The Tocantins State Department of Culture launched on July 21st Mapa Cultural do Tocantins. It is the first stand-alone deployment of the free software Mapas Culturais, developed by Instituto TIM. The platform gathers information about agents, venues, events and cultural projects in the state, registered both by the Department staff and by cultural agents collaboratively.
The secretary of Culture, Melck Aquino, got to know the software through the platform SP Cultura, deployment of Mapas Culturais in São Paulo-SP. “I realized it was unique, interactive and visually easy, and wanted to implement,” he explains. The secretary discussed the proposal with the advisor of Information Technology of the Department of Culture, Leonardo Fernandes, who also had seen Mapas Culturais through its deployment in Rio Grande do Sul, CulturaRS. “I found the link to the software code on GitHub and managed to make the deployment and customization in about 20 days,” says Leonardo. It was the first project of the Department which used free software.
Mapa Cultural of Tocantins already has more than 150 cultural agents registered. This number should increase in the coming weeks, when other agents that are registered in the National System for Cultural Information and Indicators (SNIIC) of the Ministry of Culture will be included. After the initial disclosure, the next step of the Department is to visit cities in the countryside to register indigenous communities, quilombola communities and popular culture groups, which have more difficulty to access the internet.
“The platform provides access to immediate and more accurate information and reliable cultural indicators. We can map and learn about the local situation, diagnose who is who among agents, meet regional needs and think of alternative cultural equipment,” says Melck. The secretary’s expectation for the future is that the first phase of public notices and project presentations to the Department can also be done through the platform.
Leonardo adds that the initiative is a great opportunity for people to learn about what is happening and what are the cultural centers of Tocantins. “Usability is perfect, most people who have already accessed maps via the internet will become familiar. The design is also very beautiful, with well organized sections, you don’t get confused,” says the advisor.
