Lígia Vanessa Bezerra Mariano (Lola), Local Cultural Host and Community Liaison for IOP in Brasília

Local Cultural Host & Community Liaison — Brasília

Lola Lígia Vanessa

Lola — Multiartist, Cultural Producer & Community Leader

Brasília, Brazil

Multiartist, environmental manager, urban planner, cultural producer, capoeira practitioner and popular arts educator with more than 25 years dedicated to art, culture, ancestry, sustainability and social inclusion.

“Quem é a Lola? Uma Consultora de ideias.”

“Who is Lola? An ideas consultant.”

Profile

Art, ancestry, sustainability and community

Lígia Vanessa Bezerra Mariano, known as Lola, is a multiartist, environmental manager, urban planner, cultural producer, capoeira practitioner, and popular arts educator with more than 25 years of experience dedicated to art, culture, ancestry, sustainability, and social inclusion.

Her work spans visual arts, pyrography, literature, design, cultural production, capoeira, education, and socio-environmental projects. Through her practice, she creates bridges between territory, memory, the body, ancestral knowledge, creativity, and community development.

Lola is the author of the book Nas Rimas da Capoeira — Ler, Rimar e Colorir and the creator of cultural and educational initiatives including Canto Contos Capoeira e Ancestralidade and Capoeira Amigo da Escola.

As a visual artist, she is particularly recognized for her pyrography work and for the exhibition Mulheres Guerreiras, which celebrates and empowers Brazilian women through art and cultural expression.

Lola's professional background also includes sustainable architecture, bio-architecture, permaculture, environmental management, cultural production, and community-based initiatives. She has been actively involved with cultural development in the Guará region of Brasília, including her role as a Cultural Council member / Vice-President of the Guará Cultural Council.

In recognition of her contribution to culture, education, and community development, she received the Paulo Freire Award and Dulcina de Moraes Award in 2024.

Her work reflects a powerful combination of creativity, education, sustainability, ancestry, and social transformation.

Lola transforms art into connection, culture into territory, and ancestry into movement.

Role in the International Orientation Programme

Her Role in IOP — Brasília

As Local Cultural Host & Community Liaison — Brasília, Lola supports the IOP's cultural immersion and local engagement activities, helping participants connect meaningfully with Brasília's cultural ecosystem, communities, artists, educators, social initiatives, sustainability projects and local heritage.

Local cultural orientation and community engagement
Connecting IOP participants with Brasília-based artists, cultural producers and community organisations
Supporting cultural visits, workshops and experiential learning
Facilitating connections with local cultural institutions and grassroots initiatives
Promoting Brazilian cultural heritage, ancestry and popular arts
Supporting sustainability and socio-environmental learning experiences
Facilitating communication between international participants and local communities
Supporting cultural exchange between Africa and Brazil
Helping participants understand Brasília beyond its institutional identity, through its communities, territories, culture and people