In December 2023 Nandita was invited to speak at Seminar for International Cultural Cooperation in the face of a changed scenario: Building a shared agenda between Latin America, the Caribbean and European Union at Palacio de Bellas Artes Mexico City. Here she shared her experiences as an artist and perspectives on the arts and culture and thoughts and scenarios for an impulse of the ICC in the regions of LAC and EU.
Summary
Nandita Shankardass, creator of Welcome Movement and cultural manager, presented her experience in the cultural field and stressed the importance of sharing art and culture, as well as preserving diversity and respectful and supportive exchange. Welcome Movement® is a service which provides dance and movement opportunities and experiences to generate wellbeing, encourage freedom of expression and stimulate creativity for individuals, organisations and community groups. This project has had a very positive impact in a wide range of settings, from care homes to youth groups, companies and organisations. The speaker also stressed the need to promote more inclusive artistic and cultural environments, in which multiculturalism becomes a central axis of exchange as a manifestation of the world’s cultural wealth. Within the framework of the EU and LAC, cultural cooperation between different regions, cultures and artistic manifestations is materialised in projects such as ‘Unearthing’, a performance held at the Guadalajara International Book Fair 2023 (FIL 2023), which demonstrates how artists and cultural professionals from the EU and Latin America and the Caribbean can collaborate creatively. This is one example of the many projects that can be developed between the two regions to create spaces for listening, exchange, best practices and mutual growth.
