People’s Palace Projects develop artistic exchange programme with Brazil’s indigenous Xingu community

According to the indigenous Kuikuro people in Brazil, artists are itseke, powerful spirits of invisible knowledge.  As part of its commitment to explore the special way in which artists 'know' the world, Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) is building a unique research project with the Kuikuro which asks how we can measure the value of cultural exchange with Brazil's indigenous cultures today. The Xingu is a protected area of more than 2.6 million hectares and home to 16 indigenous peoples, including the Kuikuro. The area was designated as a protected national park in 1961 to protect the lives and culture of its inhabitants and to preserve the local environment.  In the village of Ipatse which is home to almost 500 people, the Kuikuro have constructed a traditional oca as a residency centre for artists. Built with the same techniques that they have used for over 1000 years, the oca will be a place for visiting artists to learn about their culture practices and forge new artistic collaborations. As part of a research project led by Professor Paul Heritage from QMUL's School of English and Drama , nine artists from across the city of Rio de Janeiro and one Beatbox artist from South London will be working for 15 days with the Kuikuro indigenous people between the end of August and the beginning of September.