The Program

About the Program

In October 2024, the Government of São Paulo launched, through the Secretariat of Culture, Economy, and Creative Industries, the CULTSP PRO – Schools for Culture Professionals, the largest training and qualification program for the cultural and creative sector in Brazil. With hundreds of training and complementary activities, the program reached the end of December 2024 with over thirty thousand attendances in more than 270 municipalities through courses, lectures, events, and other training and complementary actions.

More than 80 courses and over 110 classes were organized, directly benefiting more than 2,400 enrolled students across various regions of the state. Additionally, CULTSP PRO held more than 260 lectures, gathering over ten thousand participants.

The Oswald de Andrade Building, the program's headquarters, is becoming a key cultural hub in the heart of downtown São Paulo. In 2024, the space hosted more than 670 activities, including events, cultural actions, and classes, attracting more than eighteen thousand people.

Among the highlights of the Cultural Program are the Street Art Fair, the Bom Retiro Fair, theater performances, exhibitions, musical attractions, and a variety of other activities that reinforce the space’s role as a cultural reference in the city.

COVERAGE

What makes CULTSP PRO unique is its wide range. Catering to the entire State of São Paulo, the program provides several courses that respond to the creative industries’ emerging needs. We are active in the State capital, the metropolitan region and all the 15 administrative regions.

In the capital, activities take place at the Oswald de Andrade Building – a space which is also home to the São Paulo Dance Company. Elsewhere, our activities are delivered in partnership with municipalities, companies, cultural facilities and agents, production bureaus etc.

Through GIRO PRO, we ensure the circulation of formative actions in all administrative regions of the State of São Paulo. GIRO also assists us in mapping the demands for qualification throughout the State.

Pedagogical system

Another of CULTSP PRO’S unique features is its agile and dynamic pedagogical system, built from continuous mapping of the productive sector’s needs. The system is in permanent evolution, through collaborative and flexible adaptation arising from direct dialogue with professionals of each area to address specific demands in each territory. This approach ensures the program’s alignment with changes in the marketplace and the real needs of communities, offering relevant and updated formative experiences.

By 2029, we estimate the delivery of more than 10 thousand activities, with direct engagement of over half million people across the State. Young individuals aged 16 and above, experienced professionals, and people in vulnerable situations will have the opportunity to participate, fostering inclusion and promoting large-scale human and professional development.

Impact on São Paulo’s GDP

The relevance of Culture and the Creative Industries to the economy is significant. According to data from the Itaú Cultural Observatory, the sector accounts for 3,7% to São paulo’s GDP. Between 2012 and 2020, Culture’s participation in the national GDP increased by 53%, demonstrating major growth potential in the sector.

In the State of São Paulo, the creative economy is formed by 36,500 companies. Among the key sectors are fashion, advertising, corporate services, information technology, and software and games development, which together represent more than 75% of all creative businesses.

Moreover, businesses in the sector have generated, in 2020, over 192 billion Reais in revenues, and approximately 42,5 billion in surplus. By the end of 2022, around 2,5 million people were employed in the creative economy and industries, which corresponds to approximately 11% of all the workforce in the State of São Paulo.

Impact on Brazil’s GDP

Impact on São Paulo’s GDP

Impact on Brazil’s GDP

Impact on São Paulo’s GDP

Impact on Brazil’s GDP

CULTSP PRO arises at a time when Brazil’s creative economy, namely in the Southeast, consolidates as a major economic force in the country. The sector, which accounts for 3,11% of the national GDP, counts more than 130 thousand businesses. The Southeast region concentrates nearly half of these enterprises, highlighting the strategic importance of São Paulo State in the national landscape.

With CULSP PRO, the future of the creative industries in the State of São Paulo is nothing but promising. The program does not only build new capacity, but encourages innovation, sustainability and inclusion, contributing to the continuous enhancement of a sector which is vital for the country’s economy and cultural identity.