Institutional Introduction

Established in 2006 with the aim of spreading knowledge about issues related to management, economics and cultural policies, the Observatório Itaú Cultural collects, systematizes, elucidates, disseminates, and reflects on information about the cultural and creative sectors, acting as a space for supporting the development of cultural policies.

Since its outset, guided by Fundação Itaú’s public spirit in the production and dissemination of knowledge, the Observatório Itaú Cultural has promoted actions that spotlight the sector, through initiatives focused on research (including analyses of economic sectors, as well as the Cultural Habits survey, in partnership with the Instituto Datafolha), and training, with emphasis on the Cátedra Olavo Setubal – a partnership between Itaú Cultural (IC) and the Institute of Advanced Studies of the University of São Paulo (IEA / USP) – the Specialization Course in Cultural Management and Policies carried out with the University of Girona (Spain), the first of its kind in Brazil, and its distance learning (EAD) program.

In tandem with the advances in the culture and creative industries, which are increasingly impacting the economies of countries, the Observatório is entering a new phase in its history. In view of the essential role played by data and evidence in decision-making in the public and private sectors, in 2020 two important complementary initiatives were launched: the Observatório Itaú Cultural Data Panel, a platform that systematizes data and publications on the labor market and the business sector, as well as public spending on culture and international trade; and the professional master’s degree program in economics and policy of the culture and creative industries, a partnership between IC and the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS).

In light of the challenge of producing reliable and internationally comparable economic data and estimates for measuring the cultural and creative sectors in Brazil, the organization is taking on a new commitment by proposing a project for constructing the GDP of the economy of culture and creative industries in Brazil. The process of developing this indicator and the results achieved are presented in the articles published in this 34th issue of the Revista Observatório.

In furthering IC’s mission and commitment to producing and providing access to data and information on the cultural and creative sectors, we hope that this new initiative, in permanent dialogue with national and international experts, will foster the deepening of an organic space for research, training, and reflection on the cultural sector, contributing to critical thought concerning the formulation of cultural policies, while, above all, opening new possibilities for research and promoting debate in our field.

Enjoy the reading!

Eduardo Saron President of Fundação Itaú