Don’t let the samba die

Education for creative economy and cultural and financial sustainability of samba wheels in Rio de Janeiro

Abstract

The aim is to examine how the tasks and activities developed by students of the Professional Master’s Program in Creative Economy Management (MPGEC) at ESPM-Rio contributed to the cultural and financial sustainability of the Carioca Network of Samba Wheels (RS). The main argument indicates that, as RS may have a fundamental position in the generation of cultural and economic value with a great capacity to articulate with authorities and a strong legitimacy in the carioca samba system, MPGEC students worked to minimize weaknesses related to institutional communication, the relationship with people who attend the samba wheels and contracting parties, people management and strategic planning, as well as seize opportunities related to cultural tourism and face threats such as the growing bureaucracy and the strong opposition to samba wheels from showhouses. To contribute to the RS’s cultural and financial sustainability, MPGEC students focused on a strategy for professional management of artists’ careers to generate more income and jobs for the professionals in the samba wheels and the promotion of the samba culture in Rio de Janeiro. The students also proposed a better institutional presentation, with more robust mission, vision and values for the RS’s brand, and the implementation of a customer relationship management for the network to stimulate the loyalty of the people who attend the samba wheels with personalized products and the enhanced use of social networks to communicate with them. They also highlighted the need of a new organizational structure for RS to deal with more complex activities related to marketing, artistic management, events production and articulation with public authorities and local commercial establishments where the samba wheels take place.