Brazil of Erased Letters

NOT EVERY STORY WAS FORGOTTEN - SOME WERE ERASED

September 5 & 6 - Sydney

On September 5 and 6, Sydney hosts an event bringing together Afro-Brazilian musicality, kinesthetic exhibitions, literature and cinema.

The programme reveals a richer and more complex side of Brazil, exploring stories, identities and cultural expressions through art, movement, film, music, food and conversation.

At its heart is a question: what happens when stories are erased - and what happens when we begin to recover them?

KNOW WHAT YOUR TICKET INCLUDES

DAY PASS - SATURDAY OR SUNDAY

Your Day Pass contribution goes towards the structure, production and local expenses of the event.

The Day Pass gives you access to the main programme downstairs for the selected day, including exhibitions, panels, presentations and performances.

WEEKEND PASS - BOTH DAYS

You can also purchase a Weekend Pass, giving you access to the main programme downstairs on both Saturday and Sunday.

The Weekend Pass contribution also supports the structure, production and local expenses of the event.

UPSTAIRS - SEPARATE TICKETS

All activities taking place upstairs require a separate ticket.

This includes:

• Film screenings

• Workshops

• Other upstairs experiences

These separate tickets are required for crowd control and capacity management, allowing us to create a safe and comfortable experience for everyone.

100% of the funds raised through film screening and workshop tickets will be donated to the groups and artists who are generously contributing to this project.

Please note that your Day Pass or Weekend Pass does not include access to the upstairs screenings or workshops.

PROGRAMME SATURDAY - SEPTEMBER 5

5:00 PM - 6:00 PM

ARRIVAL & EXHIBITION OPENING

Doors open and the exhibition begins.

Guests are invited to arrive, explore the space and begin their experience of the project.

6:00 PM - 7:30 PM

DOWNSTAIRS

ART EXHIBITION

São Thomé das Letras Apagadas (2025)

An exhibition inspired by the book São Thomé das Letras Apagadas, presenting research into the Black and Afro-Indigenous presence in the history and formation of São Thomé das Letras, Minas Gerais.

UPSTAIRS

FILM SCREENING

D. Alvina

Directed and produced by Marcela Bossiger

The short film D. Alvina is closely connected to the research behind São Thomé das Letras Apagadas and provides an important entry point into the stories explored throughout the event.

Screening Session
6:50 PM

Separate screening ticket required.

Screening runs for approximately 40 minutes.

Please note: The film screening requires a separate ticket for crowd control. Revenue from screening tickets will be donated to the groups contributing to the project.

7:45 PM - 8:45 PM

PANEL WITH MARCELA BOSSIGER

A conversation about the research, discoveries and stories behind São Thomé das Letras Apagadas.

We strongly recommend watching D. Alvina before attending the panel, as the film provides important context for the discussion.

About Marcela Bossiger

Marcela Bossiger is the director and producer of D. Alvina and author of São Thomé das Letras Apagadas (2025).

Over four years, she conducted pioneering research into the Black and Afro-Indigenous presence in the formation of São Thomé das Letras, combining documentary research, oral histories and material evidence.

She also initiated an archaeological collection through historical metal detecting and created and curated exhibitions including Casa da Cinestesia and Casa da Cinestesia II, including the first exhibition held inside the Main Church of São Thomé das Letras.

For this project, Marcela brings to Sydney a glimpse into a history from Minas Gerais that has been largely absent from dominant narratives of Brazil.

8:45 PM - 9:00 PM

BREAK

15-minute break.

9:00 PM - 10:00 PM

SÉRGIO PERERÊ

Live Performance

Sérgio Pererê is an acclaimed Brazilian singer, composer and multi-instrumentalist whose work connects Afro-Brazilian references, oral traditions and contemporary musical languages.

With more than 30 years of professional experience and over 15 recorded albums, he has performed internationally across Europe, Africa, the Americas, Asia and Oceania.

His artistic practice also extends into theatre and cinema, including acting, musical direction and film scoring.

10:00 PM - 11:00 PM

CLOSING

DJ Set 

Saturday concludes with a DJ set and vinyl selection, bringing together music, movement and community.

SUNDAY - SEPTEMBER 6

12:00 PM - 2:00 PM

CULTURAL LUNCH EXPERIENCE

A food-box experience where each dish helps tell a story about Brazilian culture and history.

Food becomes another way of exploring ancestry, regional identity, migration and cultural memory.

