Heritage education / Activating public space in the city of São Paulo

Hey Sampa was an initiative launched in 2013 to promote heritage education and strengthen the relationship between citizens and the city of São Paulo, by drawing attention to the value of its tangible and intangible heritage. (“Sampa” is the affectionate nickname São Paulo’s residents give their city.) The project grew out of the observation that many residents experience the city without recognising its historical, cultural, symbolic and social potential.

I was one of the creators of Hey Sampa and was directly involved at every stage, from the initial concept through to delivering the activities on the ground. Alongside Paula Dias (co-founder), I helped shape the project’s institutional narrative, the strategic design of its activities, and its engagement with local government, cultural collectives, the press, universities, businesses and cultural venues.

Hey Sampa was founded on the understanding that urban heritage is a driver of belonging, citizenship and education, and that its preservation is bound up with memory, local identities and the continuity of shared histories. Working from that premise, the project developed a body of cultural, educational and participatory activities across different parts of São Paulo.

Areas of activity:

• Debate series on urbanism and cultural heritage.
• Heritage and themed walks through neighbourhoods and central districts.
• Collaborative art and photography exhibitions.
• Editorial and audiovisual content about the city.
• Participation in the co-creation of public policy on heritage.

One of the project’s strategic pillars was mapping local cultural champions and building an integrated, territory-by-territory approach to communications, connecting neighbourhood associations, cultural centres, information points and public facilities. This made it possible to design programmes tailored to each community, encouraging people to take meaningful ownership of public spaces and strengthening their sense of belonging.

Hey Sampa also played an active part in institutional engagement with municipal bodies, sitting on councils and working groups and taking part in initiatives such as the Jornada do Patrimônio, São Paulo’s annual heritage open days, as well as symbolically significant actions such as the reopening of the roof garden at the Edifício Matarazzo and its return to the city’s public circuit.

The project attracted press coverage in outlets including the national dailies Folha de S.Paulo and O Estado de S. Paulo, the magazine Veja São Paulo, the radio network CBN and TV Globo, as well as digital platforms, and it received recognition in awards linked to culture, citizenship and the creative economy.

Hey Sampa established a way of working across communications, culture and territory that brought together strategy, content, civic participation and social impact. It was a formative experience that stays with me professionally, particularly in projects that connect communications, public policy, education and the city.