Development of creative industries in Brazil: integral connections withing the bahian carnival networks

Bahian carnival became a big event. Indicators of the 2007/2008 celebration support this assertion: throughout the six days of the festival, 25 Km of streets and avenues, 30 thousand m2 of alternative areas for shows and other events were literally occupied by 227 carnival entities, meaning Blocos 1 and Trios Elétricos. 2 Following the rhythm of these entities there is a number of approximately 800 mil local residents and 100 mil foreign and national tourists, playing, dancing and singing inside the Blocos ropes (which separate the public from the Bloco members), or outside them, the so called popcorn revelers (which are merrymakers who are not parading inside the Blocos, but by themselves). A myriad of workers usually joins the group of revelers already enjoying the festival – such as hawkers, street vendors, policemen, government fiscals, public health agents offering services demanded by the revelers (INFOCULTURA, 2007; 2009). In spite of the majesty of the festival, its accountancy still has many gaps. On the last six years, the Secretary of Culture, SECULT- Secretary of Culture of the State of Bahia have invested to build and implement a system of information on the Bahian Carnival. Some of this information is presented here.