Projeto Recreação -- Circo de Tudo Mundo (Recreation Project: Circus for the Whole World)
Projeto Recreação uses “culture, art, and leisure” to reintegrate street kids into society. In addition to several shelters for both boys and girls, it runs a fantastic circus program for street and other excluded children. It was founded by the National Movement of Street Boys and Girls as a new technique for outreach, seeing that strictly educational programs simply did not work. “You must approach them with things they like,” insists the director.
The circus school occurs in a huge gym full of tumbling and circus equipment. Teachers instruct everything from the high wire (actually, a low wire for the children) to tumbling and plate spinning. Children are doing gymnastics everywhere. There is even a rock climbing wall. These fun activities are integrated with school (tutors help kids as they are resting) and nutrition (they serve some food and would like to serve more). Other children work on capoeira or theater. There is a workshop in photography, with a darkroom, and in the back a huge collection of costumes, all from recycled materials. All in all, it is a fantastic space, and the kids appear elated to be there.
Projeto Recreação also runs two shelters, one for boys, one for adolescent girls. Unfortunately, these houses do not show the creativity and fun obvious at the circus; they are rather typical for Brasilian “abrigos.”
Rua Santo Augustino 1441
Instituto Agronômico
Belo Horizonte, MG
31035-480
tel: 31 461 1778
Contact: Maria Eneide Teixeira (circodetudomundo@bol.com.br)
lamentably, as of January of 2003, this email address failed to work, and Shine a light has been unable to find a replacement.
