Belize today signed on to El Carromato which is a Swedish funded training project for the performing arts in Central America. The Belize Theatre Company, Capital Culture, Dramatic Force International, Houses of Culture in Benque and Orange Walk, the National Garifuna Council and the Institute of Creative Arts formed NADA, the National Association for the Development of Arts, to function as the local counterpart for El Carromato. NADA was launched this morning and ICA director William Neal told us how it will change what you see on the stage.
William Neal, Director ICA
"We're hoping that it will really be a catalyst to encourage people to start looking at the theatre and its development and all the components for theatre. We are also trying to change the way you look at theatre. Its not performing in the Bliss, its performing in an amphitheatre, on a street, and anywhere using any space that's available to get your message out in terms of drama and being quite dramatic about it. Belizeans in their own way are able to, using the resources that we have, do very dynamic productions here. Unfortunately I think other areas have been lacking in terms of technical experience, in terms of audience response and expectation...you can't walk away from watching something on television where you have people who are being paid millions to do it and then walk into the Bliss and expect to see the same thing immediately. It's a process and I think that's what we are starting."
El Carromato is being implemented in all other Central American countries. The project started in 2001 and should wrap up in 2006. The project will be managed by the ICA secretariat.
