Using the approach of local productive arrangements and systems for the analysis of creative industries in Brazil: the case of Conservatória Marcelo Matos1 and Cristina Lemos2 Redesist, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Abstract There is an increasing recognition of the economic impact of cultural activities within economic studies. These cultural activities are being recognized more and more under the title Creative Industries. Considering that these activities are of special importance to the development process, this study analyzes the experience of the district of Conservatória, using the methodological approach of local productive and innovative arrangements and systems. In Conservatória the musical style of Seresta and the Serenata are the main attractions and the economic activities related to tourism and leisure constitute the major sources of income. The musical activity is strongly rooted and is practiced by a local group inspired by the ideal of preserving these traditions. A system of hotels, bed-and-breakfasts, bars and restaurants grew around these attractions and many musicians present themselves professionally in these establishments. The musical and tourism agents develop their activities on an individual basis with little coordination. Processes of learning and particularly the transmission of musical knowledge occur through individual initiative, on an individual basis and in an informal way. The music activities and the district have great potential, but there are significant challenges to guarantee their survival and development. The main question relates to the form in which the Seresta and Serenata will continue to be manifested, and how this will affect the economy of the district. There exists the necessity for renewal strategies in order to establish better possibilities for the preservation of the main attraction.
1. Introduction The objective of this study is to analyze a locality in Brazil, the trajectory of which is determined by cultural (or creative) activities, using the methodological approach of local productive and innovative arrangements and systems. For this purpose, the case of Conservatória, a small district of the city of Valença in the interior of the state of Rio de Janeiro was selected. The local economic and social dynamic is guided by musical activities: the live execution of seresta and serenata, a traditional music style in the country. These activities stimulate tourism activities, which represent the major source of local income. The main objective of this study is, therefore, to understand how the music and the related activities interact and influence each other, fostering local development. This text is based on a study carried out by RedeSist, a research network based out of the Institute of Economy of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. It uses the same methodology as in all other studies of local productive arrangements of RedeSist3. It is based on field research, which involves interviews as well as the completion of a specific questionnaire by local parties, both individual and organizations, responsible for education, research, development, promotion, production and commercialization of products and services.
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Master student in economics at the Fluminense Federal University–UFF. Researcher of RedeSist. Email:
[email protected] 2 D.Sc (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro), Associate Researcher of Research Network for Local Productive and Innovative Systems - RedeSist, Institute of Economics, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. Email:
[email protected] 3 For detailed information on RedeSist and its conceptual and methodological referential see: www.ie.ufrj.br/redesist.
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The questionnaire that was used is based on one previously developed for the research of local productive arrangements based on industrial activities. In view of the specific characteristics of musical activities, the questionnaire was adapted in order to focus on the pertinent issues, which are unique to this kind of activity. In the next section, the conceptual approach of local productive arrangements is presented and a brief discussion of the creative industries is introduced. The third section discusses the importance of music in Brazil. Section four presents the case of the local productive arrangement of Conservatória. The fifth section analyzes prospects for local development. The last section presents the main conclusions of the study. 2. Local productive arrangements and creative industries It’s a great challenge to analyze activities of cultural nature such as music, of which creativity is the main input. In order to accomplish this one must consider both the economic and social features of culture. How do we conciliate the economic importance of such activities with their transcendental role within the society as a whole? In relation to this challenge, a particular question must be asked: To what degree can cultural manifestations be considered as relevant aspects regarding the promotion of economic and social development of localities, regions or countries? And if they are relevant, the question becomes how to promote them. In fact, the world economy has been marked throughout the last decades of the millennium by a continuous process of transformation. The clearest expressions of this transformation are the acceleration of the process of globalization, competition and the diffusion of a new technological paradigm, based on information and communication technologies (ICT). These aspects have stimulated a process of change and adaptation on the parts of both the diverse agents involved in productive activities and of institutions in general, resulting in a new production and accumulation pattern. In this new technological paradigm, the investment in intangible goods, such as the accumulation of knowledge, becomes a decisive factor for the competitiveness of the productive agents, since a rich supply of knowledge concerning the productive process, the existing technologies, the characteristics of the products, the markets, etc. can converge directly to better productive and innovative performance. However, the creation, acquisition and use of knowledge are not simple processes. Neither can knowledge be easily transferred, since it is rooted in people, organizations and places. These processes possess specific characteristics in each social, cultural, institutional, and political context, meaning that they are locally determined. This geographic proximity favors the sharing of economic, social and cultural values, resulting in better identification between the agents. This identification favors the establishment of relations based on trust and enhances the interaction, cooperation and, especially, the learning processes. Beyond the alterations in production and consumption and the crucial role of knowledge, there are changes that point to an economy increasingly based on creativity. It is an innate resource of the human being. Creativity makes the formulation of new concepts, methods and products possible, being, thus, the fundamental aspect of innovation. And there is an increasing awareness of its role in development.
