As settings go for a cultural centre go, its hard to beat the terrace of Nós do Morro (we of the hill) with its view over the Atlantic Ocean. The beautiful old Casarão (big house), home to a library for the community as well as a cinema and arts courses of numerous kinds, has long been an asset to the Vidigal community it serves. Nós do Morro has not always been based there however, starting life as a small theatre group in 1986, when journalist Guti Fraga and a group of Vidigal residents had the idea to form a collective of actors dedicated to telling the story of the day-to-day life of people in the favela.

Financial backing from Petrobrás in 2001 helped the group transform itself into a more far-reaching project, and it now boasts stars of novelas (Brazilian soap operas) and Brazilian movies among its alumni, as well as productions which have been exported nationally and internationally. While the group is rooted firmly in Vidigal, courses are available for talented young people elsewhere as well as community members, and nowadays productions of Gorki plays can be found alongside the tales of Vidigal daily life. Thursday nights is Cineclube night, with movies showing every week, themed seasons and frequent talks and debates.