culture nowadays.
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The Centro Cultural Vila Prudente charity shop is still going on and the last one was held on May 16th. Many helpers from the institution got involved and the result has been a real success, since this kind of trade gives possibilities to get recycled materials. We also take advantage here to ask for donations for out charity shop. Interested may contact us at (11) 2914-1793 or by our e-mail: ccvpalegria@yahoo.com.br
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The Centro Cultural Vila Prudente kitchen and cleaning employees are receiving vocational training since April. The first meeting happened on April 11th and the next are going to be on June and August. The result has been great since they are more trained on how to deal with food, besides of a
better menu with news recipes and beautiful dishes.
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On April 14th Father Patrick Clarke, main founder of the Movimento de Defesa do Favelado (MDF) and Centro Cultural Vila Prudente, got the title of Paulistano Citizen by the São Paulo Councillors Chamber and the party had the massive presence of the shanty-town movements’ leaders, besides of the representatives of the Catholic Church in São Paulo. Many people related to MDF’s history gave their testimonials about Father Patrick Clarke’s life concerning the poor and his life as an Irish missionary in Brazil. Centro Cultural Vila Prudente and MDF cheered up the night with the children choir and a very beautiful reception on the Party Hall’s Chamber.
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In April, Centro Cultural Vila Prudente was visited by the representative of Caritas in Australia, Margareth. She had lunch with Father Patrick and Antônio Marcos, the project’s coordinator. Also, she talked with the children and watched a tribute from them because of her birthday while her visit.
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In March, a group of students and teachers from the Irish School visited Centro Cultural Vila Prudente. They take part of the project Willow
Whellers (a project of the Willow Park School) and came to see our activities for the second time, since they are partners of our work. They took part of
the religious activities of São José community and listened to our children singing in tribute to their visit. In the canteen, they received another tribute prepared by the institution with a cocktail. The main responsible person for
this activity is the teacher Christy McDaid.
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Also in March the Irish teacher Eugenio Harrington, an old student and president of the ex-students association of Blackrock School, visited Centro Cultural Vila Prudente. He is also a partner of ours as well, from Ireland, helping the Vila Prudente community.
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The exhibitions “18 years of the VPCC” and “Favela: Looking
without condemning” open the permanent art gallery
within the VPCC.
From the 29th of October until the 2nd of November happened
the party that celebrated the VPCC´s 18 years. Marked by an intense schedule, the event counted with the participation of the community
of Vila Prudente as well as with guests that came to honor a great
moment for the VPCC.
An unforgetful moment of the event was the official opening of the
exhibitions “18 years of the VPCC”, curated by Antonio Marcos, and
“Favela: Looking without condemning”, by Marcos Pereira, artist and
resident of the community. The exhibition of the work of Marcos Pereira opened the permanent art gallery of the VPCC, that next year will be displaying works also from artists residing outside the community.
The São Judas Tadeu University, where Marcos studies Fine Arts, came
to honor the student´s work. Loris Rampazzo, teacher of this University, talking to the VPCC, commented that she was blissful from what she had
seen at the opening.
Soon the website will have a video with the best moments of the event.
See images from the exhibitions´ opening
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Party, passion, celebration, joy and involvement were fully present at the VPCC´s 18 years party. On October 29th (Wednesday) began the official calendar of events, with the blessing of the buildings presided by the founder priest of the VPCC, Patrick Clarke. Families of the participants of the cultural center, collaborators and volunteers from the beginning of the construction were present: the Lotufo couple (Vítor and Marta) came to participate on the launching of the activities and see closely a dream becoming truth. On October 30th (Thursday) it was time for the guitar concert with the couple Fernando and Cecília, bringing to the VPCC an international set of songs that are presented worldwide. On Friday the capoeira (brazilian martial art) took over the cultural center with a beautiful show in front of the São José Operário (Saint Joseph Worker) Church. Children and adults danced and played the capoeira. On the 1st of November (Saturday), the schedule was intense, beginning with the official opening of the exhibitions “18 years of the VPCC” and “Favela: Looking without condemning”. After the opening, the public and the children of the VPCC took part in a mosaic workshop given by the mosaic masters Alexandre, Claudio, Domeciano and Wesley. Still on Saturday there was the presentation of the B-Boy Felipe Novaes that enchanted the audience. On Sunday the program was opened by the Thanksgiving Service at the São José Operário Church, with the participation of the children, family members and collaborators. At the end of the service, the children sang the song “Prayer of the Family”, conducted by the educator and choir master Alessandro Ferreira. Later on the theatre group “Ban´d doido” presented the play “It´s Brazilian, it´s no longer Portuguese!”, making a great procession through the community streets that ended with the presentation in front of the Church. Near the end of the great 18 years´ party, it was time for the children and the teenagers to present the show “And the coconut is presented”, with the percussion played by the teenagers and conducted by Eduardo Garcia, with the choreography directed by Pritty Amaral, and with the text directed by Maria de Jesus. The event was ended by the presentation of the documentary “Vila Prudente Cultural Center – 18 Years”, directed by Antonio Marcos. A giant cake closed Sunday night leaving us with a remainder of a lot of joy and the expectations for the next party in 2010: the one for the 20 years.
We thank all that took part in the VPCC`s 18 years party.
Check out the pictures!
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