Havana hosts courses of the Caribbean Cultural Training Hub

 


HAVANA, Cuba, Oct 2 (ACN) More than 100 young people from 17 Caribbean nations opened today the face-to-face courses of the Caribbean Cultural Training Hub at the Santa Clara Convent in Havana.

This educational initiative is part of the Transcultura: Integrating Cuba, the Caribbean and the European Union through Culture and Creativity program, implemented by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and financed by the European Union (EU) to strengthen capacities in the cultural and creative sector of the region.

Anne Lemaistre, director of UNESCO's Regional Office for Culture in Latin America and the Caribbean, said that the opening of the courses involves great efforts on the part of the UN agency she represents, the EU, the Office of the Historian of the City of Havana and the Cuban Ministry of Culture.

According to Lemaistre, the courses will strengthen the skills and knowledge of young cultural professionals between the ages of 18 and 35 in areas such as design, audiovisuals, languages, crafts, handicrafts and music.
Isabel Brilhante, EU ambassador to Cuba, stressed that "Transcultura and its materialization in these study programs strengthen cooperation between the European bloc and the Caribbean territories.

For his part, Fernando Leon, Cuban vice minister of culture, welcomed the students and expressed his satisfaction that a project such as this one allows for dialogue and the exchange of experiences among the 17 participating countries.

The teaching programs started Monday in Havana will end on Nov. 10 and will be held at the University of the Arts, the Cuban Fund for Cultural Goods, the Higher Institute of Design and the "Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos" Workshop School.

The Caribbean Cultural Training Hub has developed two rounds of virtual courses between 2021 and 2022, which allowed the training of nearly 500 students in areas such as the film and audiovisual industry, and cultural and creative entrepreneurship.