Community on screen.

Coletivo Quebradinha was founded in 2015 in Oriente, in the state of São Paulo, through an initiative by Wilson Quebradinha, Arthur Quebradinha’s father.

The project was created to expand access to culture, cinema, art, and knowledge, especially for children and families living in underserved neighborhoods who often have limited access to traditional cultural venues.

Arthur Quebradinha later carried the work forward and brought the collective to Mauá. The first Cinema Quebradinha screening in Mauá took place on August 20, 2017, marking a new phase in the collective’s development.

Since then, Quebradinha has organized cultural activities in neighborhoods, schools, institutes, associations, community spaces, libraries, public squares, and civic facilities.

The collective’s flagship initiative is Cinema Quebradinha, a traveling film club that offers free screenings for children, young people, and families. The collective brings everything needed to turn a wide range of spaces into genuine movie theaters: a projector, large screen, sound system, seating, popcorn, soft drinks, and a support team.

The screening program prioritizes Brazilian and independent productions, as well as works that value representation, diversity, community culture, identity, and belonging.

Many activities include facilitated conversations after the film, creating space for listening, shared experiences, reflection, and critical learning.

Beyond cinema, Coletivo Quebradinha also develops cultural and educational initiatives including:

• visual arts workshops;
• chess workshops;
• graffiti workshops;
• discussion circles and debates;
• magic performances and cultural interventions;
• activities in public schools;
• programs in libraries, institutes, and community spaces;
• production and support for audiovisual projects;
• initiatives celebrating Black culture and culture from underserved communities;
• activities centered on identity, memory, and belonging;
• participation in cultural and community events;
• organization of and participation in the Zumbi dos Palmares March;
• partnerships with artists, educators, community leaders, and social organizations.

Across more than ten years of work, Coletivo Quebradinha has directly reached more than 3,000 children, as well as young people, adults, and families through its initiatives.

Surveys conducted by the collective found that approximately 95% of participating children had never been to a conventional movie theater before joining the project’s activities.

This finding underscores the importance of the work, particularly in communities where access to cinema, art, and culture remains limited.

The collective also produced the documentary “Quebradinha SP — A Thousand Marks of a Loyal Man”, produced by Preta Produções, documenting part of its journey, stories, people, and relationship with the communities where it works.

Organizations and venues that have hosted or supported the collective include Instituto OCA, Paulo Freire Library, Instituto Dona Jô, Filhos de Gandhi, public schools, CEU das Artes, and community spaces across Mauá.

In November 2025, Coletivo Quebradinha was officially recognized as a Culture Point, certified by Brazil’s Ministry of Culture.

The collective was also a finalist in Fenômenos Academy 2025, placing among ten outstanding initiatives from across Brazil.

Today, Coletivo Quebradinha works with a team of volunteers and collaborators who organize activities, set up equipment, welcome audiences, distribute popcorn and soft drinks, lead workshops, facilitate discussions, and support cultural programming.

More than screening films, Coletivo Quebradinha creates meaningful experiences, strengthens community ties, encourages creativity, expands access to culture, and shows children that they too have a right to art, cinema, knowledge, and the city.

Every screening, workshop, and activity helps create new memories, inspire dreams, and strengthen a sense of belonging.

Coletivo Quebradinha continues to bring culture into local communities, build audiences, and demonstrate that underserved neighborhoods are also places of creation, learning, art, resistance, and transformation.

Films, belonging, and possibilities.