With today's post, we end this series of blogs that has succinctly collected what happened during the Haiti-Cuba Academic Residency Program of the Youth Art Fund (YAF). 

Farewells always bring with them many emotions, and this one is no exception. Three weeks later, that group of young creators who arrived in Havana eager to meet and share are not the same, and neither are we. There has been so much to offer and receive, that this space would not be enough to tell it.

As an opportunity for the exchange of knowledge and creative experiences, conceived –above all– as an inclusive space for cultural dialogue, the Program was created in collaboration with the Swiss Cooperation in Haiti.

For twenty-two days, Cuban and Haitian students received classes organized by theme, conferences, lectures, and workshops given by Cuban professionals of different generations, with a recognized trajectory in the art teaching field.

The first cycle of conferences was led by renowned Cuban professionals such as Anabel Letusé, solfeggio teacher, and Claudia Fallarero, musicologist in charge of the conference History of Music.

Nahela Hechavarría, Cuban art critic, specialist, and curator of Casa de las Americas' Plastic Arts Department, talked with the participants about Latin American and Caribbean photography.

Caridad Diez, musicologist, music producer, and cultural manager, was in charge of the Illustrated Lecture on Cuban Music, as an introduction to the agenda of complementary activities.

Similarly, the musical improvisation classes, with the renowned musician Janio Abreu, and the popular guitar classes under the tutelage of Dayron Ortiz, masterfully mixed theory and practice in each meeting.

The same happened during the piano lessons, led by Ernesto Oliva, which not only brought the students closer to Cuban music but also brought cultural results of the Haitian influence in Cuba. 

A meeting with Cuban musician, arranger, and composer Emilio Morales opened the last week of the itinerary. At the event, which was also attended by music producer Carlos Hueso, the music resonated spontaneously, with the accompaniment and experience of the seasoned instrumentalists.

The rainy days of the Caribbean autumn did not prevent the photographic safaris planned with photographer Alfredo Sarabia from taking place. As the saying goes, "every cloud has a silver lining", and Havana afternoons drenched in water bring a mystical charm to the most severe lenses. The same happened while exploring the interiors of the Girón Building, known for its rhythmic structures, veneers, and corridors that resemble a science fiction scenery.

Invited by visual artists Gabriel Cisneros and Rolando Galindo, both beneficiaries of the YAF, the residents visited the exhibitions El Prestidigitador and Bolero para Stendhal, by these artists respectively. They also visited the workshop of visual artist Yohy Suárez, which gave them a first-hand look at how young Cuban artists work.

Meanwhile, the trip to the Patio de Tata Güines community project, in Mayabeque province, served to understand the work they do with children and young people in the area, to safeguard traditional music and dance.

At its venue, the courtyard where the renowned percussionist Tata Güines was born, there was no lack of exchange with members of the project and the community, through this religious, historical, and cultural bond that Cuba and Haiti have in common.

One of the experiences that ended the internship was the recording of a musical piece by the music students and guitarist Dayron Ortiz. In this way, in his studio in Havana, the practical and theoretical sessions were combined into a musical piece almost five minutes long.

Another culmination exercise was the Idantite photo exhibit, which brought together professors, students, artists, and beneficiaries at YAF premises. The exhibition consisted of photographs taken by Cuban and Haitian participants in the First Academic Residency Program.

This not only showed the work done by the young creators during the period but also revealed the points of encounter between shared traditions and identities.

The event was attended by Her Excellency Regine Lamur, Ambassador-designate of Haiti in Cuba, who also accompanied the presentation of the certificates attesting to the end of the internship.

The collective farewell was marked by hugs, emotional words of thanks, and countless anecdotes, including the appropriation of popular Cuban pregones.

This experience has not only opened up a new area of impact for YAF, but has also shown that it is possible and necessary to promote collaborative exchanges despite the crisis, providing resources, knowledge, and innovative approaches in key sectors.

The possibility of this Program reinforces the viability of legitimizing bilateral exchanges by taking advantage of the potential of the global South, with mutual benefits, overcoming other more usual and limiting ways of approaching cultural cooperation, making it less centered on traditional North-South technical programs.

YAF's Academic Residencies are also an open door to a strategic future of collaboration, where new donors from the state and private sectors, both in Cuba and abroad, interested in contributing resources, with faster and more flexible contribution modalities, can join us and help co-finance our actions, providing them with greater possibilities of sustainability.