The Artes para la Paz Program, operated by the Universidad Industrial de Santander (UIS), made its way to the Bogotá International Book Fair, Filbo 2026, where artist-instructors offer creative workshops in music, dance, creative writing, and audiovisuals to visitors. Additionally, the space serves to raise awareness of this artistic and cultural strategy and its impact on communities and regions.
One of the music artist-educators from Norte de Santander at Filbo is Jhonatan Alonso Camacho Agudelo, who told participants how he conceived and created the musical instruments “Chacletófono” and “botellófono,” which he uses in educational activities with his students.
“The ‘Chancletófono’ is made from PVC pipes and wood, and is activated using flip-flops; meanwhile, the ‘Botellófono’ is constructed from soda bottles and valves, into which air is pumped, and musical notes are produced with the help of a tuner. “It has been rewarding to come to Bogotá to share this project,” said ‘Teacher’ Jhonatan.
Likewise, Dhaly Roxzana Medina González, an audiovisual artist and educator from Santander, brought a workshop on analog photography developed with natural pigments and organic materials to Filbo 2026, during which attendees learned about this technique and practiced it.
“We’ve been doing this work with the students, who have also learned to develop photographs on banana leaves and using turmeric. Here at Filbo, we held a workshop and told the participants that we’re bringing this very same activity to public school classrooms across the country,” said the instructor.
Participation in Filbo 2026 has also provided an opportunity to share with attendees the experiences of Arts for Peace and how this program, led by the Ministry of Culture, Arts, and Knowledge, reaches 449 schools in 150 municipalities across the departments of Boyacá, Cesar, Norte de Santander, and Santander.
Laura Chaparro Nossa, an educational support specialist from Boyacá, and Saúl Humberto Gómez led a workshop on wool embroidery and “Blackout” poetry, sparking the visitors’ imaginations. Meanwhile, dance instructor Juan Carlos Pérez and Enfoques coordinator Leidy Aguilar had participants dancing torbellino, bambuco, and rumba, bringing smiles to their faces as they played “Parcharte en Paz.”
What do the participants say?
Leidy Muñoz, from Bogotá and a participant in the embroidery and poetic “Blackout” workshop, said she found the activity “very creative” and that it motivated her to share this technique with her friends and family. Regarding Arts for Peace, she noted that it is a “very beautiful” initiative and added that these types of activities encourage creativity in students.
For his part, Rolando Pérez, from Sopó, Cundinamarca, said that it is “very nice” how rural communities are engaged through programs like Artes para la Paz, and noted that it is “fascinating” to invest in peace through these kinds of initiatives.
Meanwhile, Adriana Peralta, who participated in the music workshop, noted that she found the instruments made from recyclable materials very
intriguing and innovative, and added that Artes para la Paz is a program committed to education and children.
For Angélica Mora Dionisio, director of Artes para la Paz-UIS, participating in Filbo 2026 is “a wonderful experience for the entire team,” because it allows them to share what is happening in the country’s most remote regions and how, through art, they contribute to a culture of peace.
Artes para la Paz in Colombia
To date, Artes para la Paz reaches 32 departments and 726 municipalities across the country, covering 66% of the national territory. More than 538,332 people have found in art a voice, a space, and an opportunity to transform their lives. Today, the program is present in 2 out of every 3 municipalities in Colombia, facilitating training, creation, and community-building processes that strengthen communities and make art a tangible force for coexistence, remembrance, and peace in these regions.
For more information and to follow this initiative, visit www.artesparalapaz.mincultura.gov.co and the Instagram profile @artesparalapaz.
