The CreArte Latino Cultural Center is expanding its programming for English speakers by offering conversational Spanish classes.
The nonprofit, which was founded in 2012 as a creative hub for the Spanish-speaking Latino/Hispanic community in Sarasota and Manatee counties, features “Conversemos en Español/Let’s Talk in Spanish,” designed for low to intermediate Spanish speakers. It started Nov. 10 and meets every Tuesday from 6:30 to 8 p.m., via the Zoom platform.
Each session will focus on grammar instruction and conversations around specific topics: Spanish-speaking countries, art, food, travel, health and more. The first two sessions are free; after that $10 per session. The class is ongoing; students can join at any time. For more information, visit creartelatino.org.
According to Carolina Franco, the president and artistic director of CreArte Latino Cultural Center, a large part of the organization’s mission is to offer educational initiatives that forge relationships with the community.
“We are passionate about nurturing various forms of art while working with people of all ages to create a cultural exchange between Latinos and the community at large,” Franco said.
Franco said CreArte Latino became a 501(c)3 nonprofit in 2017 with the goal of producing four full-length plays annually along with a children’s theater presentation and a Spanglish improvisational comedy show. By 2019, the theater was producing nine plays a year, scripted and improvisational, collaborating with artists from Sarasota and throughout Latin America. CreArte Latino also hosts concerts with Latin performers.
“Though the pandemic has limited our in-person events for the moment, CreArte Latino continues to strategize and find fresh, bilingual ways to build and engage a wider audience,” Franco said. “We’ve recently received a $5,000 grant from CARES for masks, sanitizers, signs and other equipment to make public events safe.”
Franco said volunteers are finishing up construction on the center’s home at 8251 15th St. E., Sarasota. The larger space includes a classroom, a smaller performance area and a theater large enough to adapt for social distancing.
Submitted by Su Byron
Sorce: Herald Tribune