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Activities such as music, literature, and cinema, among others, are considered to be some of the most creative and innovative activities of the world economy. Music, specifically, mobilizes one of the most significant creative industries, in economic and cultural terms. It generates billions of dollars for a vast chain of agents (composers, musicians, performers, publishers, recorders and several others), directly or indirectly related to it. These industries have the strength to set standards and to absorb, promote, benefit from, and even to eliminate popular cultural manifestations. Thus, the importance of cultural diversity and regional and local cultural manifestations become especially important in a period of globalization, marked by an increasing homogenization of consumption standards. The more dense and rich is the cultural content of a specific society, the greater are the possibilities for withstanding the challenges associated with the standardization of artistic and cultural activities. This richness offers guarantees for the exercise of democracy itself and allows, at the same time, the harmonic reproduction of productive sectors without which the culture lacks sustainability. Culture, its traditions, innovations and renewal processes, possess the capacity for preservation and even the expansion of its borders. The most spontaneous and locally rooted cultural manifestations, as it is the case of the musical activity in Conservatória, can survive, preserving origins and keeping values, and thus represent a significant alternative for development. They represent a significant alternative for development both through the wealth they generate directly as well as through the attraction of other activities such as tourism. The interaction and interdependence between culture, diversity, creativity, tradition, innovation and development need to be better understood and explored, in particular by policymakers. This is especially relevant in the least developed countries, which face restrictions for job and income generation and for the acquisition and use of skilled knowledge. The methodological approach of local productive and innovative systems offers an interesting way to address these issues4. This approach focuses on the role of learning and the productive and innovative capacity as constituent factors of a dynamic competitive capacity. It emphasizes the territorial dimension (with its specific elements), the processes of creation, acquisition, use and diffusion of knowledge, as well as the diversity of activities and of economic, social and political parties. This approach has been used by RedeSist mostly in the study of productive activities of the transformation industry. More recently, it also starts to be used for the analysis of service activities. Expanding this approach and applying it to productive activities directly related to a creative industry represents a recent effort and a substantive challenge. This challenge is even bigger when considering the fact that the impacts and economic potential of these activities are scarcely analyzed in the country (and even in the world). In addition, the concept of creative industries is being delineated only recently. These "industries" have been defined, in a broad manner, as those that have their origin in the individual creativity, ability and talent and that possess the potential to create income and jobs through the generation and 4
In accordance to the definition of RedeSist, local productive systems are understood as a set of agents, located in a same territory, who develop correlated economic activities and that have significant bonds in production, interaction, cooperation and learning. They are constituted of economic agents and its representations (producers of final goods and services, suppliers of inputs, equipments and services, customers, enterprise associations), social and politicians agents, as well as diverse public and private organizations directed to education and training of human resources. Local productive arrangements are understood as those cases where there aren’t significant bonds and interaction between the agents (Lastres and Cassiolato, 2005).
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the exploration of intellectual property rights. The definition of creative industry is based on the human abilities and talents. However, its limits are still not clearly defined and the implicit subjectivity of the term "creative" probably contributes for this. In the case of Conservatória, the productive activity has as its main product an intangible good – the music. It is intimately related to activities of the tourism sector, characterizing an economic dynamism of cultural tourism. These ties between the cultural/musical activities and the economic activities traditionally related to the tourism puts an additional challenge for the analysis of their interrelations and dependences as well as for the formulation of politics for the local development. For the achievement of such objectives, the approach of local productive and innovative systems and arrangements emphasizes issues such as: territory and embedment; culture and creativity; learning, knowledge and innovation; sustainability; governance; and cooperation. In relation to the emphasis in the territory and the forms of embedment, it is stressed that in the case of cultural activities the importance of the specific local content becomes even more important than in the case of “industrial” activities. The innumerable national, regional and local cultures possess a strong identity and are rooted in their specific territories. They possess, therefore, a competitive differential that can’t be easily appropriated and which reproduction in other environments has a great complexity. Therefore, understanding how a specific environment favors and even imposes limits to a cultural activity becomes of first importance for its promotion. And, as suggested by the present approach, the consideration of these specific factors necessarily leads to the incorporation of other economic and social agents in the analysis, which are directly or indirectly related to the activity in focus. That is to say, trying to understand the specific activity through a systemic perspective. The cooperation processes foster interactive learning, amplifying the agents’ stock of knowledge, thus leading to a supply of products and services of better quality and the reduction of risks, costs, time etc. The cooperation is especially significant in cases where the agents involved in creative activities are enterprises of small scale or individuals. Considering the cultural good to be, in the economic perspective of a commercialized product or service, a not-essential one, its consumption depends significantly on the taste and acceptance of the consumer. Therefore, the reduction of costs and risks, which tend to be especially elevated, as well as the supply of a product with high quality become especially relevant. An expressive part of knowledge contained in the productive processes and in products and services has a specific and not codified character. The tacit knowledge is associated to specific social, cultural and geographic contexts, determining its local circulation and making its transmission, access, and use by external agents difficult or even impossible (Lastres and Cassiolato, 2005). Therefore, dealing with cultural activities, this tacit aspect of knowledge gets even more evident and the interactive processes for its transmission become more important. The analysis of innovative processes in productive arrangement based on an artistic and therefore cultural activity requires a new way to understand the concept of innovation. We need to evaluate the implications of the innovative process, understanding the art as an essentially cultural factor. On one hand, culture is a central factor in the identity of regions, peoples and nations (Hollanda, 2002). On the other hand, culture is conceived as the consequence of the free and incessant manifestation of the human spirit. These intrinsic characteristics of culture lead to what Laraia (2002) characterizes as the shock between conservative and the innovative trends – two apparently contradictory forces that complement each other in the dynamic process of evolution of culture. The
