CASE STUDY street performance

May!eld Arts Newbury HouseArt Action Toolbox: Case StudyStreet Art Performance Guatemala 2009 backgroundClaire Coughlan, Ger Nyhan and Brian Walsh travelled to Guatemala on a Youth In Action European Volunteer Service (E.V.S.) for three months in 2009. The three volunteers worked with La Cambalacha Community Art Centre in San Marcos in Guatemala. May!eld Arts Newbury House have been working in partnership with the La Cambalacha for many years and have also hosted Guatemalan volunteers in May!eld on EVS programmes. One of the most enjoyable events on the Cambalacha calender that the Irish volunteers participated in was a street parade through the town of San Juan to celebrate the day of the Guatemalan revolution (El dia de revolution).The theme of the parade was participation, which is closely linked with La Cambalacha’s motto of ‘Arte Para Todos,’ Art for All. The parade encourages people coming together to celebrate solidarity, participation and art. The children and youth that participate in the parade meet lots of people and get to experience many artistic processes during preparation for the parade.

Facilitators:Claire Coughlan. Ger Nyan and Brian Walsh (Ireland) along with facilitators from La Cambalacha

Participants:Children and youth from La Cambalacha in San Marcos.

La Cambalacha, San Marcos, Guatemala

Duration: September ‘09 - December ’09

Theme: Participation

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HOW DID WE DO IT?Step 1: Enabling Creativity

Step 2: Developing The Performances

Step 3: Performing

The facilitators helped the participants to explore the day of the revolution and what it meant to them through banner making workshops. The particpants then created images on paper that they felt represented their point of view. The next step was to paint them on large sheets in groups. In the costume making workshops the older students developed characters over the space of a few weeks around the theme of the environment.

There were many workshops in the run up to the parade, these included stilt-walking, juggling classes, gymnastics and acrobatic workshops. The participants learned dances that were especially choreographed for the event. Many themes were explored during preparation for the parade but the main one that ran throughout was participation. The street parade is a very inclusive event that encourages everyone to come out to the street to join in. Students with di!erent skills and abilities can all play their part, whether it’s dancing, singing, or stilt-walking.

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The parade route went through the town and all the people were sitting outside their houses and shops to join in the music and dancing, and of course to watch their children and teenagers perform in the parade. The parade had participants from three di!erent areas in Guatemala around La Cambalacha, and they were ranging in age from kids of "ve holding banners about Guatemalan Independance to the youths who have been with La Cambalacha for years and are now facilitating workshops with the young students. The students gain con"dence for performing which is important in La Cambalacha, and an essential tool for interacting with the local community. The street parade is now an annual event that is very much looked forward to by the participants and the onlookers in San Juan.

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