Manguinhos: Cultural Strategy as a Tool for Social Inclusion and Mental Health

This project explores the relationship between sociocultural initiatives and the wellbeing of residents of Manguinhos in Rio de Janeiro. 36,000 people live in this culturally vibrant group of favelas, where several arts projects, collectives and creative experiences take place.

People’s Palace Projects, Fiocruz and FGV, with co-researchers from the territory have identified around thirty active cultural and creative initiatives: ranging from slam battles, language schools and the production of local newspapers to environmental workshops like the well-known green rooftops.

During it’s first phase, the study promoted roundtables with local cultural producers to hear directly from their experiences about relationships between sociocultural experiences, care and social inclusion – as a strategy for building better public policies for vulnerable populations suffering from mental distress.

The mapping of these initiatives were presented in a digital catalogue, giving visibility to such initiatives and strengthening the discussions around arts and mental health in the territory. The catalogue was widely disseminated alongside the Manguinhos community.

Watch the conversations (in Portuguese) and read the catalogue:

Named “Estratégias culturais em Manguinhos: um estudo de trajetórias de vida e redes sociais locais como ferramentas de promoção da saúde mental” (Cultural Strategies in Manguinhos: a study of life trajectories and local social networks as tools for promoting mental health, the second phase of the research aimed to expand the reach and deepen the discussion of the catalog “Cultural Strategies in Manguinhos” by strengthening ties with the community. Through oral history interviews that formed the basis for the short documentary “Coisa de Favela”, this phase sought to document the practices, life trajectories, and knowledge of cultural producers in Manguinhos and understand how these cultural agents perceive and build a connection between culture and mental health in the favela.

This stage of the project aimed to explore how locally produced cultural experiences, historically and socially learned and taught in Manguinhos, are linked to the promotion of mental health and the quality of life of its residents. In this sense, the project sought to understand how local cultural practices can be considered strategies for caring for the mental health of vulnerable populations while also encouraging their emancipation, autonomy, and sustainability.

Through dialogue with cultural producers and the involvement of Manguinhos cultural professionals in the research and documentary production, the second phase of the project was carried out in co-production with the community.

What is the role of culture in shaping life and mental health in favela territories?

This question is the starting point for the film “Coisa de Favela”, which invites six cultural producers from different collectives and organizations within the Manguinhos favela complex—Ana Paula Oliveira (Mães de Manguinhos), Celestre Estrela (Sarau de Manguinhos and G.R.E.S Unidos de Manguinhos), Iguinho Imperador (Imperadores da Dança), Luis Cassiano Silva (Teto Verde Favela), Cátia Nascimento (Experimentalismo Brabo), and Ellen Grace (storyteller and Espaço Casa Viva / Rede CCAP)—to share their experiences with art and culture in the community.

By addressing the relationship between mental health and culture, the film explores various themes such as racism, violence, the appreciation of peripheral culture, the environment, and art as a tool for advocating for rights. Through interviews and performances, the film features different artistic expressions—poetry, clowning, dance, sports, slam, carnival, etc.—to demonstrate that culture is indeed a part of favela life. The production was directed by researcher, art historian, and cultural producer Franciele Campos, who is also a resident and social activist in Manguinhos.

In addition to receiving consultancy from local cultural producers, the film’s soundtrack was produced by Guaiamum Áudio and Estúdio Escola Casa VIVA, with musical direction by Cris Ariel and compositions by students from Espaço Casa Viva/Rede CCAP.

The catalog, discussion groups, and interviews conducted for the production of the short documentary “Coisa de Favela” demonstrate that the cultural and artistic strategies developed by Manguinhos producers build and enhance cultural, care, and mental health promotion networks that help residents face inequalities, multiple forms of violence, and human rights violations.

Moreover, cultural initiatives serve as places of memory due to their importance in developing and preserving local traditions, community connections, and cultural expressions, providing a space to discuss various issues such as violence, the climate crisis, gender, racism, and sexuality, while also fostering networks of solidarity and mutual support. In this context, the audiovisual documentation of these cultural practices stems from the understanding of these actions as intangible heritage.

Mapping and dialogue with local researchers and cultural producers indicate that cultural initiatives led by favela residents offer alternatives for promoting life and mental health in these territories.

Throughout its two phases, the project has been presented to national and international partners, resulting in the continuation of actions through the adaptation of the cultural strategy mapping methodology and its application in other territories and contexts through new research projects.

Through a partnership between People’s Palace Projects Brasil and the Construindo Juntos Research Collective, with support from FGV and funding from Fiocruz via the 2024 Public Call for Comprehensive Health Actions in Rio de Janeiro’s favelas, the research project “Cultural and Care Networks: Promoting Mental Health in Cidade de Deus” is currently mapping and cataloging cultural initiatives in this community alongside local researchers.

The methodology developed for this research has also been used by the NIHR Global Health Research Centre: Community Management of Non-Communicable Diseases in Latin America, the Latam Centre, for mapping cultural initiatives in three countries: Colombia (Guaviare), Guatemala (Alta Verapaz), and Bolivia (San José de Chiquitos).