CCS Managua

Cultural Centre of Spain in Nicaragua

Since its creation in 2010, the Cultural Centre of Spain in Nicaragua (CCSN) has been associated with Spanish Cooperation through its counterpart, the Nicaraguan Institute of Hispanic Culture, and has been working since 2016 towards its definitive conversion into an Overseas Cooperation Unit, that is, a fully integrated unit within the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID). Today, the CCSN is an acknowledged benchmark for cultural activities in Managua, as a unique place for encounter and exchange. Very few similar institutions in Nicaragua can offer a similar range of alternative programming with such highquality projects and activities. The CCSN is located near the Embassy of Spain, in the residential neighbourhood of Las Colinas, well outside the city centre. This distancing is associated with safety, peace and quiet, which makes the CCSN an attractive venue for the people of Managua. The building was renovated to adapt it to the needs of the Centre and the local cultural sector, and the site is characterised by its broad, open spaces, including a large garden containing many fruit trees and an outdoor area with a versatile scenic space that is used for workshops, concerts, film screenings and other activities. The Centre also has a multi-purpose room that is particularly suitable for exhibitions and lectures, a radio station, a library and a multimedia laboratory. Importantly for its users, the CCSN is one of the few cultural spaces in the city that has no architectural barriers to mobility. The city authorities donated the site to Spain in 1974 for cultural use. In return, the centre agreed to host the Nicaraguan Institute of Hispanic Culture (INCH) and the Nicaraguan Academy of Language within the building. These facilities, therefore, are shared by the three institutions. In addition to the infrastructure, the strongest asset of the CCSN is its personnel, whose degree of training and professional experience is exceptional in Nicaragua. One of the characteristic elements of the Centre’s functioning is its ceaseless endeavour to involve the local cultural sector and Nicaraguan society as a whole in its activities. For this reason, the selection of projects and programmes is always based on external, open calls for participation that are published on the Centre’s website. Thus, artists, cultural managers and planners play a direct role in the cultural agenda of the CCSN, which enables innovative projects from different fields to be presented. Every year, a call for participation is published, taking into account the Centre’s goals and priorities, on the basis of which the projects for the following year are chosen. The authors of those selected then receive guidance to ensure that their work is in line with the Centre’s procedures and lines of action. In addition to this annual general call for participation, specific calls are made throughout the year in order to balance the programming and to ensure that all areas of attention are represented. This approach enables the CCSN to determine the current status of the cultural sector (its needs, its potential and its shortcomings), as well as the cultural interests of Nicaraguan society. This selection method also provides ongoing dialogue and ensures the transparency of the process. For the Centre, the underlying principle in this approach is to maximise the impact produced by its activities while consuming the least possible amount of economic resources, and to act in a way that is consistent with its operational context. The open policy pursued in the reception and consideration of projects reinforces the Centre’s connection with society and ensures economic transparency and efficiency. Apart from the projects selected by means of the above public process, activities are also organised

1. Reading makes your imagination soar, part of the project Children’s Saturdays of Drama and Reading, in association with Nicassitej, March 2019