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preservation of cultural characteristics is essential for the identity of individuals in their specific social environment. And innovation reflects the need for identification and adaptation to the continuously changing environment and even the attempt to transform it. Both preservation and innovation reflect two sides of the same process of generating something new, in which the past is reproduced, brought up to date, modified or even denied5. Therefore, in the specific case of artistic activities and of this study, we suggest the extension of that concept, understanding it as the generation of “the new”, even if reproducing and preserving what is old. Referring to the concept of competitiveness, the following considerations can be made. The artistic activity, as a cultural activity, exceeds a purely economic logic. The artist that produces/creates an artistic good doesn’t necessarily seek its commercialization. Neither is the artistic good necessarily inserted in a market logic, in which its "permanence" is determined by the acceptance and demand of consumers. The patterns of governance are important to determine the diverse ways by which individuals and organizations manage the problems they have in common, surpassing conflicts or diverging interests and leading to cooperative actions. As in any economic activity, the forms of coordination, intervention and participation in the local processes of decision-making are decisive in the case of creative industries to preserve the attractiveness and quality of its products. In the following analysis we try to deal with these particularities of the application of the adopted approach for cultural activities. In order to understand the particularities of the local productive arrangement of Conservatória, we first briefly analyze the broader characteristics of the music in the Brazilian territory. 3. Music in Brazil In the first centuries of colonization, the mixture of the songs for ritual dances of the indians and the rhythm of the African slaves with the music of the European resulted in what can be called the Brazilian music. The MPB (Popular Brazilian Music) has its sprouting associated with the constitution of cities and the diffusion of the initial music styles of lundu and modinha, which resulted in other styles like chorinho, samba, maxixe, frevo, etc (Tinhorão, 2004). Starting with these initial musical manifestations, Brazilian music got unfolded in an infinite variety of types and rhythms, becoming itself part of the cultural identity of Brazilian people and of the different regions of the country. Its manifestation occurs in diverse forms and contexts, in relation to different cultures, races, ages, religions and localities. A great part of it is aside of what is promoted and produced by the music industry and consumed by great fractions of the population. The task of enumerating the many musical manifestations in the most varied regions of the country would be an excessively extensive exercise, even if equally inspiring. Although the musical market doesn’t incorporate a significant part of the Brazilian musical production, the share of national music as a percentage of the total music consumed in the country increased steadily, jumping from 20% in the 1960’s to nearly 80% in the year of 2004, according to data of the Brazilian Disk Producers Association - ABPD. 5
The Minister of Culture, Gilbert Gil, presents this process as follows: “What was felt, what was thought, what was expressed, becomes crystallizes in time, turning into a part of the vast puzzle of tradition. This is a way for the past to become present, and to allow the invention of the future, reproducing, transforming or modernizing the past or even generating its own negation. And its rupture.” (MinC, 2004).
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Music represents a basic element of the establishment of a Brazilian cultural identity. The musical manifestations throughout the vast national territory reveal characteristic traces of its different regions. With the same degree of diversity, many musical manifestations are related to folkloric parties and annual events in specific regions, constituting a significant number of local productive systems based on musical activities. One example of prominence is the carnival of Rio de Janeiro and Salvador. These musical events have a fundamental importance for the local economies, leading to a high social and economic mobilization and contributing to the enforcement of cultural identity6. Brazil developed an operational capacity to support great and complex projects related to musical events. The country became an attractive address for these events, not only because of the developed expertise but also because of a singular characteristic of the Brazilian public: its enthusiastic participation and interaction with the artists in musical events (Medina, 2003). The Brazilian spectacle industry generates considerable effects on phonogram sales and on the activities related to the tourism (lodging, transport, alimentation, etc.). For example, during events like the Rock in Rio III in 2001 and the yearly carnival the hotels reach occupation levels next to 100%. Throughout these innumerable local systems, where music is articulated with diverse productive segments, representing an important element of local development, this paper stresses the role music exerts in the local productive arrangement of Conservatória - Rio de Janeiro. The magnitude of the impact of the relation of music with the local economic and social organization gets clear when considering the fact that the district doesn’t register unemployment and negligible violence indices. 4. The local productive and innovative arrangement of Conservatória Conservatória is a district of the city of Valença, located in the south of the State of Rio de Janeiro. It became known as a tourism instance since the last decades of the last century. Beside its pleasant climate and colonial architecture, its main attraction is its characteristic of “musical city”, marked by the traditional presentation of serenata, attracting tourist during all weekends of the year. In this district, the execution of the seresta - music style that marked the first half of 20th century in the country - and the serenata have been preserved and stimulated since the 1960’s7. In this decade the district experienced a period of economic stagnation and the promotion of those musical activities came out to be an alternative for the local development. The continuous efforts of the local community led to recent positive results: Conservatória became known as the “capital of the serenata”, leading to the creation of externalities that stimulated the proliferation of economic activities related to tourism and leisure. Music is its great differential. The spectacle of the seresta occurs all Fridays and Saturdays in the interior of the Museum of Seresta and Serenata. This museum, created in the 1960’s, became the main reference of the preservation of the local musical tradition and a meeting point for the musicians. After the seresta, occurs the serenata at the streets of the city. Conservatória preserves a music style of other times and with insignificant participation in the Brazilian musical market. Therefore, the people who habitually visit the district are mainly adults 6
