Cantera theater group performs at National Theater Festival

This past weekend, November 27-28^th, one of Cantera’s four theater groups in Ciudad Sandino, Panico de Risa (Laugh Attack), performed at the 13^th annual National Popular Theater Festival. The festival, which was put on by MOVITEP-SF (Popular Theater Movement Without Borders), brought 20 popular theater groups from around the country to perform in Matagalpa, a city near central Nicaragua. Popular Theater (or Theater of the Oppressed) is a type of performing that reveals an important social message according the reality of the audience in order to create a space for critical thinking and dialogue. Often times, popular theater groups will create their own plays based on a social justice issue like gender inequality or environmental destruction and perform in the streets so that everyone can have access to seeing and discussing them.

At this year’s festival, Panico de Risa, Cantera’s adult theater group, performed a self-written and directed play on the importance of recycling and taking care of the environment. The performance was received very well amongst fellow actors, organizers, and the communities of Matagalpa.

Cantera hosts IV annual Youth Gathering

On Sunday, November 21, Cantera Community Center in Ciudad Sandino hosted its fourth annual Convivencia de Jovenes (youth gathering) with the slogan, “I can and should make the difference to say no to violence.”  Every year, Cantera youth programs gather together in Ciudad Sandino for a day of expression, celebration, and formation. Coordinated and hosted by youth, the conviviencia creates a space for all Cantera expression groups to share their talents while joining together to discuss violence and create a culture of peace.

This year, youth from 4 Cantera community centers filled Ciudad Sandino’s main plaza to enjoy the day’s events of soccer, dance, karate, live music and theater. The day started with a soccer tournament for both men and women’s teams and ended with a concert put on by Cantera bands with all different styles of music. In between, the stage filled with spectators watching karate exhibitions, theatrical performances written, directed, and acted out by youth, and the many dance groups that performed folklore, Caribbean dances, and break dance. Emceed and run by Cantera Ciudad Sandino and MOJUV youth, the event’s theme of nonviolence and creating a culture of peace was a focal point of the day.