The CreArte Latino Cultural Center has launched “Para el Futuro (For the Future),” a new initiative that includes plans to reopen a 4,500-square-foot space at 8251 15th St. E. in Sarasota and expanded theater productions, events, and activities.
“It is our mission to be a connector between the Latino/Hispanic community and the community at large through the arts,” Artistic Director Carolina Franco said.
The initiative is supported by a $71,000 grant from Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation and targets community outreach, scholarships directed toward Latinos/Hispanics, professional salaries, and operational expenses.
“We can recover from the devastating impact of COVID, move forward with fundraising and fine-tune our Spanish-speaking and bilingual programming,” Franco said.
CreArte Latino, founded in 2012 as a creative hub for the Spanish-speaking Latino/Hispanic community in Sarasota and Manatee counties, hopes to partner with arts organizations, develop children’s theater performed by adults, and start a class for exclusively Spanish speakers called “Conversations in English.”
It is also continuing to enhance its collaborations with Latino/Hispanic artists from Sarasota, Manatee, and Latin America.
“We have always believed in hard work from the heart and aiming high," Franco said. "This generous grant empowers us to realize our dream of inclusivity through the arts and the possibilities going forward seem endless.”
To find out more about CreArte Latino, visit creartelatino.org or CreArte Latino on Facebook.
Submitted by Sue Byron
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