Latin Hub UK receives funding from the Mayor of London
‘Aqui Estamos’ Exhibition Project has received £5000 from the Mayor of London’s Untold Stories fund, part of his Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm.
We want to create a contemporary mosaic mural that celebrates the diverse cultural heritage and contributions of Latin Americans to the UK. Bottom-up co-designing will highlight stories of resilience and success dispelling stereotypes that reduce our contributions to the entertainment and hospitality industries.
The funding is part of the £1m Untold Stories programme to champion diversity in the capital’s public spaces and ensure London’s landmarks and monuments reflect the achievements of all who have contributed to the success of our city. The grants offer Londoners the opportunity to develop ideas and share their stories which will be represented within the public realm.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, established the Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm to improve the representation of Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities, women, LGBTQ+ communities and Deaf and disabled people and those from a range of socio-economic backgrounds in the public realm.
Romina Lopez, Latin Hub Founder said : “We are passionate about promoting visibility of our community because that leads to recognition from institutions and increased opportunities.”
ENDS
I only get to play Manuel: Why I can’t be Macbeth or Richard III?
Cristina Martinez’s reflections about Playing Latinx, a theatre play directed by MarianaMalena Theatre, a Latin American female-led theatre company based in London.
Speaking Spanish in an English-speaking country can often be a unique and humorous experience. The pronunciation of certain words may produce easy laughter, and some familiar places may give the impression that one has a deep understanding of Latinx culture. However behind the surface, there is complexity and nuance in a rich cultural background, often marked by historical wounds and struggles.
Playing Latinx is a story about a newly arrived South American actor, who quickly realises he is destined to be cast to play exotic characters – gigolo, thug, cleaner with a funny accent. He thinks he gets showbiz: he moves, speaks, and writes as a stereotypical Latinx person is expected to act. But as he learns to play the game with increasing success, he questions if his behaviour is perpetuating the stereotype. Is he losing his true identity?
Guido Garcia Lueches’s excellent play was recognised by OffComm and it combines poetry, stand-up comedy and Latin music while exploring Latin American identity in the UK creative industries and, on a more personal level, how far he will go to fit in.
“The storyline is based on poems and questions Guido had about their experience as a migrant actor”, states Mariana
and Malena who directed Guido in “Playing Latinx. “Although centred around the entertainment industry, the journey of this play slips into everyday life and trickles through any migration experience. Playing Latinx is an invitation to feel uncomfortable, to allow yourself to be politically incorrect and vulnerable, to question, and to have a laugh. We hope it reflects the ability of the Latinx community to come together and celebrate even in adversity”, shared Mariana with Camden People’s Theatre Blog. You can see the trailer here
As a Latinx creative, I believe it is crucial to have representation in the industry. Having more Latinx representation in creative spaces across London is not only refreshing but also essential. It allows for more authentic and diverse stories to be told, and for Latinx actors to have the opportunity to interpret any character, not just the ones associated with their cultural background.
It is important to break stereotypes and limitations that have been imposed on Latinx actors for too long. It is time for Latinx actors to have the same opportunities as their non-Latinx counterparts and be able to showcase their versatility and range in their performances. I am eager to be part of this moment and contribute to the industry by being a representative of diverse and authentic stories.
Tell me more!
Guido Garcia Lueches is an Uruguayan theatre-maker and poet specialising in devising performance, who focuses on multiculturalism, identity, and the immigrant experience. He has been performing in the UK since 2015 and is the co-founder of the interactive theatre company Say It Again, Sorry? Playing Latinx is his first one-person show. You can find him on Instagram @elguidogarcia doing some interesting roles in OffWestEnd theatre too.
Playing Latinx was directed by Mariana Malena, an award-winning Latin American female-led theatre company based in London. Founded by Malena Arcucci (Designer/Director) and Mariana Aritstizábal Pardo (Director/Performer) in 2016, it focuses on creating pieces that explore interdisciplinary and horizontal collaboration between artists. Follow @marianamalenatheatre for more updates.