2. Creative process of Radio Tormenta, a play presented by persons with disabilities and by the elderly. June, 2017

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by the Centre’s own personnel. One such is the programme entitled Cineando el cambio (Cinema for change), a proposal that invites dialogue and reflection on the realities that are reflected through social cinema; another is Lo Audiovisual, a training project for university students in which film creators share tools and resources from the different areas of audio-visual production. Interesting projects are also performed in association with the Centre’s library and its radio station. The library was created six years ago as a space for work, reference and research, open to all. It has a large volume of literature of all types, including magazines and journals and specialist archives on contemporary art, training and cultural management. With over 14,500 volumes, this library is unique in Managua and continues to be popular and highly regarded. It currently has more than a thousand library-card holders and visitor numbers are always high. Moreover, the library is not only a space for reading, it also organises weekly activities such as story-telling for children and the Book and Coffee reading club for adults. Since 2012, the CCSN has had a fully equipped radio studio for recording, content production and specialised technical training. The studio is also used for the on-line CCSN Radio project, which publishes weekly podcasts addressing diverse areas of interest. In Letras descafeinadas (Decaffeinated writing), for instance, authors discuss their proposals; La Bitácora (the Logbook) analyses Nicaraguan and Spanish cultural current affairs; and Chavalos en la Onda (Kids on the Wave) provides a monthly space for children from Managua schools to produce their own podcast. The Centre is currently restructuring its strategies to reach a larger audience, with video recordings of the programmes and a stronger presence in social networks. In addition to the above, some very important projects, designed and implemented with the support of the CCSN, have become firmly established in Nicaragua and have continued to be applied over a considerable period. Thus, the Emerge Project, currently in its sixth edition, showcases emerging young musical talents; its application has been extended throughout Central America via the Network of Cultural Centres. The ContentArte project, currently in its fourth edition, has created an artistic group for children, some of whom have disabilities. Other projects in this line include Children’s Saturdays, The Story Route and The Kamanali Route, which promote drama, reading and universal values for children, young people and older adults, respectively. The CCSN is also outstanding for the generous support it offers to leading Nicaraguan festivals, such as the Lady Fest, which promotes female artists, the International Poetry Festival of Granada, the Jazz Festival, the Ibero-American Film Festival, the Justo Rufino Garay Experimental Theatre Festival and the Centroamérica cuenta (Central America counts) Festival, directed by Nicaraguan writer Sergio Ramírez, a winner of the Cervantes Prize. The Centre also collaborates with the European Union and its Member States in areas such as the European Film Festival, and in the recent commemoration of the 70 th anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights. Various such projects have contributed to the consolidation of the IberoAmerican Cultural Space, and in alliance with other Cultural Centres in the region a growing number of student residencies, i.e. artistic cultural exchanges in Central America, have been awarded. In Nicaragua, the cultural sector is still not highly professionalised, and there remains a great need for training in cultural management and promotion. In fact, institutional support and public spaces for the development of cultural projects or for professional training are practically non-existent. Nevertheless, the CCSN is working in this field to reinforce the professional capacities of cultural agents, by providing specialist training, both through the ACERCA programme and also via workshops given by Spanish artists and planners who have been invited by the Centre to participate in activities and festivals. Thus, journalists, librarians, designers, cultural managers, oral narrators, writers, producers, performing artists and musicians have received valuable instruction in these workshops. This training facility provided by the Centre is acknowledged and appreciated in Nicaraguan cultural circles. Thanks to its varied programming and the ceaseless contextualisation of its activities, the CCSN is commonly viewed as an avant-garde cultural alternative. Popular culture is deeply rooted in Nicaragua, in areas such as folk dances, traditional music, crafts, the colonial historical-artistic heritage, religious syncretism, popular theatre and the national festivals. The country is also characterised by its

3. Florecé (Come into bloom), a mural that formed part of an illustration workshop “Ni azul ni rosado” (Neither blue nor pink), given by Andrea Fonseca in July 2017.

extensive literary/poetic tradition and as being the birthplace of great writers. In general, however, local agents still pay little attention to contemporary visual and plastic arts. In terms of exhibition spaces and exhibitions, there has been a slight increase, but interest remains scant. The same is true of cultural exchanges and initiatives to promote cultural products by Nicaraguan creators. In this regard, the CCSN is working to overcome these deficiencies and to meet the cultural needs recognised. The value of the Centre’s contributions lies in the content offered and the variety of audiences addressed. The cultural actions of Spanish Cooperation in Nicaragua have been diversified, reaching a broad public and ensuring Spain’s identity as a country that promotes equality and avantgarde culture, that provides specialist training in cultural management and art, and that facilitates the exchange and development of Ibero-American creators and artists. Numerous initiatives have been undertaken to foster the greater inclusion in society of women, LGBTI persons, indigenous populations, African-descendants and persons with disabilities. Certain groups and individuals regularly attend the Centre’s activities and participate in its calls, but activities and workshops are continually being organised to increase the Centre’s appeal, by identifying potential new activists and audiences. Thus, its cultural offer has been broadened in line with the perceived demand, attracting children and young people, older adults, social groups, schools and universities. Over the years, the CCSN has entered into various alliances with national and international institutions and organisations to maximise the impact of its programming and to extend its cultural proposals beyond the capital city. However, due to the political situation in the country, many other institutions in this field have closed or significantly reduced their activity. The withdrawal of much of the cultural cooperation formerly present has heightened the importance of the AECID as a promoter and enabler of development. On occasion, the polarisation currently observed in the political sphere spreads across to the field of culture; in consequence, it is not uncommon for a purely cultural activity to be converted into an act of political demands or propaganda, or to be interpreted as such. The CCSN has the virtue of being regarded as a neutral force, and its facilities are among the few spaces where people of different ideologies may still co-exist. Thus, in addition to being a vitally important cultural space, the CCSN is also a well-considered area of encounter, recreation, education, tolerance and neutrality. While almost all other cultural centres and spaces had to close at some time during the 2018 crisis, the CCSN was able to continue with its programming. In difficult times, the need for physical movement was minimised or avoided by the use of online training and over 200 people took part in different workshops in this format. In summary, the Cultural Centre of Spain in Nicaragua has made outstanding achievements in its short existence, and is widely acknowledged for the diversity and quality of the training it offers, for its invaluable cultural proposals, for its defence of cultural rights and for providing a space of reflection and dialogue for all.