2:00 PM - 2:30 PM

OPENING WITH MARACATU UBUNTU

Maracatu Ubuntu is a Sydney-based group dedicated to the powerful Afro-Brazilian percussion tradition of Maracatu, rooted in Pernambuco, Brazil.

Their name, Ubuntu - "I am because we are" - reflects their belief in rhythm, connection, collective strength and community.

2:30 PM - 4:00 PM

DOWNSTAIRS

PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION + IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE

Continue exploring the exhibition and immersive elements of the project.

UPSTAIRS

WORKSHOPS

Three experiences exploring Afro-Brazilian traditions, movement, ancestry and embodied knowledge.

AFRO DANCE (2:30PM)

Ancestral Movement & Body Intelligence

A movement experience exploring Afro-diasporic dance, ancestral knowledge and the body as a way of connecting with history, identity and culture.

MARACATU (3:10PM)

The Instruments & Movement

Explore the instruments, rhythms and movements of Maracatu and their relationship to Afro-Brazilian cultural heritage and collective expression.

Separate workshop ticket required.

Please note: All workshops take place upstairs and require a separate ticket for crowd control. Revenue from workshop tickets will be donated to the groups generously contributing to the project.

4:00 PM PANEL

Generational Trauma, Identity & Erasure

A conversation exploring generational trauma, identity and cultural erasure.

How can the erasure of a country's stories affect the people who inherit those stories - and those whose histories have been removed from the narrative?

The panel explores the relationship between history, identity, ancestry and belonging.

Cislene Crepaldi

Master Emotional Therapist - Specialist in Severe Disorders

Cislene works with Generative Reprocessing Therapy (TRG), focusing on emotional blocks and trauma and supporting people in their journey towards emotional restoration and wellbeing.

Lenita Azevedo

Emotional Therapist - Master Therapist - Behavioural Analyst

Lenita's work focuses on helping people understand their life stories, process emotional pain and trauma, and build healthier and more balanced lives through ethical, results-focused therapeutic practice.

Márcia Aparecida da Silva

Master Emotional Therapist - Behavioural Analyst

A retired lawyer, Márcia found a new professional purpose through Generative Reprocessing Therapy. With more than 1,000 consultations completed, she works with trauma and emotional blocks, helping people reconnect with their inner strength and pursue greater emotional balance and freedom. She currently works with clients in Brazil and Australia.

5:00 PM

DANCE PERFORMANCE

Café

By Darua Lab

A dance performance exploring movement, culture and storytelling.

About Darua Lab

Darua was born from a desire to represent Brazil to the world.

Proudly Brazilian, Darua invites both Brazilians and non-Brazilians to experience the richness of Brazilian culture and the diversity of its dance traditions.

Through classes and performances, Darua creates a space built on passion, creativity and connection, using dance as a way to bridge cultures, foster understanding and strengthen community.

About Nandara Nerys

Nandara Nerys has built a consistent body of work dedicated to valuing and sharing Brazilian culture in Australia through art, education and community building.

Her work creates bridges between people, territories and cultures, expanding access to Brazilian cultural expressions and strengthening a sense of belonging for those living away from home.

There is purpose behind this work and a genuine commitment to preserving and sharing Brazilian cultural identity.

As the head and heart of Darua Lab and the driving force behind the Brazilian Cultural Centre, Nandara continues to create spaces where Brazilian culture can be experienced, celebrated and shared with the wider community.

Performance duration: approximately 15 minutes.

5:30 PM - 6:30 PM

GUILHERME & HEITOR

Guia Negro - Presentation

A presentation exploring Black travel, Afro-centred tourism, history, culture and representation in Brazil.

About Guilherme Soares Dias

Guilherme Soares Dias is the founder of Guia Negro and the author/editor of works including Afroturismo: Afeto, Afronta e Futuro and São Paulo Negra.

His work highlights Afro-centred perspectives on travel, ancestry, places, culture and social movements, presenting tourism as not only a way of travelling, but also an act of political, cultural and emotional connection.

6:30 PM

CLOSING PANEL

All Participants

A final collective conversation bringing together the voices and perspectives of the weekend.

The closing panel will bring together all panelists and participants from Brazil and Australia, creating a space for reflection, exchange and connection between the different themes explored throughout the event.

8:00 PM

END OF PROGRAMME + DJ

The official programme concludes with music and a final DJ set.

NOT EVERY STORY WAS FORGOTTEN.

SOME WERE ERASED.

This weekend is an invitation to look again.

To listen to stories that were pushed aside.
To move through histories carried in the body.
To experience culture beyond the versions we have been taught.

And to ask what becomes possible when erased stories are brought back into the conversation.