The carnival of Rio de Janeiro is an emblematic example. This event generates an annual inflow of about R$ 1 billion (Medina, 2002), generating nearly 60 thousand jobs directly related to the event (Araújo, 2002). 7 Seresta is a Brazilian music style from the first half of the 20th century. It has a romantic thematic and is played with instruments like acoustic guitar, bandolin, flute, accordion, and cavaco. Serenata is a specific was to play seresta: outdoors and at night (traditionally musicians dedicated a serenata to the women they love, playing romantic songs at night in from of their hoses)
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and elder people. Music is the central attraction for tourists, and cultural establishments like the museums offer additional correlated attractions. The centrality of this cultural activity became a competitive differential of the district, offering a rich musical atmosphere for tourists - in the hotels, the streets, the facade of the houses, in the bars, restaurants and other commercial establishments. Their names and decoration are all related to music. The local productive arrangement of Conservatória has amongst the main agents directly related to music, the musicians with their live performances in public or private spectacles. However, the economic dynamism of the arrangement is given by tourism activities, especially lodging and alimentation. In what follows we describe these musical agents, the tourism infrastructure, the organizations and initiatives related to education and culture, as well as the support and promotion organizations of the arrangement. Music Estimations point to the existence of at least twenty musicians or groups in Conservatória. These can be divided in two groups. The first one consists of the integrants of the group of musicians of the Museum of Seresta and Serenata, which perform musical activities without commercial interests. Although they do so, they recognize the importance of their presentation as the district’s main attraction. On the other hand, there are many professional musicians, for which music represents their main income source. The great majority of the musicians (87%) started their musical activities before 1980. The group of the Museum of Seresta and Serenata was created in the 1960’s and consists of a central core of about six people, beyond other twenty permanent or eventual participants. Together with the Museum of the Seresta and Serenata, this group is clearly the main attraction and the heart of the musical activities in the district. All integrants are at least elder then 40 years and have a high level of instruction. They are also those that exert this activity on a not professional way, having as main objective the preservation of the seresta and serenata. Many of them follow the principle that the seresteiro (musician who plays seresta) must do this "for love". That’s why the majority doesn’t attribute any importance to remunerated presentations. People who had found in Conservatória a niche of market for their profession constitute the second group of musicians. Many work position have been created in order to replicate this music style in hotels, bars and restaurants, offering other alternatives for the tourist to get in contact with the seresta. While some musicians make remunerated presentations, others are eventually invited to present themselves without remuneration. Especially during the weekend, when there is a great flow of tourists, the restaurants and bars offer live presentations as a strategy to attract customers. In all cases, the relation between the musicians and the establishments are of informal character. The musicians’ activities are almost limited to live performances. There are only few experiences with the recording and selling of phonograms. The Group of the Museum of Seresta and Serenata speaks out against the production of CDs, since they do not consider it necessary to produce phonograms and to promote the district through this instrument. Moreover, as related by an integrant, they do not have the objective to exploit this tradition as a way to generate benefit for them or for others. They consider it even potentially harmful for the preservation of the cultural activities in the district.
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Tourism Nine hotels, 26 bed-and-breakfasts, and 25 informal residential inns constituted the accommodation infrastructure of Conservatória in 2003. There were also eight restaurants and many bars and stores. Many owners of these establishments are not from Conservatória and invest in the local opportunities. The majority of the tourist visits the city during the weekend, but the hotels have a high level of occupation during the whole week. In order to offer other attractions beside the musical activities the entrepreneurs invest in activities like the commercialization of natural products and craftsmanship, as well as the organization of ecological tours. Beyond the traditional synergies between the activities related to music and tourism, a particular aspect of Conservatória is underlined: the fact that the serenata - for being a musical manifestation necessarily made at night - induces the visitors to spend the night in the district. The district receives, in average, 2000 tourists every week. And the hotels have only 1200 vacancies for their disposal. Because of that high and growing demand the hotels are being continuously amplified and new investment projects are being carried trough. That grow process is not being coordinated and the lack of investment in sanitation may lead to future problems for the urban organization. Education The formal education infrastructure of Conservatória consists of two public schools for basic education. There is no school involved with the formal training of musicians. In 2001 representatives of the local community proposed the inclusion of musical lessons in the school curriculum. But this project has still not been contemplated. Despite the inexistence of music education in the schools, there are important individual and voluntary initiatives for the music education of children. Two extracurricular and optional courses in one of the local schools deserve mention. One of them focuses on guitar and keyboard lessons. The other initiative called the “Music at School Project” aims at preserving the roots of folklore, offering musical instrument lessons, corporal expression and dances, and an infantile chorale. Another relevant initiative is the project "Conservatória My Love", initiated in 2001 that aims “to stimulate the children to enter the world of the serenata”. The project started with poetic essays and in 2002, an annual competition was created, with focus on the local thematic and music, for children between eight and 13 years. Since 2003, the children are offered guitar and seresta lessons. The project, like all the others, is voluntary and independent and without substantial financial support, counting only with modest contributions from local entrepreneurs. Culture Conservatória disposes of a significant cultural infrastructure that encloses museums and promotion organizations. All of them are private and many times individual initiatives. One example is the House of Culture of Conservatória, located in a building donated by the Government of the State of Rio de Janeiro. This building is the only one in the district protected by architectonic preservation laws. The House of Culture is an association without lucrative ends, also maintained by voluntary work and counting with workers from the local government. Its major activities are the organization 8
