Maria Marighella Reflects on Funarte Presidency and Legacy

Maria Marighella, the first woman from Brazil's Northeast to preside over Funarte, discusses her tenure from March 2023 to April 2026 in an interview with Celeste. She highlights her feminist, anti-racist management, including a colegiate board with gender and racial parity, and the first Indigenous director. Key achievements include resuming emblematic programs like Pixinguinha, Marcantonio Vilaça, and Klauss Vianna, reopening the National Circus School, and creating a memory policy. Marighella emphasizes the shift from 'balcão' (backroom deals) to transparent public calls, but criticizes the fragmentation caused by excessive competition in edicts. She advocates for 'ações continuadas' (continuous support) for groups and collectives, inspired by Bahia's model, which Funarte has nationalized. She also discusses the importance of federalism, the need for data and evaluation in cultural policy, and the role of Funarte as an articulator rather than a direct manager of cultural spaces. Marighella, granddaughter of revolutionary Carlos Marighella, sees her work as part of a broader struggle to democratize institutions. She concludes that her greatest pride is not leaving anything behind, embodying a feminist approach of accumulation and responsibility.