MULTIRIO – MARCH ACTIVE ORG
Photos from "I Swear I Saw It... Brazilian Myths: Adults and Children Involved in the Creation of Animated Cartoons." a publication of Prefeitura do Rio
This month’s Active Org comes to us from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where in 2005 Leila Kaas, our Director of Social Accountability and Community Outreach helped organize a tour of the MultiRio TV studios for BridgeThink’s executive director, Don Burton.
As Rio’s municipal multimedia company, MultiRio’s goal is to integrate media and education. Using TV, web and print, MultiRio helps viewers to understand, “decode” and use today’s digital tools to democratize information and make “cultural wealth available to all citizens.”
Demonstrating their integrative approach is the animation series “I Swear I Saw It” (Juro que Vi) in which students of municipal schools become partners with the professional animation team. Through dialogue and drawings students help transform traditional Brazilian Myths into narratives that re-acquaint youth with an aspect of local culture that often gets lost in global market driven entertainment.
“In the meetings we ask children to express themselves,” explains Patricia Alves Dias, Coordinator of the Center for Special Projects in Animation at MultiRio. “For example, in [the episode] The Saci there’s a through line about childrens rights. We were in doubt if the narrative made this connection clear to the children. Our contact with the group eliminated our doubts, helping us to make an animation dedicated to them.” The series is now being adapted into a feature length film.
Finally, projects such as The Animated Charter for Peace encourage children to draw, animate and narrate finished stories themselves. “Peace in Jacarezinho Shanty Town,” for example, provided kids living in an underprivileged community of Rio de Janeiro, with an opportunity to use images and issues from their own neighborhood. “Peace in Jacarezinho …” took part in the Museum of Television & Radio’s 2006 Media Literacy: Overseas Conversations Series (PDF) in which MultiRio was invited to New York City to share their experience. From the program:
Eight hours, a thousand drawings, thirty color pens and the right to freely express their opinions. This is just what boys and girls living at social risk need to make one manifest: The Animated Charter for Peace.
To find out more about this socially driven org and to see how you can build similar media initiatives in your community visit: multirio.rio.rj.gov.br
Tags: animation, Brazilian Myths, entertainment, I Swear I Saw It, Juro que Vi, Leila Kaas, Media Literacy: Overseas Conversations Series, MultiRio, Museum of Television & Radio, New Media, Patricia Alves Dias, Peace in Jacarezinho Shanty Town, Rio de Janeiro, The Animated Charter for Peace, The Saci
Wonderful work!!!!
I was the Project Supervision/General Coordinator (2001-2008) of the animation series “I Swear I Saw It” (Juro que Vi).
It was the most important project of MULTIRIO between 2001 and 2008.
When the best of MULTIRIO team was modified by the political changes (2009),the project “I Swear I Saw It”, unfortunately, was interrupted by political reasons. What a pity!
Now, the ex-MULTIRIO team are waiting for new invites to make other similar projects.
We are here and believe that is possible make quality media for children.
Marcos Ozorio – BRAZIL
Marcos, Obrigado for the update. We had a wonderful experience in 2005 touring the MultiRio studios and meeting the team. The energy and work you were doing was quite inspiring and forward-thinking. It was new. We have a saying here at BridgeThink that, “What happens around a project is just as important as the project itself.” The positive impact on the children and society as a whole from the series is just one great example of this saying. We hope things can change and your team can continue with this great initiative. Our hopes are with you. Please keep us updated on any new developments. Our best. – The BridgeThink Team
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