Imagine a June celebration bringing together Lia de Itamaracá, Mestra Joana do Maracatu, Luiz Gonzaga, Jackson do Pandeiro, Clementina de Jesus and so many other artists of our Brazilian popular culture…
Well, this is how the 25th will be. be.Living’s Festa Junina, which not only celebrates the 25th anniversary of our school but also celebrates and thanks those who, with their art and journey, have been present in the learning paths we have traveled with the children over decades of Festa Junina.
The Festa Junina da be.Living is one of the most awaited events by our community. Besides being a celebration and a moment of sharing involving children, families, female collaborators, and male collaborators, it is, above all, a pedagogical project that involves weeks of studies, rehearsals, artistic experiences, and reflections. During this period, students of Early Childhood Education and Elementary School experience rhythms, dances, and games that express the plurality and cultural richness of our country.
In each edition, the party honors a remarkable personality of national culture. Names such as Luiz Gonzaga, Raquel Trindade, Jackson do Pandeiro, Mario Zan, Mestra Joana do Maracatu, João do Vale, among others, have already passed through the June Festival of our school, with our last honoree being Clementina de Jesus — a black woman, descendant of Bantu Africans, guardian of the traditions of samba and Afro-Brazilian culture.
In this symbolic year, in which the school celebrates 25 years of existence, it will be a little different. As it is a special edition, we will hold a collective tribute, celebrating all the figures who, over the years, have been recognized in our June festivals for their contributions to popular culture. This decision reinforces the pedagogical intention behind the celebration: to expand the repertoire of the children, strengthening the appreciation of Brazil’s cultural diversity.
“The Festa Junina has become a major cultural event, more than just a traditional celebration,” explains Gabriela Fernandes, coordinator of Elementary School. “For some time now, we have chosen honorees with the aim of introducing children to personalities that are often not in textbooks.” Our curatorship has prioritized black people, looking at the power of Afro-Brazilian cultural manifestations.”
The choice of the honored figures is the result of research work carried out by the school’s Brazilian Culture team, coordinated by teacher Amanda Ribeiro and teacher Vinícius Medrado, both of music. “
“We chose the honorees thinking about who are the great masters and great mistresses of our Brazilian popular culture. They are guardians and guardians of the memories and cultural traditions of our country. Many of these people, or the manifestations they keep, are considered intangible heritage of Brazil. They are people who have worked and work with struggle and resistance to keep alive traditions so beautiful, so special, so old, so representative of our Brazilian culture” – explains Professor Amanda Ribeiro.
Amanda states that from this investigation, the children come to know not only the biography of the honored individuals, but also the characteristics of their art, their historical contexts, and their relevance to the construction of Brazilian culture.
The Afro-Brazilian and indigenous cultures are gaining increasing prominence not only to comply with laws 10.639/2003 and 11.645/2008 – which made the study of indigenous and Afro-Brazilian history and culture mandatory in elementary and high school institutions – but, above all, to express our ethical and political commitment to social justice and respect for diversity.
Another important point of the Festa Junina da be.Living has been the look at female representation in music. Professor Amanda points out that, historically, women face great challenges to be recognized as composers and instrumentalists. “In music, there has always been a male predominance. Often, women were restricted to singing, while men occupied the spaces of creation. The Festa Junina has been an opportunity to show the children other powerful female references.”
In addition to the artistic and cultural part, the party also brings learning related to sustainability and conscious consumption. This year, no gifts will be distributed at the play tents. The children will be able to play as much as they want, with freedom and joy, prioritizing the experience, the encounter, and the meaning of the celebration, and not the accumulation of objects that often end up being discarded.
The Elementary groups will continue to actively participate in the organization of the stalls, as part of a pedagogical work that involves financial education, conscious consumption and mathematical planning, learning to deal with money in an ethical and responsible way.
Looking back – to the 25 years of be.Living, with June parties always so striking – we cannot fail to mention that in 2020, a year marked by the beginning of the pandemic, it was necessary to take a break. At that moment, we asked ourselves: “How to celebrate an essentially collective party in the midst of isolation, with each one at home? How to build a meaningful June Festival at a distance?”. That year, we chose not to replace our party with a virtual version. The decision was a way of recognizing the moment we were living – of care and recollection – and understanding that there was still little to celebrate. Even so, our culture remained alive: we sang, danced, explored traditions and manifestations of Brazilian popular culture. But the party itself — our great June Festival! — was reserved for a later time, when we could then be together again safely. And this pause showed us, even more strongly, how much we love being gathered in this community celebration.
With all this, the Festa Junina 2025 of be.Living reaffirms itself as a powerful and living experience of learning and sharing, uniting past and present, memory and affection, art and knowledge. A space where the child is the protagonist and Brazilian culture is lived and shared with joy, respect and depth.