The impact of the CCSN in Nicaragua

Mario Ruiz

Music producer, arranger and singer-songwriter. Holder of a law degree and studies in Spanish language and literature. In conjunction with SaXo Productions, currently organising the Emerge Project.

Seven years ago, at the initiative of the Cultural Centre of Spain in Nicaragua (CCSN), we started working on the Emerge Project, to support new young bands, helping them become established on the national stage, and to expand the range of music on offer. After seven years of intense work in this field, the scenario is now much more professional and, despite current problems, the future is promising. The upsurge in new bands did not take place by chance; in 2015 alone, more than 60 bands applied to take part in the fifth edition of Project Emerge. During the last seven years, over 300 artists have collaborated with us in 16 concerts (13 in Nicaragua and 3 elsewhere in Central America), there have been 11 round tables and training workshops and over 2,500 people have joined us in the CCSN to make use of its technical facilities, comfort and safety. The Centre is now generally considered a valuable resource both for the artistic community and for the people of Managua. On the other hand, despite the Centre’s achievements, there remains an urgent need to create new spaces for artists in general. Art must be brought to the different neighbourhoods of Managua and further afield; professional artists and cultural managers should be urged to express solidarity with new talents and foster alternatives so that the public may become more receptive to art in general. As a priority, we should also encourage and raise awareness of artistic creation by women, and break with the still-entrenched cultural mafia that is obstructing the artistic progress we so greatly deserve. Lastly, it is important to continue this project throughout Central America, achieving greater exposure for the art of Nicaragua and procuring exchanges with the other Cultural Centres of Central America, to enrich the artistic scene and benefit individual artists. As a musician and a cultural manager, I am committed to supporting young talented artists. Of course, however, we must recognise that the scene is still at a very initial stage and that now, more than ever, our efforts should be focused on supporting artistic traditions that affirm, discover and express the fundamental traits of Nicaraguan identity.

Corazón Contento y ContentARte (A Happy Heart and Contented Art); art plus disability is possible

Patricia Fernández

Spanish educational psychologist specialised in early care and early childhood education. Head of the Corazón Contento Comprehensive Development Centre in Granada, Nicaragua, which promotes social inclusion projects through drama and the visual arts.

From the start of this project, nervously and with much hard work, we have endeavoured to demonstrate that people with disabilities have many artistic talents. From the outset, the Cultural Centre of Spain in Nicaragua (CCSN) provided all possible assistance to make this possible. Combining different areas of artistic interest, year after year, we have worked together to accomplish this goal. The CCSN and Corazón Contento have joined forces in this project to use culture as a tool for development, in the view that development in this context means changing the outlook of the community and gaining more respect for people with disability. From that first meeting until the sixth week, the group grew in numbers and finally presented their play The Little Prince without barriers, an adaptation of The Little Prince, by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Seeing all the participants reassuring each other, during the make-up and wardrobe sessions prior to curtainup, was exciting, but even more so was their artistic expressiveness during the show. Jasser Pérez, one of the actors, was a 29-yearold with cerebral palsy, who had never been to a 15thbirthday celebration (a family tradition in Nicaragua when girls reach that age). He was invited to such a party by a fellow cast member. That day, Jasser, for the first time in his life, was able to feel like “one of the gang” at a party with music and girls. This made us realise that our project was not only beneficial at an artistic level, but also produced very positive emotional and social outcomes. The CCSN has been supportive of this project, contributing many ideas and innovations to make it better day by day. The Centre plays a fundamental role in our community, helping us defend the rights of persons with disabilities through the medium of culture. The CCSN management team and organisation has given our young people the opportunity to express themselves and to feel part of the society in which they live, and to recognise the emotional expressiveness within every one of them. Because art plus disability is indeed possible.

GUATEMALA Cultural Centre of Spain in Guatemala

Address

6ª Ave 11-02, zona 1, Edificio Lux, nivel 2, 01001, Centro Histórico, Ciudad de Guatemala

Opened

2004

Web

https://www.cceguatemala.org/