En Ingles y Espanol

WAC, ACO work together to reach bilingual audience

As you’re aware, the demographics of Springdale have changed significantly over the last 20 years,” says Laura Goodwin, vice president of learning and engagement for the Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville. “Nearly a third of Springdale residents are Spanish speakers, and many are bilingual. Bilingual families are a significant part of the cultural fabric of Northwest Arkansas. The opportunity to share an arts experience as a family in Spanish is key for many who love Northwest Arkansas and wish to stay connected to their cultural heritage.

“More than a year ago,” Goodwin continues, “the ACO Board of Directors began a strategic planning process and invited many regional stakeholders to participate, including Walton Arts Center. One of the goals that emerged from the planning process was to serve the whole Springdale community.

“Providing culturally linked performances is a significant way that WAC can reach out to Latino audiences in Northwest Arkansas. By partnering with ACO we’re able to reach many bilingual families close to where they live and work. Focusing on Spanish-speaking families is a new opportunity to reach people who have not yet had an experience with Walton Arts Center.”

Those families will get a chance on April 14, when Teatro de Occasion presents “One Morning I Left…,” described as “a musical trip with Ana, Gaspar and Oliver to discover what inhabits nature.” Here, Cesar Espinoza Araya, director of “One Morning I Left…” and Maria Fernanda Carrasco Blancaire, an actor in the production, answer three questions for What’s Up!

Q. How was Teatro de Ocasion formed? And where?

A. The members of Teatro de Ocasion knew each other since studying performing arts in the University. Together we started research and projects related to theater and popular poetry. After that, we worked separately in outstanding music and theater projects, until in 2010 we met again to dedicate ourselves completely to Teatro de Ocasion.

Q. How did you begin to tour internationally?

A. In 2012, we participated in the Santiago a Mil International Festival for the first time, with our show “One Morning I Left…” That was the first time we could present our work to an audience of international programmers. We were invited to our first tour, to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Brazil and Mexico followed, and since then, invitations to festivals and showcases never stopped, which have taken us to travel through Spain, Switzerland, Canada, Korea, China, Japan and Malta.

Q. What is your goal when presenting Spanish language productions to an audience that doesn’t speak Spanish?

A. We believe that beyond the language, there is a spirit and a very particular energy in our work. It has been a beautiful experience to realize in different latitudes, which are themes that are universal and can be enjoyed and transmitted beyond the idiom. Likewise, we always add expressions and words in the local idiom, and that generates a greater closeness with the public. People appreciate that there is an effort to communicate.