| The children's samba schools (Escolas mirim) of Rio | | | | making, metalwork, carpentry, lighting, sound, music, |
| de Janeiro were started in the early 80's. Their | | | | dance, people management and administration, and |
| parade opens the Rio de Janeiro carnival on the | | | | many ancillary skills. The aim is to provide a pathway |
| Friday night of carnival, when entry to the | | | | out of the marginalisation and violence found mainly in |
| sambodromo is free. | | | | the favelas and slums of this most beautiful city. |
| At the moment there are 12 Escolas de samba Mirins | | | | The president of one of the newer children's samba |
| in the Association of children's samba schools in Rio | | | | schools said in 2000 that the objective of his project |
| de Janeiro. Each school parades with between 1000 | | | | was partly to train future samba players. But much |
| and 2000 children, with floats and costumes made by | | | | more important was to take the children off the |
| the children, a bateria (samba drum orchestra) of | | | | streets. "We have a rule - you can only parade in this |
| children, with hundreds of adults helping them along. | | | | bateria if you come to the rehearsals." |
| Behind the show of the parade, the children's escolas | | | | The new Associacao das Escolas Mirins do Rio de |
| mirins have a serious purpose. They are educational | | | | Janeiro took over from the old League of children's |
| and social projects designed to complement a formal | | | | samba schools in 2002. They are currently funded by |
| school education, particularly for young people of 14 - | | | | the Prefeitura do Rio de Janeiro as part of the city |
| 21 years of age, and to train them up to professional | | | | wide project O Projeto Célula Cultural, |
| standards in the crafts practiced in a samba school. | | | | (although it is easy to spot which schools are also |
| This task is urgent, as the children's samba schools | | | | backed by a rich adult school, when you watch their |
| are situated in areas of high social risk and exclusion. | | | | parade). |
| The work of an Escola Mirim results in a samba | | | | This year you can buy a CD of their sambas, |
| school parade, whilst giving training in design, costume | | | | launched on 20th Nov 2008. |