on the concept of lifelong learning, we examine Aca-fan communities to explore the potential impact of fandom participation on the development and production of formal knowledge. To address this question, we will conduct a bibliographic review, administer surveys, and facilitate focus groups. Our research question is: Can fandoms support formal learning? Ultimately, we aim to understand whether engaging with these communities can foster professional, technical, and/or academic learning.

During the hotly contested 2022 Brazilian presidential elections between Workers' Party candidate Luis Inácio Lula da Silva and Liberal Party candidate Jair Messias Bolsonaro, singer Anitta - one of Brazil's biggest pop singers - declared her support for Lula on her X and Instagram profiles, causing a huge backlash not only among her 60 million followers and fans but also among institutional political actors

This paper is part of a broader research initiative focused on the intersection of Brazilian pop-peripheral music, politics, and activism. Utilizing the frameworks of performance dramaturgy (Taylor, 2013; Schechner, 2009) and the cartography of controversies (Latour, 2015), we center our analysis on Anitta's endorsement to explore the dynamics of political performances and activism by Brazilian pop-peripheral artists (Pereira de Sá, 2021) on digital platforms.

The paper aims to address two interconnected questions: 1. How is a political performance constructed by pop artists on digital platforms? 2. How do fans react, and how effective is this performance in promoting civic engagement?

We will present empirical data gathered from digital platforms, including a collection and filtering of tweets from Anitta's profile on X, along with replies and shares from July 11 to 17, 2022. Additionally, we will analyze tweets associated with hashtags such as #lula and #luladay. Further insights will be drawn from a questionnaire distributed to Anitta's fans between November and December 2022, assessing her political stance and its repercussions on digital platforms.

Fan Studies as an academic field has been significantly shaped by american researchers like Henry Jenkins (1992, 2006a, 2006b), who conceptualized fans as active participants who engage with media texts through creative production. Since its beginning, the internet has become central to Fan Studies, marking what Gray, Sandvoss, and Harrington (2007) call the “second wave” of research, with a focus on social media and digital fan practices.

In Brazil, Fan Studies emerged in 2002 and aligned with the international references. Morover, Cyberculture scholars were among the few willing to support and metor such studies. Due to this historical context, Brazilian research on fandoms has largely prioritized internet-based interactions, reflecting a bias that overlooks offline fan practices. This focus is evident in literature reviews (Carlos, 2015; Amado, 2020) that highlight digital culture as a dominant theme.

While the internet is crucial for contemporary fandoms, this emphasis may marginalize underrepresented fan groups. Internet access in Brazil expanded from 8% in 2002 to nearly 85% in 2024 (Laboissière, 2024), yet disparities in broadband quality and digital literacy persist (Knop, 2020). Consequently, digital Fan Studies risk favoring privileged demographics while neglecting fans from rural areas, lower-income communities, and older age groups.

Scholars like Costa (2018) argue for a national theoretical framework to address these gaps. This article calls for a broader, more inclusive approach to Brazilian Fan Studies, recognizing the impact of internet-centrism and advocating for methodologies that reflect the country’s diverse fan cultures.