Researching Cultural Policy: National and Comparative Perspective
As part of celebrating Heritage Month, SACO hosted a Brazilian Professorial Mission, to strengthen ties between Brazilian and South African universities cultural research institutions. From the 23rd of September to the 2nd of October 2025, leading scholars from the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), Brazil, engaged with the South African Cultural Organization (SACO) and its University institutional partners in a collaborative programme centered on the critical study of cultural and creative policies.
The visiting delegation comprises two distinguished figures in the field: Professor Leonardo Costa, Director of the Faculty of Communication at UFBA, and Professor Renata Rocha, Production and Communications Advisor for the Office of the Vice-Rector for Extension. Both are coordinators of the Laboratory of Studies in Cultural Policies and Cultural Economics (LAB-Cultura) and Joint Chief Editors of the influential academic journal Políticas Culturais em Revista.
This mission is more than a simple academic exchange; it is a strategic initiative to foster a robust South-South dialogue. The collaboration focuses on two middle-income countries, Brazil and South Africa, which share similar socio-economic challenges, making the comparative study of their cultural policies particularly relevant. The visit is a key component of a larger, Brazilian government-funded research project headed by Professor Costa. The project, backed by CNPq (Brazil’s National Council for Scientific and Technological Development), is formally titled “Researching Cultural Policy: National and Comparative” and involves inter-institutional cooperation with South African researchers.
Key aspects of the visit were a series of public seminars and events. First of these was a SACO seminar on 25 September with strategic Nelson Mandela University invitees to consolidate linkages with the two universities and to explore mutual benefits for the two national governments. This was followed by a one-day informal workshop and discussions on 26 September facilitated by the Department of Economics of Rhodes University.
On 29 September a public seminar organized by the Department of Development Studies in liaison with SACO, was held on the morning of 29 September at the NMU Business School. The seminar, titled “Researching Cultural Policy: National and Comparative,” delved into the theoretical and methodological considerations of formulating, monitoring, and evaluating cultural policies. A key focus was on the development of reliable and comparable indicators for assessing public policy in the cultural field. These are of relevance for local and provincial governments.
The discussions will be led by Professor Richard Haines, Professor Emeritus at NMU and Professorial Research Fellow in the South African Cultural Observatory (SACO), who provide an overview of the South African context.
This seminar will be followed by a mini-public-workshop organized by the Keiskamma Trust, in consultation with SACO, in Hamburg, in the Eastern Cape on 30 October 2025. This event should expose the visiting team further to the dynamics and diversity of the cultural makeup of the province.
The mission’s itinerary reflects its comprehensive nature. Prior to the main seminar, the Brazilian professors presented a mini workshop at Rhodes University on 26 September, engaging with the Department of Economics, another key partner of SACO. Beyond university walls, the delegation travelled to the Keiskamma Trust & Art Centre in Hamburg, Eastern Cape. This purposed of the visit was to ground their theoretical research in the practical realities of a community-based creative enterprise, with presentations facilitated by contact person Andy Hofmeyr.
A longer-term outcome of this visit is already planned. Professor Costa will return to South Africa for a funded sabbatical leave, primarily based in Gqeberha and linked with SACO and NMU’s Department of Development Studies. This extended engagement promises to deepen the collaboration, opening avenues for joint research, potential student exchanges, and shared methodologies for mapping and evaluating cultural and creative enterprises.
This pioneering mission, therefore, represents a significant step towards institutionalizing a partnership between UFBA, SACO, and NMU. It moves beyond theoretical discussion to lay the groundwork for practical, collaborative research that can inform cultural management and policy development in both Brazil and South Africa, highlighting the oft-underestimated role of culture as a vital component of public and development policy.