of temporary and permanent expositions, cultural meetings, courses related to culture and arts, and presentations. In September of 2004, a proposal of the “House of the Composer Project” in the scope of the Culture, Education and Citizenship Program – (Cultura Viva), of the Ministry of Culture was approved. This project aims at the implantation of a “Points of Culture” (Pontos de Cultura). The main objective is the creation of a CD recording studio and the training of technicians in the House of the Culture. The project foresees financial support from the Ministry of about R$ 140 thousand for the period of one year8. The above-mentioned Museum of the Seresta and Serenata is a diffusion point for the music culture of seresta. The Museum is the meeting point for everyone that plays, sings, or listens to seresta and it is maintained without any financial support or admission fee. Its principles - a sort of statute or set of norms that establishes it’s “essential characteristics” - are very sever, stressing the not acceptance of any kind of commercial or politic relation, as well as the role and behavior norms of integrants, participants and visitors. Its objective is the preservation of the musical tradition and memory of serenata and the continuity of the “In Every House a Song Project”. This project consists in the affixture of metal plates (of 7 x 25cm) on the house façades, with the title of Brazilian traditional songs (together with the name of the respective authors) that are sung during the serenata. The 403 plates spread around the city are part of the Museum’s inventory. There are still two other museums in Conservatória, which were also created and are directed by the individual initiative of one inhabitant. Funded in 1999 and 2000, respectively, the first one is dedicated to Vicente Celestino and Gilda de Abreu and the other one to Sílvio Caldas, Nelson Gonçalves, Gilbert Alves and Guillermo de Brito – composers and interpreters of the golden age of romantic music and the Brazilian seresta. These two museums offer a rich display related to the romantic music of the 1930’s, as well as many biographies and clippings of recent and already deceased artists. The main objective is to perpetuate the great musicians of Brazilian music. The museums are hosted in particular houses, whose rents are paid by the local government. A symbolic tax of R$ 1,00 is charged for the visitation, and, according to their director, it inhibits the visitation and, at the same time, doesn’t represent enough resources for the museum’s maintenance. In addition, a great part of the inventory, proper or donated, doesn’t have enough place to be exposed due to the lack of space. The director of the two museums also acts as a cultural producer, promoting, in partnership with the director of the Martins Pena School for scenic arts of Rio de Janeiro, the theater Jose Nossar, which is located in one of the public schools of Conservatória. Promotion and support There are no structuralized initiatives from the local administration to promote or support the cultural activities of Conservatória nor exists any organization from any level of government with this objective. In 2001 the Development Council of Conservatória (Condecon) was created. Entrepreneurs from the commerce, hotels and restaurants and representatives from the local hospital and the church form it9. 8
Until January 2005, the project wasn’t officially started. There is still another forum, the Convention Bureau, directed towards the promotion of tourism in several cities of the region. But that forum didn’t have any action directed specifically to Conservatória. 9
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It is supposed to be a permanent forum of the civil society’s representatives for the discussion and proposal of collective initiatives. But the council’s objectives are not being achieved particularly because they do not count with support from the local administration. The State Institute for Cultural Patrimony (Inepac), from the state government, is trying to protect the patrimony of the district through protection laws. Currently, the patrimony of Conservatória has only support of the Patrimony Preservation Law, that doesn’t hinder its modifications or even demolition. However, there are some sporadic or punctual governmental initiatives. The state government offers financial support directed to the organization of some events of Conservatória’s calendar, like the Festival of Chorinho. In relation to the local administration, the only support initiative is the payment of the rent of two of the district’s museums. Interviews with local agents confirm the limited performance of support and promotion organizations. When asked about the advantages the music agents recognize in Conservatória, the “existence of support and promotion programs” was pointed as the factor of minor relevance. When evaluating the performance of these organizations, its performance in relation to the “support for the definition of objectives and perspectives for the productive arrangement” was considered insufficient. Innovation, tradition and comparative advantages The theoretical discussion in section two about culture, creativity, tradition and innovation and competitive differentials reveals itself especially pertinent in face of the experience of Conservatória and the group of musicians of the Museum of the Seresta and Serenata. These local agents have directed their efforts to the creation of “the new”, preserving and faithfully reproducing the traditional characteristics of the seresta music and the serenata. And, as stressed in interviews, they are motivated by idealism and vocation. However, even if they do not follow an economic logic, they are aware of the importance of their activities for Conservatória’s “competitive differential”. In contrast to that group, other musicians, many of them professionals who play in hotels and restaurants, have different standpoints in relation to innovation and learning processes. The interviews during the field research (table 3) showed a significant valuation of the preservation of the traditional music characteristics – in relation to music properly said, and in relation to the form of presentation (with all importance indexes higher then 0,80). The musicians who play in hotels and restaurants made few innovations related to the lyrics, melodies and marketing strategies. In opposition, the group from the Museum of Seresta and Serenata is unanimous in attributing high importance to the preservation and no importance to the innovation in relation to all investigated aspects. They remain faithful to a traditional repertoire as well as to traditional harmonies and arrangements and execute the music without amplification equipment and using only the traditional instruments of the seresta music (bandolin, guitar, accordion, cavaco, flute).
