SESC: A Brazilian Music Ecosystem Orchestrator

Abstract

Intermediary organizations can play important roles in a creative ecosystem, as focal points, resource providers and knowledge sources and legitimacy granting actors. SESC (Social Service for Commerce) is a private organization founded in 1946, which stated mission is to provide access to education, leisure and culture for commerce workers and their families, with units in all Brazilian states. Over the years, the São Paulo state branch has developed a unique mission: going beyond the educational, sports and healthcare activities that are offered in other states, it established a strong focus on culture, supporting both artists and cultural researchers. Following that vision, SESC São Paulo has built a network of more than 30 multi-purpose facilities that offer sports and cultural activities, providing top quality infrastructure for music and performing arts. It hosts both established artists and emergent ones, which keeps the organization in touch with the leading edge of the cultural scene. That strategy has made SESC São Paulo programme to be recognized by audiences not only as high quality but also as progressive and innovative. For cultural producers, it keeps a payment policy that offers above the market remuneration for artists, which makes it a preferred venue. Those features made SESC São Paulo a focal point in the cultural ecosystem, an important actor that gives access to quality cultural production for audiences and access to funding, visibility and legitimacy for artists.