By Cristina Martinez
First published 30/04/2022 – Last edited 14/02/2023
Latin Hub increasing visibility of Latin Americans
The Latin American community is one of the fastest growing in London making an essential contribution to how the city operates economically, socially and culturally. In her foreword to the report, Paulina Tamborrel, a Citizens UK community organiser from Mexico, said:
“They call us ‘the invisibles’, los invisibles. For all our colours, flavours and rhythms; Latin Americans would expect all before invisibility. We pride ourselves in our joy, musical spirits and loud voices. The grinding reality of being Latin American in the UK has made invisibility a new custom for our community, one that is hard to escape.”
Latin Hub UK is an independent, non-partisan, not-for-profit initiative to support Latin Americans in the UK and to promote our cultural heritage. Our website and social media channels aim to integrate all the dispersed activities by and for our community, creating a hub that strengthens our identity and contributes into a larger journey towards visibility and recognition of one of London’s fastest-growing yet least appreciated communities.
In line with these goals, on the 9th of October we exhibited our work in Southwark Heritage Centre & Library.
During our last year we have gathered stories of courage and resilience from Latin American traders that have been affected by gentrification, covid and all the other barriers that the community faces.
On the ground floor we exhibited the beautiful paintings of Desire Noriega, which illustrated the spirit of our oral interviews.
It was a great event that connected us with young Southwark residents also concerned with issues of gentrification as well as the wider community.
Art can be a great communicator, but we also accompanied the paintings with a synopsis of the story that inspired the artist, contextualised by the wider challenges that the Latin American community faces related to each story. We also included organisations where members of the community can seek support for a wider rage of issues, from domestic violence to work exploitation.
On the first floor we presented an audiovisual experience, all audio interviews were animated with painting videos combined into a short movie that presented all the trader stories in a series. Visitors were able to experience first hand the moving stories of resilience and hope.
At the end of the event, a local artist illustrated the day that we captured in the image video.
A big thank you to all visitors who were so positive about our exhibition and project!
Serrat, Sabina and their love affair with Latin America
At the end of the 1960s the story begins, forced by Juan Manuel Serrat’s exile in Mexico. It was love at first sight between the singer-songwriter and our people and culture.
For those of us who grew up during the 70s, his songs have accompanied us since our first adolescent loves, and make us reflect on dilemmas that transcend borders, such as death and freedom. Mediterráneo was his emblematic first album, with which we learnt about Franco’s repressive Spain, its sea and its white villages, its youthful utopias.
Later came his own productions and also musicalisations of extraordinary Latin American poets. His work is influenced by other poets , Pablo Neruda (Chile), Eduardo Galeano y Mario Benedetti (Uruguay) The South also exists this is his nineteenth album dedicated to poems by the Uruguayan poet. He has also covered songs by Violeta Parra (Chile) , Atahualpa Yupanqui (Argentina) and from Victor Jara (Chile). Committed and critical of the dictatorships in Latin America, for which Pinochet denied him entry to Chile in 1983
Joaquin Sabina came to our continent later, following the path started by Serrat. He brought us the wildness and the excesses…and we love him for it. Just as we say that Juan Manuel brought poetry to music, Joaquin gave us spontaneity, rebelliousness and humour. Neither of them are noted for their vocal talent but Sabina can sing with the mariachis in Mexico or a tango in Buenos Aires with naturalness. The audience forgives those extra drinks on stage and turns a deaf ear to the noticeable passage of time that affects both their voices.
“19 days and 500 nights it’s still the song that most identifies Sabina, and it’s Noise is my favourite. My assumed fanaticism for Serra prevents me from choosing a song this compilation of songs and you will see that it is impossible to choose!
For some years now they have been performing together, giving concerts all over the continent, uniting music and friendship, between them and their audience The Symbol and the Cuate is a documentary that tells this love story between the artists and Latin America
We went to their concerts like to mass, with the same devotion, Serrat’s first concert in Argentina was unforgettable, after the dictatorship, with pure emotion we sang “para la libertad, sangro, lucho, pervivo”, with our eyes full of tears
We never felt them as foreigners, they are part of our recent history, in dark times,… we waited for his voice and words that accompanied and comforted us, when poetry guided the music and the music made us think. …..
Author: Angelines Yakin
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