The View from Brazil

The new ring I’ve been invited to wear (not lost it yet) is made from an Amazonian palm tree. It’s a symbol of the ‘alliance with the indigenous people’s cause and the grass root’ causes.’ I’m told the ring is a sign of commitment to the cause. But I’m also warned that because of this commitment, many people have died! I try desperately to pull the thing off my finger before it’s too late. Spotted, I pretend to be scratching my finger gently and hope not too many people will notice.

Day five of my work in Reciffe, Brazil began, as always being woken at 5.00 am by the intensely bright sun sweeping into the room and sound of the sea swooshing twenty six floors below. Led by the British Council, twenty five Brazilian headteachers and five from the UK are here for a conference and school visits, building on the work that began on my first trip last June.




















The setting is impressive: palm trees colour the coast and the fresh cocoa nut juice is a delicious natural drink. Served from tree to fridge, the sellers use a lethal looking giant blade to slash the tops. I keep my ring finger well hidden during this process! A straw is inserted into the clear, cooling liquid. In temperatures of 35 degrees (I’m on three showers a day and that’s not enough) it’s refreshing, pure nectar.


The Conference days are long and intense. We have headsets for simultaneous translation- a dream. Plans and powerpoints are shared. There are some fun group activities designed by the Brazilians. One involves tying all twenty five head teachers together and seeing what happens when presents are thrown into the centre of the circle. Chaos, of course. But you’re missing the point: that is the message. We shouldn’t be surprised.

I’ve been asked to run an hour-long session on school linking. My powerpoint was sent over weeks ago for translation into Portuguese but it’s 4.30 in the afternoon so I’m going to be a maverick and do something I hadn’t planned. I direct some spontaneous role plays and mimes- stories to illustrate various educational concepts and bring them to life. It’s the old drama teacher in me- actually I’m just a failed film director. But it works and we have ear-splitting laughs and a happy group.




































To conclude I show the Top Talent DVD, a Luke Flegg/Lucy Mccance collaboration that mixes excerpts from past productions, activities and events. It’s clever stuff and the quality of the work by South Dartmoor students is a talking point.


















Pernambucco umbrellas are used to illustrate leadership concepts. That’s one the NCSL hadn’t thought of! They’re also pretty effective against the sun when we walk to lunch. Best of all the group wave them wildly at the end of a four way video conference with Mexico, Argentina and Sao Paulo. The project is being done in South America with Brazil one country among many.

The video link gives the sense of how the work is valued and its importance in the region as well as to the UK. The waving goes on until the screen fades. This is how they do things in Latin America- a joy to work with.

The Conference ends with Bom dia, the ‘Good Morning’ song, and this time I make an audio recording and translation. After everyone in the room has been hugged, we finish with the compulsory picture shoot. A professional photographer has been clicking away throughout the event.

We have small gifts of beautifully wrapped parcels of soil and packets of sunflower seeds joined by a hand of cut out green felt. We’re asked to plant the seeds as a symbol of the growth of the project and its continuing success. Will I get them through the customs, I wonder. Are they classified as a drug! What with this and the death threats to ring wearers, I could get paranoid.

The group of Brazilian directors give the UK heads illustrated cards with the words:

‘Dear Friends:
You are unique…
But, there is something especially
Charming about you:
The belief in life,
The belief in people,
The will to change the world.
Such people are never erased
From our memories.’

The Brazilian people are every bit as beautiful as their country. As I return to the hotel to try and clear my in-box before dinner, I know that I have been inspired.
P.S Lost in translation: I asked about the deadly ring today. It turns out that this is a reference to the death of the relationship symbolised by the ring and not the death of a person! I can take my hand out of my pocket now.