Blog: R E D + D R E S S + P R O D U C T I O N S
Post: The Create Institute Community Art Weekend
Link: http://reddressproductions.blogspot.com/2014/04/isis-canada-community-art-weekend.html

Right after returning from Switzerland, we went back to the airport and were on our way to the IEATA Conference in Lima!

I (Ellen) led a pre-conference workshop with 50 participants.  We went to a poor neighborhood on the outskirts of the city and spent the day with a street theatre company that makes giant puppets and performances.  They are called “The Great March of the Giant Puppets”  They also run a theatre school for children where they teach stilt-walking, dance/movement, and involve the children in creating their own productions. Here is more information about them:

The Great March of the Giant Puppets (La Gran Marcha de los Muñecones)
The Center for Research Broadcast and Training, La Gran Marcha de los Muñecones (The Great March of the Giant Puppets) is an association that works in Comas, one of the most dynamic districts in Lima, despite high poverty rates. The group presents characters and theatre in open spaces, such as parades, turning the streets into theatres. They use giant puppets (muñecones), dance, music and circus modalities, cultivating the imagination and fantasy of the people in the street. They believe in art as a means of communication and cultural literacy of the people. For them, art is a part of the education of citizens and a means of social and individual transformation. They are key organizers, for the last nine years, of the International Festival of Open Street Theatre (FITECA).

It was amazing to see what they were doing and to experience their commitment to bringing the arts into their own community.  We could really see art in action, bringing out resources.

Steve gave several lectures at the conference, one together with GONZALO PORTOCARRERO, Ph.D who is a professor of anthropology in Lima and another with a woman from the organization, Chirapaq, who works with empowering indigenous groups.  CHIRAPAQ is a civil association formed by Indian citizens working in Peru to build a pluralistic and equitable society. CHIRAPAQ aims to live in a society where the rights, dreams and aspirations of indigenous peoples are respected. They have a special commitment to the Indian woman, as bearer and holder of cultural heritage. CHIRAPAQ is part of national and international indigenous movement, actively participating in different networks that seek the social, cultural and economic development of indigenous people.