More than 5,000 students from 75 public schools in the departments of Boyacá, Cesar, Norte de Santander, and Santander will participate in the artistic exhibitions titled “Parcharte en paz,” part of the Arts for Peace Program operated by the Industrial University of Santander (UIS). The program’s purpose is to create a space where artists can showcase their talent to the educational community and enjoy a moment of sharing and healthy interaction.
The artistic exhibitions will take place during the month of April as part of the “Children’s Month” celebration in public schools. During these events, teachers, students, and parents will have the opportunity to witness the artistic processes in music, dance, theater, creative writing, and audiovisual arts developed by the artist-educators, experts, and students participating in the Arts for Peace Program.
Angélica Mora Dionisio, the program’s executive director, noted that the artistic spaces of Artes para la Paz were designed with two objectives in mind: first, to showcase the talent and progress of the training that children, adolescents, and young people have received during their educational sessions with instructors and traditional experts; and second, to foster a space for sharing and healthy interaction among educational communities through art.
“These performance venues are very important for the students who are part of Artes para la Paz and for the artist-trainers and traditional experts. It is an opportunity to perform before an audience, showcase their creative processes, demonstrate what they have learned, and display their talent to the educational community, so that they can experience what it is like to face an audience and, in doing so, also overcome their shyness and stage fright. Likewise, we want these performances to serve as moments of peace, sharing, and healthy coexistence among the entire educational community. That is why we have invited you to ‘hang out,’ as the students say, to ‘hang out in peace.’”
The exhibitions are led by more than 75 artist-educators and experts who have guided the processes in the schools. They are supported by the 100 people who make up the program’s coordinating teams across the region, with the backing of the schools, and under the leadership of the UIS team.
There will be 16 exhibitions in the department of Boyacá; 15 in Cesar; 21 in Norte de Santander; and 23 in Santander. Anyone wishing to attend these events may do so with prior authorization from their school.
Arts for Peace in Colombia
To date, Arts for Peace has reached 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, memory, and peace in these regions.
For more information and to follow up on this initiative, visit www.artesparalapaz.mincultura.gov.co and the Instagram profile @artesparalapaz.
