1.11.19

Latin Americans Embrace Migrants from All Cultures

Auckland’s Aotearoa Latin American Community Celebrates 25 Years of Artistic and Social Activism

For the last 25 years Auckland’s Aotearoa Latin American Community (ALAC)has enriched and enlivened our communities with exhibitions and cultural performances and their all-embracing political activism and community action.

To celebrate a quarter century since this unique organisation was established, ALAC kicks off five days of cultural events with the opening of the third, annual ‘Glances of Diversity’ exhibition at Studio One – Toi Tu, 1 Ponsonby Rd on Tuesday evening (November 5).

The week of movies, music, art and theatre will culminate with an Anniversary Concert and Dance featuring half a dozen Latin inspired bands on Saturday November 10. The concert will be held at The Dogs Bollix Bar, 2 Newton Rd, Grey Lynn..

A book documenting ALACs Community Development work will be launched on Wednesday November 6 at the gallery. Highlights include in depth articles about their therapeutic model of community resilience.

ALAC founding member, Esteban Espinoza is encouraging the public to come along to all the events starting with the Glances of Diversity’ exhibition at Studio One – Toi Tu Gallery.

“From Tuesday to Friday Studio One – Toi Tu gallery will be a welcoming, open space for conversations with the community about identity, the challenges migrants face in their journey to a new home and multiculturalism in Aotearoa in the 21st century,” says ALAC founding member, Esteban Espinoza.

“We want everyone from every part of Auckland to come along and see the variety of work on display like the beautiful textile art produced African and Middle Eastern refugee women working alongside our Latin American textile artists under the umbrella of the Tamkin Project.”.

The Tamkin Project and its offshoot, the ‘Sewing Travelling Box’ are examples of the innovative cross-cultural community projects developed by ALAC.

“The project drew women from different communities together to create a welcoming environment in which immigrant women can to tell their stories and explore the journey of migration through textiles,” Esteban says.

The mixed medium arts exhibition by migrants and refugees from the 12 countries of Latin America and from Africa, the Pacific and the Middle East, will explore themes of Migration and Identity.

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Events to celebrate ALAC’s 25th anniversary will be held from Tuesday, November 5 to Saturday, November 9, at STUDIO ONE - TOI TŪ, 1 Ponsonby Rd Auckland.

Tuesday, November 5– the opening ceremony starts at 7:00 p.m with

Fiona Taler - President ALAC Inc; Victoria Martinez Azaro & members of ‘TheTamkin Project’; Rafael de Armas - Curator; Diana Albarran - BuenVivir& textiles and Felipe Forero.

Nichimal Son’, a short documentary ‘by Juan Javier Pérez, Tsotsil, from Mexico telling the story of a Mayan families in present day Mexico..

It’ll be followed by live flamenco guitar by Aucklander, Ian Sinclair. A flamenco dancer and a singer who will entertain you with the passionate fire of this genre with deeps roots in the Islamic traditions of Spain.

Wednesday November 6th

Glances of Diversity will present the Official launching of ALAC Inc 25 Years of Community Development - A book that will become a lasting testimony of the organization’s work.

A short play El Cazador, based on a story by Graciela Cominetti, by Babel Theater, in production with LaEnye which tells the audience way the horrors of the Argentinian genocide.

Live music by the duo Galvansarlo.

Thursday November 7th:

A screening of a short documentary: ‘The Thread of Memory’ by Mariana Rivera.

We will also host ‘Migration Woven Identities’ a forum by Diana Albarran, Victoria Martínez Azaro and guests.

Live music by Seb Soto & Larsen Tito.

Friday November 8th:

Recording Stories in Aotearoa by Sebastian Vidal. An audio-visual presentation from Sebastian’s collection of the local community stories.

Live musical performance by Matias Ceballos from Wellington.

The premiere of the Chilean independent comedy, ‘Tetoterapia el Musical 2019’, a film by Elefantegonorrea Collective (Alejandra Gómez & Jorge Panchana) which broadens the issue of sexual diversity.

Saturday November 10

For the closing event we will host the 25 years Anniversary concert at The Dogs Bollix Bar, 2 Newton Rd, Grey Lynn, Auckland, with the participation of bands such as Exile Crew,Sepia, Bouns, Matias Ceballos &TheTrickymonks, Jan Red Lion, Chico Zarate and Calle Latina 2.0

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