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Table 1 – Importance of preservation and innovation related to musical aspects Description
Importance of preservation none
low
medium
high
low
medium
high
Index*
Introduced innovations yes
0,0% 12,5% 14,3% 0,0% 0,0% 0,0%
0,0% 12,5% 14,3% 14,3% 12,5% 25,0%
37,5% 12,5% 14,3% 0,0% 25,0% 25,0%
0,38 0,24 0,27 0,09 0,33 0,40
25,0% 12,5% 0,0% 25,0% 12,5% 12,5%
Importance of innovation Index*
none
Lyrics, Melody and Rhythm 0,0% 0,0% 0,0% 100,0% 1,00 62,5% Instruments 12,5% 0,0% 12,5% 75,0% 0,83 62,5% Group organization 0,0% 0,0% 0,0% 100,0% 1,00 57,1% Marketing strategies 14,3% 0,0% 14,3% 71,4% 0,80 85,7% Performance 0,0% 0,0% 12,5% 87,5% 0,95 62,5% Structure e equipments 12,5% 0,0% 0,0% 87,5% 0,88 50,0% *Index = (0*Nº none + 0,3*Nº low + 0,6*Nº medium + Nº high) / (total number of musicians) Source: Field research
The high importance all musicians ascribe to the preservation related to music and the presentation forms contributes to the specific characterization of the district, attracting tourists interested in getting in contact with old songs executed on a traditional way. In general, the musicians of Conservatória have interests directed to the same objective: to preserve the place and to keep its musical tradition. Even if some musicians do not have these objectives all of them are aware of the importance of music for the district as a way to attract tourists and to promote the local economic development. The learning processes Given the importance the musicians of Conservatória attribute to the musical knowledge and to the preservation and perpetuation of the traditional characteristics of the seresta and the serenata, all of them give value to the activities of teaching and training, even if with emphasis on different modalities. In accordance with the musicians’ evaluation, the main modalities of teaching directed toward music are the "free courses and workshops" and "informal education". The last modality refers to the diverse informal and personal ways of musical knowledge transmission. The local schools are not formally involved with the teaching of music and neither with the formal training of musicians. Thus, the importance the local agents attributed to “basic education” during the interviews reflects their desire that music should be incorporated into the formal education system. In respect to “free courses and workshops”, the individual initiatives described above reflect the effort of the inhabitants to preserve the tradition and its ideals through the generations. The importances attributed to the different modalities of training and knowledge transmission receive other contours if the group of the Museum of Seresta and Serenata and the other musicians are analyzed separately. For the first group “basic education”, as a form of training directed toward music, is of fundamental importance (1,00), while private lessons and the professionalizing courses are less relevant (0,30; 0,50). The appraisal of basic education can be seen as related to the effort of this group to perpetuate the seresta, since it is a way to attract the interest of the new generations. The musicians who are not connected to the group of the museum do not consider “basic education” so important (0,67) and attribute more importance to “private education” and the “professionalizing courses” (0,70; 0,82), since their interest is to improve their personal capabilities.
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Table 2 - Importance attributed to musical training and education Description Basic education Professionalizing courses Free courses and workshops Private education Informal education Others
none
low
25,0% 12,5% 0,0% 12,5% 0,0% 0,0%
0,0% 12,5% 12,5% 25,0% 0,0% 0,0%
Importance medium 0,0% 12,5% 25,0% 25,0% 50,0% 0,0%
high
Index*
75,0% 62,5% 62,5% 37,5% 50,0% 100,0%
0,75 0,74 0,81 0,60 0,80 0,13
*Index = (0*Nº none + 0,3*Nº low + 0,6*Nº medium + Nº high) / (total number of musicians) Source: Field research
The interactive processes are mainly informal and restricted to the local scope. The musicians point to the “experience of the musician or group” during the presentations as the best and most important source of information for learning. Other information sources were also considered relevant (Table 5): “audience”, “other musicians and groups” and “museums and similar”, receiving respectively importance indexes of 0.83, 0.78 and 0.78. In relation to the item “museums and similar”, the Museum of Seresta and Serenata has a central role not only as an information source, but also as a locus where musicians and other local agents meet and exchange information. These interactions happen mainly on an informal way during leisure meetings. The relevant information sources for learning are situated almost in totality in the district of Conservatória. This can be explained by the fact that the local environment itself, with the presence of the museums, the House of Culture and good musicians, offers an ample quantity and quality of information. In addition, the little interaction with agents outside the local sphere can be explained by the fact that the music style of seresta is less practiced in other localities. In relation to the item “education and research institutions”, the importance indexes are low, especially those related to “formal schools and universities” and “professional training institutions”. On one hand, the low importance of university and professional training institutions can be attributed to the inexistence of such institutions directed towards music in the district. On the other hand, the low interaction with formal schools seems not understandable, since the local musicians are interested in perpetuating the musical tradition through the new generations and see music lessons at school as an important instrument for that.
