OREANDA-NEWS. February 24, 2012. With a focus on social inclusion and the citizens’ development and education, Usiminas Cultural Institute has increasingly adopted an approach that aims at democratizing culture and sports. The 162 projects supported by the Institute last year through culture and sports incentive acts (Culture Incentive Act of the states of Minas Gerais and Sao Paulo, Federal Culture Incentive Act, Federal Sports Incentive Act and Santos’ Promifae program) give a good idea of the role played by the Institute. Such actions and partnerships involved approximately BRL   25 million in sponsorships.

On top of direct investments and sponsorships trough incentive acts, Usiminas Cultural Institute has its own cultural facilities. In 2011, in excess of 120,000 people attended the 346 plays and shows presented by Usiminas Cultural Center Theater, in Ipatinga. This audience is 8% higher than that in the previous year. The Zelia Olguin Theater, for its turn, hosted 274 events for an audience of about 32,000 people.

The Educational Action Program is an initiative that aims at facilitating the audience’s relation with the different artistic languages, and its activities were attended by 23,000 people last year, among teachers, students and artists.