Ten Cuban creators receive “resilience scholarships for migrant artists”

SAN LUIS POTOSÍ, Mexico.- A dozen creators of different manifestations, residing in different countries, obtained the “resilience scholarships for Cuban migrant artists 2024,” according to They announced PEN International and Artist at Risk Connection (ARC) are sponsoring entities.

According to the official communication issued by the organizations on Wednesday, August 14, the ten artists selected to join the second cohort of the program were: Carlos Manuel Alvarez (writer), Evelyn Sosa Rojas (photographer), Fabiana Salgado Bernal (filmmaker), Hamlet Lavastida (visual artist), JJose Luis Aparicio Ferrera (filmmaker), Ricardo Figueredo Oliva (filmmaker), The RadicalRichard Adrian Zamora Brito (musician, rapper), RassandinoSandor Perez Pita, (rapper, composer, producer), Sandra Ceballos (visual artist), Yimit Ramirez Gonzalez (multidisciplinary artist).

Based on findings in #CubaMethod, @pen_int and @AtRiskArtists launched the Cuban Migrant Artists Resilience Fellowship to support Cuban creatives in reinvigorating their careers abroad.

We are pleased to announce the 2024 cohort! Learn more about the artists… pic.twitter.com/Io2RfQ6S10

— PEN International (@pen_int) August 14, 2024

According to the publication, the scholarship recipients were selected from a diverse group of applicants from 17 countries, 75% of whom have left Cuba in the last three years.

The second cohort of fellows will receive a six-month grant of $7,000 to complete an artistic project. The program also offers personalized support through virtual training and professional development opportunities, connecting artists with mentors, strengthening their professional networks, and helping them hone their craft in their host countries.

“Fellows will create works that address themes related to artistic freedom, cultural rights, human rights and other issues relevant to the Cuban artistic community in exile,” the text said.

Julie Trébault, director of ARC, said it was a source of pride to support Cuban artists “in the midst of the relentless criminalization, harassment and forced exile of the independent artistic community.

“Deeply inspired by the groundbreaking artistic work of our inaugural group and their unwavering commitment to a better future for their country, it is clear that this program is indispensable. It trains a new wave of socially engaged Cuban artists abroad, allowing them to hone their craft and produce creative projects that challenge the realities of freedom of expression and human rights in Cuba and around the world,” he concluded.

Last year, the organizations awarded scholarships to Amaury Pacheco del Monte, an artist and activist focused on cultural and civil rights, with a rich career spanning poetry, sculpture, performance and audiovisual. His commitment has led him to found and co-coordinate the San Isidro Movement, fighting against censorship in Cuba. They also supported Ana Rosa Díaz Naranjo (poet, narrator, visual artist and actress), Carlos Quintela (award-winning Cuban filmmaker who has premiered films at international festivals), Claudia Patricia Pérez (designer and transdisciplinary artist with an interest in questioning official narratives), cymoonv / digital artist focused on the performance of virtual identities), Daniel Sánchez Alfaro (visual artist who uses comics and illustration to reflect social and political realities), David D’Omni (musician and painter with a rich international career), Nonardo Perea (multidisciplinary artist who focuses on body issues and LGTBIQ+ issues), Ruber Osoria (Cuban photographer) and Solveig Font Martínez (independent curator and activist).

The scholarship program was inspired by the report “Method Cuba: Testimonies of Independent Artists on Forced Exile”, and that year, after a close selection among more than 100 candidates, 10 outstanding Cuban artists were selected. Although they work in different disciplines, they all share a strong commitment to freedom of artistic expression.

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