Escola Sao Paulo

One of the newer, more young-spirited cultural spaces in Sao Paulo, Escola Sao Paulo fills a niche that’s important to a city whose artists have been gaining more worldwide attention in the last few years. It’s an informal school that staunchly focuses on promoting contemporary culture — from dance and gastronomy all the way to music and design — via classes and seminars taught by renown experts, often accompanied by guest lecturers. The site, located on the busy thoroughfare Rua Augusta, is a super-center of slashes: school/art exhibition space/shop/library/workshop and soon, cafe. Take a look at a few of the next months’ class offerings: a Cinema Workshop in which students learn how to make a short d/v film on a low budget, a Photography Seminar that teaches everything about the subject and a History of Gastronomy Course taught by a famous food critic that shows participants how food influences our culture and us as individuals. All classes are very affordable and provide easy registration. The book and CD/DVD library are free and open to the public. This school is a great concept that surely beats the intimidation and hassle (not to mention cost) that I’m used to in the U.S. when considering taking an extension course at a public university.