Culture in Summer Mode for the whole family in Matanzas: workshops and routes.
The months of July and August become propitious for enjoyment, recreation and rest. In addition to the high temperatures and the alternative of enjoying the beaches, there are other recreational options for which cultural institutions have prepared in advance.
The months of July and August are ideal for enjoyment, recreation and relaxation. In addition to the high temperatures and the alternative of enjoying the beaches, there are other recreational options for which the cultural institutions have prepared in advance.
To satisfy the always ambitious expectations of the population with offers that go out of the routines, is the purpose of those who have in their hands the responsibility of organizing the cultural programming.
Specialists from museums, libraries, houses of culture, galleries, and performing arts groups strive to offer the Matanzas family a different kind of summer, one that combines fun and learning, a stage that many families take advantage of to share time together and enjoy different cultural and recreational options.
Routes related to history and heritage, visual arts exhibitions, theatrical, dance and humorous shows, concerts, book presentation and sales spaces, workshops of different manifestations, among other proposals, will liven up the summer days in all the municipalities and popular councils of the province.
The particularities of the age groups, the psychosocial characteristics and needs of each community or popular council and the combination of all artistic manifestations were taken into account when elaborating the plan of activities. Likewise, the premises have been focused on the defense and consolidation of the autochthonous traditions and cultural richness of each corner, as well as the preferences and interests of the population.
Between Recreation and Learning: Summer Workshops
There are multiple actions that, from the different cultural manifestations, are offered to the population of all age groups for their enjoyment during the summer season. Among them, workshops are one of the most popular proposals, as they combine enjoyment with learning.
From the museums of the territory have come important proposals in this sense, explained Yaisel Feria Sigas, communicator of the Provincial Center of Cultural Heritage.
«Already during the month of July proposals of this type were developed, during the first week in coordination with the Afroarte project, and in August they call to learn to work with clay and ceramics.»
Related to plastic arts, the Art Museum welcomed children and teenagers from July 8th to 12th, while the Cuban Association of Artisan Artists took part, from July 15th to 18th, with courses on ceramic work, mixed painting techniques and textile handicrafts for children, and wood carving for adults. Also during this week the workshop of the Figurarte project of Icarón theater took place and another one is planned for August.
«We started with the acting initiation workshop called Playing theater with you. It is a workshop for the development of skills in terms of acting, in terms of sensoriality, working from music, emotions and, as a final result, an exercise around the classic story of La cucarachita Martina.
«In the month of August we will offer another workshop with the title Figúrate un típtere y constrúyelo, of design and construction of puppets. It will also have some animation, in addition to enhancing drawing skills, character creation, the development of manual skills and imagination in children, with a final exercise based on the story Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Beyond plastic skills, our goal is for them to have fun,» reported Pedro Rubí, director of the Figurarte project.
The Centro de Educación Artística Konstantín Stanislavki has already offered theatrical laboratories Verticalidad del actor en la escena, by National Theater Award winner René Fernández Santana, and La verdad en la escena, by Liliana Lam and Alberto Corona, both aimed at young people and adults involved in theater.
From the 15th to the 19th, there will be a ballet course for children from 5 to 12 years old, taught by Yovana Melissa Montejo Gomez, another on Cuban rhythm, led by Ernesto Jesús Castellanos, for teenagers and young adults, both at the Callejón de las Tradiciones, from 9 a.m. to 12 noon, and next week, from the 22nd to the 26th, singing, by Adys Santana.
Walking and learning is one of the options offered by the Palacio de Junco in the summer of Matanzas, also starting this July 15th, at 9:00 am, for children between 8th and 12th grade.
According to Olga Lidia González, a specialist of the institution, «these are tours of places of interest in the city during which participants will receive detailed information about the history and culture of the city of Matanzas».
Among the sites to be visited will be the provincial radio station, the Yumurí TV telecenter, the René Fraga Park and the headquarters of the El Mirón Cubano theater group. Registration will take place during the first meeting at the provincial museum.
According to Marisley Martinez Junco, president of the Provincial Council of Visual Arts, the Pedro Esquerre provincial gallery will join an initiative with tours to the gallery-workshops of Osmany Betancourt, Lolo, and Jesus Alberto Mederos, located in Paseo de Narvaez, artists who have also given summer courses on plastic arts.
El Velasco takes part in this learning opportunity. It does so with a workshop dedicated to audiovisual animation from the 15th to the 18th of this month, starting at 10 am.
As has been customary for years in Matanzas, teachers Lilian Padrón, in charge of Danza Espiral, and Miriam Muñoz, director of Icarón Teatro, together with actress and theater director Lucre Estévez, introduce children and young people to the experience of the performing arts.
The Art Schools also open their doors to children, adolescents and young people to teach them some important elements of artistic training in different specialties, including Cuban and folkloric percussion, guitar and chamber music, among others.
History, identity and tradition in the Heritage Routes
The patrimonial routes are part of the summer cultural program, with great acceptance among the people of Matanzas. The summer season always comes with this proposal of the provincial Center of Cultural Heritage, in an effort to offer healthy recreation and knowledge to the participants, valued Noslén González Sosa, deputy provincial director of Culture in Matanzas.
«In the province 32 historical and cultural routes were designed that in the 13 territories link children, adolescents, older adults and the population in general in the appreciation of the tangible and intangible heritage of Matanzas.»
During the month of July, on the 2nd and 9th, the route Matanzas Fortifications offered tours of the Palace of Junco, the old battery of Peñas Altas and the Castle of San Severino, a cycle of visits that will continue with departures on the 16th, 23rd and 30th of this month. For the month of August, the tours will take place on the 6th, 13th, 20th and 27th.
In the case of the Route of the enslaved people it has taken place on July 4 and 11 and will open new opportunities on the 8th and 25th, in addition to the first, 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th of August.
It comprises the departure from the Junco Palace to the San Severino Castle and the Al Esclavo Rebelde Museum, in Triunvirato, explains Yaisel Feria Sigas, communicator of the Provincial Center of Cultural Heritage.
«This is the novelty in terms of our routes this year. Castillo de San Severino is offering it to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the slavery route. It starts at the Economic Development Hall of the Junco Palace, visits the transitory exhibition halls of the Lorenzo Padilla Diaz Art Museum, the San Severino Castle and ends at Triunvirato. In August, the tour will include the La Dionisia estate.
Another much-awaited proposal by the people of Matanzas every year is the route From the Mansion to the Theater, with departures on July 12th and 19th, August 9th and 16th, which focuses on the buildings of the Plaza de la Vigía, mainly on the Sauto Theater; while Recorriendo mi ciudad, offers visits to places and sites of interest in the historic center of the city, on July 17th, 22nd and 31st, as well as on August 7th, 14th and 21st.
Feria Sigas offers us other details of the routes. «The programming designed by the Provincial Center for Cultural Heritage is dedicated to the 170th anniversary of the birth of Juan Gualberto Gomez, a distinguished patriot of the province, the 65th anniversary of the first museum created by the Revolution, the Junco Palace, the 60th anniversary of the Pharmaceutical Museum and the 30th anniversary of the Slavery Route, which UNESCO chose the San Severino Castle as the main venue for this project.
«To make reservations you can approach the provincial museum, between nine in the morning and 12 noon and from one to three pm. Each route costs 30 pesos for adults and 15 in the case of children.»
The patrimonial routes during the summer contribute to promote the knowledge of our values, while fostering the love for our cultural identity.
Written by Jessica Mesa.