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Table 3 – information sources for learning; importance and location Description External sources Other musicians and groups Professionals from related technical areas Equipment and instrument suppliers Clients - audience Truism agencies Education and research institutions Formal schools and universities Research institutes Museums and similar Institutions for professional training Other information sources Specialized publications Meetings and workshops Leisure meetings Unions and associations, etc Internet information
Importance
Location State Brazil Exterior
none
low
medium
high
Index*
Local
12,5% 25,0% 75,0% 0,0% 50,0%
0,0% 25,0% 0,0% 25,0% 12,5%
25,0% 0,0% 0,0% 0,0% 0,0%
62,5% 50,0% 25,0% 75,0% 37,5%
0,78 0,58 0,25 0,83 0,41
75,0% 25,0% 0,0% 100,0% 37,5%
37,5% 37,5% 12,5% 12,5% 12,5%
37,5% 25,0% 0,0% 0,0% 0,0%
25,0% 25,0% 0,0% 0,0% 0,0%
75,0% 75,0% 12,5% 75,0%
0,0% 0,0% 0,0% 0,0%
0,0% 0,0% 25,0% 0,0%
25,0% 25,0% 62,5% 25,0%
0,25 0,25 0,78 0,25
0,0% 0,0% 62,5% 0,0%
12,5% 12,5% 12,5% 12,5%
0,0% 0,0% 0,0% 0,0%
0,0% 0,0% 0,0% 0,0%
12,5% 62,5% 0,0% 62,5% 37,5%
0,0% 0,0% 0,0% 0,0% 0,0%
37,5% 12,5% 37,5% 25,0% 37,5%
50,0% 25,0% 62,5% 12,5% 25,0%
0,73 0,33 0,85 0,28 0,48
50,0% 12,5% 75,0% 25,0% 12,5%
37,5% 12,5% 12,5% 12,5% 25,0%
25,0% 0,0% 0,0% 0,0% 25,0%
25,0% 0,0% 0,0% 0,0% 12,5%
*Index = (0*Nº none + 0,3*Nº low + 0,6*Nº medium + Nº high) / (total number of musicians) Source: Field research
Although some musicians mention the necessity for better access to information, the informal aspect and the restricted scope of the interactions do not seem to constitute relevant limitations for the maintenance of the musical activities as they currently are. Further, the low importance attributed to the information exchange with support organizations (0,28) can be seen as a consequence of the lack of collective initiatives in the district. Embedment, coordination and forms of cooperation in the arrangement Leadership figures have always been important for the mobilization of the diverse agents towards common objectives and for the coordination of activities since the 1960’s. Through the ideals and efforts of the pioneering musicians the seresta and the serenata were transformed into a collective good, important for the local identity. Despite the importance of collective and coordinated actions, which led to the effective embedment of this musical activity in the district, these actions always had an informal and less structuralized character. Associated to this character, the local musicians revealed some difficulty acknowledging the dimension and importance of such actions. On the other hand, there aren’t almost any cooperative activities between the local agents (87.5% declared not to cooperate). Those how declared to cooperate attribute some importance to the cooperation with other local agents, as a determinant factor for the attraction of the audience. However, these answers and the interviews with the different local agents show that there are some informal cooperation relations that, many times, are not understood as such. The absence of the founders and leaders of the group of the Museum of Seresta and Serenata (one of them deceased and another one in disease) leads to a delicate and complex problem related to the
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establishment of a new leadership. On one hand, some integrants consider that the activities should be organized and coordinated in team. On the other hand, some integrants perceive the necessity of a new leadership to deal with the regular activities of the group. The lack of consensus concerning this issue reflexes the divergences of opinions inside this group in relation to the future of their activities. Some believe that there is no necessity for modifications in the repertoire and form of presentation, considering it important to preserve the classics of the seresta and the way in which these are organized. Other integrants defend the diversification of the presented repertoire, in order to make the serenata more attractive for an ampler audience. These two standpoints, apparently contradictory, have been polarizing the discussion about alternatives for the local productive arrangement. The entrepreneurs of the tourism infrastructure also show diverging opinions and objectives and difficulties to cooperate. Examples of the lack of coordination include: the inexistence in Conservatória of a representative association of these agents and the fact that only a restricted number of them integrate the CONDECON. There aren’t any cooperative actions between the group of the Museum of Seresta and Serenata and the other museums of the city and, further, the integrants of this group do not formally participate in existing forums like the CONDECON. However, some interviewed people seemed to recognize, even if unconsciously, the relevance of collective actions directed to the promotion of the seresta for the local development. The fact itself that most agents of the arrangement are aware of the importance of the local identity and seek to preserve the specific characteristics of Conservatória reflects such recognition and the convergence of actions towards common objectives. An example of coordinated actions, even if informal and not structuralized, is the constant promotion of musical events in Conservatória, although there isn’t a structuralized calendar for such events. On one hand, the preservation of the cultural and musical aspects is facilitated by the local characteristics of the district of Conservatória. On the other hand, these characteristics are also reinforced by the active persistence of its inhabitants to promote such preservation. It’s a virtuous circle that has fostered the embedment of the musical culture in the district. This gets clear when considering the importance attributed by the interviewed musicians to the tradition of the musical style of the arrangement (0,95), to the cultural, historical, natural and typical architectural characteristics of the arrangement (0,78) and to the proximity with the house of culture and museums, etc. (0,78) as specific advantages of Conservatória. However, despite the importance of these museums for the preservation of the romantic music traditions, there is only a tight relation between the local musicians and the other two museums of the district. Although the musicians attributed high indexes of importance to the museums as sources of information for the learning process, the inexistence of cooperative activities suggests that the local musicians benefit from the rich repertoire of the museums, without contributing for its preservation. 5. Differentials and perspectives Conservatória recently turned into an important tourism instance. The lodging and alimentation infrastructure grew particularly during the last decade. There is a high average occupation during the whole year. The hotel infrastructure is being extended, with investment projects for the capacity amplification being carried out in 2004. All initiatives come from private entrepreneurs, most of them local, which see good possibilities for businesses in the arrangement. 14
