MiCultura sets up an alliance for musical training

Panamanian children and youth will benefit with musical programs through the signing of an inter-institutional cultural cooperation agreement between the Fundación Music Simón Bolívar (El Sistema) and the Ministry of Culture (MiCultura) with a view to strengthening the links aimed at the implementation of programs, projects, academic and musical activities.

Under this bilateral agreement, both parties commit themselves to the musical and academic training of teachers and students by means of individual classes, workshops, seminars, sectionalities and collective practice with musical instruments as well as advice and accompaniment throughout the area of administrative structure for its operation.

The document also includes an exchange of directors, teachers, musicians and students with collaboration, academic and artistic projects as master classes and training lectures at different branches and programs to set up a common line of teaching within their skills.

The agreement was reached between Carlos Aguilar Navarro, Minister of Culture and Eduardo Méndez, director of the Simón Bolívar Music Foundation of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, who was represented by Jhannette Madriz, who was charged with his mission at the Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

Electra Castillo, director of the Network of orchestras and Youth Coros of Panama, emphasized that she was pleased to have Venezuela's experience with this musical program and that Panama will make full use of this exchange that will involve a musical growth among today's members and those who join the Network.

For his part, Carlos Aguilar Navarro expressed his great pleasure as this partnership is part of the aims of expanding the Network throughout the country, where we propose that more children and youth gain from music, gain that knowledge of playing an instrument and that through the arts they have that tool to move forward.

The system, as a leading body of the National System of Orchestra and Youth and Children's Corks of Venezuela, attached to the Office of the Ministry of People's Power of the President of the Republic, today represents a unique model of musical teaching based on a new method of training that has been put into place in several countries of the world and that enjoys high international recognition.

While The Network aims to put into place in different areas of risk and social vulnerability, music modules with different musical programs aimed at preventing and re-integrating children and youth as part of the cultural development of the country and preventing violence with a view to bridging the unequal divide through music.

Ernesto Villegas Poljak, Minister of Culture of Venezuela and representatives of the Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in Panama, and Alexandra Schjelderup, Director of Cultural Rights and Citizenship, and Electra Castillo, Director of the Network of Orchestra and Youth Cores of Panama and Christina Rodriguez, Head of Technical Cooperation, participated in the signing of this pact.