Nos encontramos en Cuba: ¡hurra!

By Paulo Merisio, Counsellor to the ASSITEJ International EC

Bebê de Soares and I were assigned the creation of this opening text for the newsletter, as a commemorative milestone for the month in which we will have our long-awaited Congress in Havana/Cuba. For us, symbolically, it's an impossible feeling to describe in this text. It brings an extra dimension of belonging to this International Association that manages to bring together so many people, from so many places, with diverse interests, who converge in the fight for the rights of children and young people to enjoy, experience, and participate in the performing arts. We agreed that I would take a look back at this idea, which was planted in 2019 at the 5th ASSITEJ Uruguay Festival, an event that included a meeting of the ASSITEJ Executive Committee and members of the Ibero-American Performing Arts Network for Children and Youth. At this meeting, Irene Borges Lara brought a concealed proposal in her suitcase, that took us by surprise and immediately enchanted us: the possibility of holding a Congress of the Association in the Americas, strengthening National Centers and the nuclei of professional networks in the region. This idea matured at ASSITEJ Cuba and was launched in 2021 at the 20th ASSITEJ World Congress - Performing Arts Festival / MIRAI, with a video featuring several children inviting us to take part in Voices of a New World: 21st ASSITEJ World Congress and Performing Arts Festival 2024 (Cuba).

Since then, the Ibero-American Network has worked intensively with the expectation of collaborating in the realization of the Congress, which has strengthened us as a network. So it's difficult to measure whether it was the prospect of the Congress that further increased this integration or our regular, daily work as a network, which began in 2005 at the Congress in Montreal, that gave ASSITEJ Cuba the courage to make this bold proposal. But finding it out is not important. What matters is that we are together in this project and, even though we all have butterflies in our stomachs as the opening approaches, we are sure it will be unforgettable. Since the meeting in Uruguay in 2019, the Ibero-American Network has held two meetings: the first at the XV Paideia Festival in São Paulo, Brazil, August 2020 (online) and the second at the Terceras Jornadas de Teatro THT in Tijuana, Mexico, August 2023 (on ground), promoting debates on important aspects for the region that will be revealed in various activities at the Congress.

In narrating this journey, which is also a countdown, I'd also like to share a little of what I've experienced in relation to the preparations for this huge event. Since 2021, I have been invited to serve as a Counsellor to the Executive Committee of ASSITEJ International, and you can only get a sense of a structure by looking at it from the inside. There are many difficulties that we must always be aware of and one of the biggest is certainly the continuous effort to ensure that the association always maintains its global perspective. Aspects such as cultural differences and expressing ourselves in different languages are a constant challenge. Therefore, stimulating the growth of the Association's activities in the most diverse parts of the globe is an objective that should always be in the sights of ASSITEJ International. And holding this Congress is definitely a move towards this.

In May 2023, I was able to visit Havana, where we toured many potential spaces for the various activities. I had mixed feelings. Firstly, the concrete realization of the complexity of the event and all the challenges it would entail. But it was also a certainty: holding the Congress in Havana, a city that in 1993 had already hosted the 11th ASSITEJ World Congress and Performing Arts Festival for Children & Young People, makes it possible to think about different formats for meetings and performances, to propose a different look at what we've been doing. Some aspects have brought about this perception. The first was through the various spaces in the city, which showed the potential for occupying urban spaces and the various cultural centers. The second was the clarity that, in Cuba, there is a collective concern for children and young people, which is revealed by the focus on education, the arts, and a sense of community - data that played an important role in structuring the Congress program. But lastly, and certainly most importantly, was the commitment and passionate adherence to the event of everyone involved: all the members of the ASSITEJ Cuba board, artists, researchers, teachers, and venue managers. Let's pack our bags!!!! 

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Expanding the ASSITEJ World One Congress at A Time!

By Bebê de Soares, Vice President of ASSITEJ International

The XXI ASSITEJ World Congress "Voices of a New World” in Havana, Cuba will be a unique cultural immersion experience!

Bebê de Soares

In 2017, the entire ASSITEJ community gathered in Cape Town for the Cradle of Creativity XX World Congress under the theme "Building Bridges, Crossing Borders".

In 2024, we are preparing for a unique cultural immersion experience in Havana, Cuba for the XXI ASSITEJ World Congress "Voices of a New World"!

You can literally feel the ASSITEJ world expanding! ASSITEJ demonstrates its commitment to broadening perspectives and fostering collaboration across continents. It is an invitation to reflect on the evolving landscape of theatre for young audiences and the importance of embracing diversity, inclusion, and cross-cultural collaboration in shaping its future.

The past 5 years have been an exciting journey for all of us at ASSITEJ - EC members and staff, ASSITEJ Cuba and the Performing Arts Council in Havana. It is not easy to describe the excitement every step of the way, so much anticipation for what is to come.

The selection of the professional exchange program was perhaps the highlight of the whole process for me. Being able to travel to Havana in December 2023 made the task a very special experience: sitting together in a room in Havana, we could not stop smiling as we imagined this or that proposal for Cuban children or professionals.

As a result, we have an exceptional professional exchange program that will be a great opportunity for us. An extraordinary offer that reflects the generosity and strength of our global membership - more than 70 events, workshops, presentations, and inspirational dynamics that will be shared with the children, their families, educators, artists, and professionals who will gather in May.

I also would like to mention our gratitude to all jury members in the long selection process for the International Festival and all artists that are coming to Havana to show their work to Cuban children which in the end, is the reason we all do what we do! We are deeply grateful to each professional who has contributed to this incredible panorama, as well as to the courageous local organizers. One can only imagine the immense number of hours invested by all parties, sharing not only their time, effort, and talent, but also the joy of contributing to a unique celebration with all our members!

Now I must make an aside. It would not have been possible for this World Congress to take place in Cuba if it had not been for Irene Borges and our Secretary General, Louis Valente, who is Danish by birth but Cuban at heart. The combination of her visionary powers and his intercultural competence made the gigantic task before us irresistible, both for the Cuban side and the global ASSITEJ.

And let's not forget the host country, Cuba. With its rich arts scene and vibrant culture, it is the perfect backdrop for a gathering like this. So, get ready to be inspired, because this will be an event that will leave a lasting impression.

Let's raise a mojito to embrace diversity, break down barriers, and shape the future of theatre for young audiences, one congress at a time. SALUD! 

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