Music has the central attraction for tourists and the cultural establishments, like the museums, enforce this thematic. This musical identity is reestablished in the hotels, the streets, the facades of the houses, the bars and restaurants. Despite the absence of official support and a relative disarticulation of initiatives, the number of different music events is increasing. New initiatives are incorporating other music styles, attracting an increasing number of tourists. The “Seresteiros Festival”, the “Chorinho Festival” and the “Night of Waltz” are some examples. Despite the diversity of attractions, there is no organization forum for these events. These occur through individual and voluntary initiatives and, generally, without governmental support. In the same way, there is no official programming for an annual calendar of events, pointed by the majority of the interviewed agents as a first order necessity for the district. Since there is a complete absence of governmental support, all credits should be given to the local musicians with their effort and devotion. An example of the absence of governmental action is a problem with an apparently simple resolution: the traffic of motorized vehicles. Conservatória is formed by two main streets, whose stone pavement has been preserved and that won’t support the current traffic intensity. Currently there is no organization or limitation of the traffic during the weekends, when most tourists come to the district and the main musical manifestations occur10. During the presentation of the serenata, on the streets of the city and followed by a procession of participants, the traffic flows normally. The mass disputes space with parked or circulating vehicles, tourism busses and trucks. Many times over the noise it becomes difficult to hear the music that is played without amplification equipment. Moreover, there are varied problems related to the urban infrastructure. The district has problems with sanitation that can have consequences of difficult solution in the long run with the growing number of commercial and lodging establishments. The city disposes of a small hospital with a lack of doctors and ambulances to take the local population or tourists, in cases of emergency, to other places with better medical resources. There are also no governmental initiatives for the preservation of the urban area. All these are important issues for the survival and development of this musical local productive arrangement, as well as for it to continue creating synergic effects on other economic activities. However, a still more fundamental problem relates to the possible transformations of the core of the arrangement: the seresta and serenata spectacle. The question is how the local tradition will survive and in which way it will evolve. On one hand, the musical style of seresta may be on its trend to extinction; in the case there is no renewal and dissemination of this cultural tradition - inside and outside the arrangement. It’s a musical style with very little significance in the actual musical market and elder people compose its audience. On the other hand, difficulties for the training of new musicians can be observed, hindering the transmission of this specific musical knowledge and the continuity of Conservatória’s tradition. This problem gains even more incisive contours when considering the fact that the conventions are intimately related to a specific generation, both in the case of the musicians and the audience. The main challenge is how to prevent the disappearance and to assure the survival of the tradition of the seresta. And how to promote the related economic activities that contribute for local development?
10
As it happens in the city of Paraty, a historical city in the State of Rio de Janeiro, some limitation to the traffic flow could be imposed in order to protect the architectural patrimony and to offer a more pleasant atmosphere for visitors.
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Two apparently contradictory alternatives have been identified. The first one points to the maintenance of the traditional style of seresta. However, it is argued that the audience could shrink over time, since there isn’t a new generation with great interest in this musical style. The second alternative suggests the amplification of musical variety, turning it easier to attract new generations. In this case, the district runs the risk to lose its specific characteristics. It would keep its musical tradition, but would lose the seresta tradition. In this perspective, the importance of a leadership figure to guide this renewal process is stressed. And the training of new musicians and the renewal of the old musicians’ repertoire would also be of first importance The questions related to the future of Conservatória are very instigating. One aspect relates to the question in how far the supposed inexistence of interest for this musical style can be considered as a direct consequence of the lack of actions directed towards its diffusion. Another question is to what extend the two discussed alternatives (strict preservation or incremental changes) are really mutually exclusive. Once more we stress the importance to reflect about the interrelations of culture, creativity, innovation, tradition and local development, as cited in the second item of this study. 6. Conclusion The application of the methodological and analytical approach developed by RedeSist offers the possibility to reflect about its contribution for the analyses of such a case. In first place, the contemplation of the historical development trajectory of the musical activity in the productive arrangement allows us to understand how and why this musical vocation emerged. Secondly, we argue that a systemic approach allows us to contemplate the phenomenon of music in Conservatória beyond the restricted focus on the central activity (the musical execution), considering the correlated activities and local agents. Other instances, as the tourism agents, education and culture organizations, support and promotion agencies and the territory itself provide specific contours to the music activity. When contemplating the potentialities and challenges for Conservatória’s development, it is necessary to consider the limitations and potentialities determined by these other instances. The focus on cooperation, learning and governance allows us to analyze factors that are essential for the promotion of the musical activities, seeking to guarantee the sustainability of the district’s development pattern. Thus, we argue that this approach leads us to reflect about the future trajectories (and its limitations) and how these can be pursued. In summary, two main issues guide the proposal of politics for the mobilization of local productive and innovative arrangements. In first place, it is important to identify and to draw policies that take in account the specific characteristics and requirements of different environments and local agents. Secondly, we argue that the policies will be more successful and effective if they focus the whole set of agents and their environments; develop instruments that support them collectively; and that involve them in the implementation. Finally, we argue that the policies for promotion of local productive arrangements will have their advantages still more strengthened if they represent the local reflex of a national development project for the long run. The articulation and coordination of the politics at the local, regional, national and even supranational level are fundamental for their success.
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