Akántaros was born from the coexistence of artists with different lines of research in various fields (literature, theatre, dance, education, music, visual arts), proposing a space for creation and research, a plural space that provides access to the exchange of the multiple constructions of art.
Coordination/Direction:
Laura Szwarc.
Current team:
Antonia Santolaya/ Ricardo Flores Cuevas/Mario Muñoz González/ Eugenia Bournot/ Paula Orrego/ Itziar Bajo Erice/Alberto Zaro/Camila Mercado/ Carolina Muñoz/Taniel Morales/Ricardo Armendariz Sáchez.
Advisors
The purpose of seeking and finding advisors for Akántaros was born as an intuition. How can we be accompanied in the countless moments of not knowing? Waiting for the right words that, as time passes (Akántaros), fill the space with the production and construction of these wise individuals (who, like all wise people, are unaware of their wisdom. Only we recognize it).
We find their greatness in the works they have ceaselessly created, as well as in the dialogues we have maintained.
Each time, on every occasion, their words, their gestures, some sign, what they have written and expressed in their various disciplines, expand our thinking, open new paths that may seem familiar but, in reality, are something entirely different. They advise us, they transmit knowledge. They are present.
Perhaps more than a purpose, it is an unintentional purpose. To hope that these great individuals extend their hands to us. Yet, they have done so, they continue to do so, and each of them, in their uniqueness, enriches Akántaros.
They are: Cristina Peri Rossi, Susana Szwarc, Adela Basch, Adolfo Colombres, Bienvenida Sánchez, María Jesús Rodríguez, Jorge Rioboó, Irene Rotemberg, Fernando Peirone, Héctor Vega, Taniel Morales, Marta Schinca, Fanni Sas, Paula Schapiro, Marcelo Souto , Lecko Zamora y Alberto Szpunberg.
Akántaros is part of:
REACC, Red de Espacios y Agentes de Cultura Comunitaria, an open assembly for dialogue and support between arts and community culture professionals. Info on the form.
NADIR: Working group for the decolonisation of representations.
CELCIT: Latin American Centre for Theatre Creation and Research.
Vincular. Red Latinoamérica de creación escénica para los primeros años.
The network arose from the meeting of Latin American stage creators who offer stage projects for early childhood. The professionals that make up this network share the interest of creating significant artistic proposals of quality for children in their first years of life, in a responsible and committed way, based on respect and sensitivity.
Asociación Amigos del Libro Infantil y Juvenil de España: The Association was created in 1981 to support the objectives advocated by the IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People) and aims to study, disseminate and promote children’s and young people’s literature.
ASSITEJ España: The Asociación de Teatro para la Infancia y la Juventud (ASSITEJ) is a cultural association whose aim is to promote the development of theatre for children and young people in Spain.
ReLATOSur: RedLatinoAmericana de Teatro del Oprimido. An ongoing network of groups working with the methodology of the Theatre of the Oppressed in Latin America.
Red La Madeja: It is a space for networking relations between social economy organisations, cooperatives and teams of professionals, managed collectively and horizontally, who develop their activity around social intervention.
EnterArte: It is a working group within the association ‘Acción Educativa’, which aims to research and artistic creation in the educational environment. From the beginning it has aimed to be a place for teachers to meet and reflect on art.
Collaborations with other associations:
Ondula: Develops research projects and educational proposals aimed at raising awareness and training a digital citizenry with critical thinking and a commitment to social justice in the technological sphere.
La Horizontal: A collective of performing arts professionals united around a self-management project in the Vallekas neighborhood. We work to create an independent and sustainable cultural center in Vallekas based on the principles of horizontality and cooperation.
Autofabricantes: A collective research project that seeks to generate alternative and accessible open-source solutions related to functional diversity.
SOMA: An artistic collective focused on research, experimentation, and action.
Lekotek: A civil association that, for 22 years, has worked to integrate children with special needs and those at social risk, along with their families and communities, through play.
