Preparations for Brazil’s carnival are in full swing in Madureira, a neighbourhood in Rio de Janeiro famed for its strong samba tradition. In a courtyard strewn with colourful paper and fabric scraps, a handful of women are working on costumes.
The mostly middle-aged black women snipping, gluing and painting belong to one of Rio’s newest samba schools: Turma da Paz de Madureira (TPM), or the Madureira Group of Peace. All of its members, from the directors down to the percussionists and dancers, are women.
