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Theatre Group Luz de Luna
Barrio Atanasio Girardot Bogotá – Columbia
Luz de Luna is a youth theatre group which presents street theatre performances referring to relevant social topics. The group consists of a steady core of 10 people aged 16 to 24 years. Their artistic director is 39-year-old theatre teacher Rubén Dario Herrera. Luz de Luna has been existing since 1987. According to Luz de Luna theatre is not an island where art for few people is created, but instead it is seen as a contribution to understand, to present and to change the situation in Columbia. Theatre reflects their own social conditions and it tries to find a solution with the help of art. Both the communcation with the community and with the environment are essential. Thus art becomes a mouthpiece for those who, all too often, do not have a voice of their own.
Twice a week Luz de Luna works with young people of the district. They learn how to walk on stilts as well as scenic expression. Later on they are part of Luz de Luna’s theatre performances, e.g. at traditional parades and at the carnival procession. The young people are aged 11 to 18.
The young people live in a marginalized area of Bogotá in difficult social conditions. Thus the theatre and the group are an alternative in order to escape the vicious circle of violence and crime. Here they can experience that they themselves – and what they make of their lives – is important for other people.
Street parade „Columbia“ in Antwerp / Belgium
In 1999 the group was invited to a workshop and exchange of ideas that took place in a worker’s district in Antwerp.
The group has been participating in different theatre meetings in Columbia and in Latin America (Venezuela, Perú, Costa Rica and Cuba). When invited by human rights organizations the group offers workshops in communities in different conflict areas of the country.
Workshops in Kindergartens and schools of the area
The workshops in Kindergartens in cooperation with the „Madres Comunitarias“ and in schools represent an important part of their work.
„Ventitas y Ventarones – Street vendors and their world“
The story of a street vendor who – together with the „Madres Comunitarias“ - fights against air pollution caused by a brick factory.
„Fantasía o realidad – Phantasy or Reality“The first play which was created in cooperation deals with the problems of street children. It is based upon the text of Viviana Betancourt, aged 14 at that time, winner of the Youth Literature Award for Drama.
„Donde está? – Where is he?“
A play about the student Leonardo Gómez who was kidnapped and then murdered
In Columbia political executions and the disappearance of persons are the order of the day. Apart from the physical suffering this causes extreme psychological distress for the relatives, especially the mothers, who search their children in vain year after year. Often whole families break apart as a result of this. Most of these crimes are never solved.
„Aterra – without land“
A present-day play concerning the violent expulsion of now three million people from their land. This affects mostly small farmers, native people and Afro-Columbian rural communities (Cimarones).
Luz de Luna has got a dream:
to establish a Cultural Centre for Children, Young People and Women in the Barrio Atanasio Girardot and to fill it with life. We want to support them in their efforts, since we believe that, in a country like Columbia, phantasy, art and the work with children and young persons are both a possible and an important contribution to peace:
-it allows identification of common values
-it creates a spirit of community and solidarity
-it represents a possibility to show emotions and to deal with them
- it offers individual perspectives for a positive way of life
The Circle of Friends Luz de Luna grants support as follows
- financial support for the establishment of a Cultural Centre in Barrio Atanasio Girardot/Bogotá
-promotion of personal relations and artistic exchange between the countries
-attitude of solidarity with their work
- public relations work concerning the situation in Columbia and the human rights‘ situation in the country
Marina Wieland and Alberto Jerez
Binswangerstrasse 58, 74172 Neckarsulm
Tel. 07132/18748
