From October 15th to 17th, Panama City and Colón will first have this key meeting for Ibero-American Cultural Cooperation.

The next week, Panama will host for the first time the IBERESCENA Intergovernmental Council meeting, a place where representatives of Member countries, together with allied institutions, will review progress and define the next steps of work of the Programme. That 51st edition will not only hold its sessions in the capital but will also be moved to the town of Colón, an important pole for the cultural activity of the country.

The meeting will bring together representatives from Iberescenna Member States and representatives from the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB), the Organization of Ibero-American States (OEI), the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) and the Programme's Technical Unit.

The Minister of Culture of Panama, María Eugenia Herrera, emphasized the pride she represented with a meeting of the Iberescenna Intergovernmental Council, and noted the importance of the meeting for strengthening cultural cooperation in the region: "To our country, to host this issue has a special meaning, because it reaffirms our commitment to the development of the Ibero-American Science arts and to the co-work of our nations.

From the Ministry of Culture we have an opportunity to share our artistic diversity and to welcome those who, from different countries, are promoting the creation, research and circulation of the performing arts, "she said.

The authority also highlighted the leadership exercised by Panama during the two consecutive periods at which the country was represented by Renan Fernández, who presided over the Programme in 2023 and 2024, contributing to strengthening its strategic lines and promoting initiatives that promote equity, innovation and cultural dialogue in the Ibero-American Cultural Area.

Activities in Panama
For three days, participants will be aware of the advances of the different participatory spaces that have been generated by the Programme as part of the Ibero-American Year of the Academic Arts, as vital inputs for the development of the new Strategic Plan 2026-2030 that will guide IberesCEN in the next five years.

The President of Iberescenna, Javier Valenzuela, noted that "this meeting has a crucial character for the future of the Programme, because it will be the space where we will collectively define the Iberescenna Roadmap for the next five years. The Strategic Plan 2026-2030 will not only set priorities in our Action Lines but will also help to meet the new challenges of the stage sector in our region."

The first edition of the Research Fellowship Magaly Muguercia 2023-2025 and his second call will also be reviewed and his second call's advances will be revised and the implementation of the Help Lines 2025-2026 and the Special Projects "IBERESCENA LAB," "Confluences of the Afro-Semitic Arts will be revised.
Ibero-American and Diaspora "and" Scene technologies in Ibero-American. "Also, we will evaluate the development of the Ibero-American Year of Academic Arts and the functioning of the Ibero-American Academic Arts Advisory Commission.

In this context of the Ibero-American Year of Academic Arts, a ceremony will also be held to give recognition to the Ibero-American Cultural Management Guillermo Heras, and with the SEGIB, will distinguish Gestoras and Scenic Gestors from 19 countries of the Ibero-American Cultural Space.

Beyond the sessions, the agenda includes cultural and recognition activities. The REPPI will visit the City of the Arts in Panama City and the Colón Center of Art and Culture (CACCO), as well as other important points from both cities, and will attend the RASMA International Contemporary Dance Festival to suit local artistic work.