Associazione Culturale Tarmeh: Founded by director and actress Aram Ghasemy in 2000 in Tehran, it produces independent and self-financed theater performances, art exhibitions, and audiovisual works.
Club Argentino de Kamishibai: Kamishibai (Kami: paper, Shibai: theater) is a form of street theater that originated in Japan in the 1930s and became an essential part of children’s daily lives during the post-war period.
La Tortuga: A center for creation and research where various self-managed projects converge, seeking their own space while sharing extensive experience in their fields and a strong belief in access to education, art, and culture. It operates with a horizontal model that balances the needs of artists, educators, users, and students.
Proyecto Intemperie: A space for reflection and expression about humans in the plains. This shared territory—transcending geography and time—suggests that the Pampa is more than just a vast landscape. It explores deeply rooted ways of existence, along with their histories of labor, aspirations, and losses. The project brings together individuals from fields such as photography, literature, history, architecture, music, landscape design, theater, and archaeology.
Compañía DuoLargo: Founded in 2013 as a professional theater and clown company. That same year, they embarked on a bicycle tour, performing their street show “Clownes” in over twenty towns across France and Spain. Its members are multidisciplinary artists passionate about modern circus, music, and theater.
Dianas Teatro: A project born from the union of a group of women—creators from the fields of theater, writing, and audiovisual arts—who immerse themselves in the performing arts to explore theater’s transformative potential. Their work is rooted in gender issues, addressing how sexual differentiation restricts, limits, imposes, and labels what it means to be a man or a woman.
Bicho Bola: An artistic and educational platform composed of Paula Bisquert (choreographer, singer, storyteller, and educator) and Héctor García (composer, pianist, storyteller, and educator).
Pandora Mirabilia: Feminism and gender perspective are the core principles of all our activities. Currently, our work encompasses five main areas: education and awareness, research and consulting, communication, cultural management, and civic engagement.
Cuidadoras de sonidos (Anouk Devillé y Susana Jiménez Carmona)*We seek to listen, map, and collectively fictionalize the sounding city to act upon and transform its sonic environment. Our goal is to address fundamental questions such as what kind of city we want, what ways of life and relationships we are creating, and what alternatives we could build.
Baiven A space for artistic training and creation where dance welcomes everyone, regardless of their circumstances, body, or mind.
Individualidades Colectivas: Through its journey, Akántaros has had the opportunity to meet, share, and experiment with other artists and educators. We have grown together, expanded our perspectives, and enjoyed the energy of collaboration.
They are:
María Gómez /Elena Revuelta/Ignacio Alonso Alberca /Ana Moroto/Almudena Méndez Alonso/Félix Vicente/Gloria García González /Gustavo Puertas/Rita Noguera Ricardi /Philip Bruchner/Federico Liss /Marco Brunatto D´Amico/Ana Herrero Menendez / Eva Roibas/Irene Cardenas/ Claudia Verdecchia /Mirella Castizo /África Clua Nieto/ Luis Almeida / Mario Turégano/Sergio Salgueiro / Chaple Rodríguez /Ángel Negro/Shanti/Anahí Muñoz/Belén de Santiago /Inés Saturnino /Gabriela Flores/ María Robin /Juan Branca/Gabriela Fainstein / Raquel Quizás /Sandra Arpa /Gabriela Otollina/Lucía Miranda/ Guillerme Alpendre /Mariana Primavera/Víctor Navarrete / Sofía D´Andrea/ Gabriela Waisberg /Ignacio Yuste/ Eduardo Sáchez/Silvia Armendáriz /Ana Paula Camargo/Diogo Souto/María Ecobar/Mariana Leyva/ Irene Yagüe/Clara Varela/ María Toledo/ Vanesa Camarda/ Angie de la Mata/Gabriela Muollo/Paloma Abate./Kamila Van Maris/Diana Martínez del Río/Ulises Vargas Gamboa
