Ricardo de Lacerda Ferreira

Originally a lawyer from Brazil, I always felt that the world is too fascinating for borders. For this reason, lived all over the world.

After working several years in the United Nations as a human rights officer in countries like Timor Leste, Afghanistan, Colombia and the Democratic Republic of Congo I felt I needed to think outside of the box to further develop my work.

The MA in Arts Administration and Cultural Policy from ICCE was the answer for this need, as I wanted to gain knowledge on how arts and culture can be powerful tools for human empowerment. I was lucky enough to be part of a very diverse cohort and guided by the amazing lecturers together we developed our skills as arts administrators and cultural policies specialists.

Following the end of the MA, I remained in the UK for 6 months where I worked as a general manager for the Outside Edge theatre company. Currently, I am working as an international Legal, Cultural and Creative Adviser for the State Secretariat of Arts and Culture in Timor Leste, where I coordinate the construction of the country’s cultural policies as well as seeking business opportunities for the country in the cultural sector. As a young country, Timor Leste is investing a lot in the cultural segment and the creative industries, specially regarding the creation of the National Academy for the Arts and Creative Industries and the preservation of the country’s cultural heritage.

I am very glad I had the academic background gained in ICCE as it gave a solid foundation to continue researching on cultural policies in Asia and in the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries.