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2019 LTC Miami Regional Convening

Watch the full video from the convening here

Miami, Florida 12-14 July 2019

The 2019 Latinx Theatre Commons (LTC) Miami Regional Convening (Miami in Motion!) brought together over sixty artists, scholars, administrators, and advocates from the Miami Latinx Theater community and beyond to share work and methodologies and to experience the vibrant and varied forms of storytelling illuminating the abundant creative talent of this rapidly growing “Magic City.” The Convening also provided space for networking and interdisciplinary collaborative opportunities, and engaged in dialogue aimed at advancing career sustainability and engendering an ecosystem for artists to thrive in all stages of life. See the full list of attendees and check out the agenda here.

“Sometimes what we’re really talking about is seeking a bigger piece of the pie, when the pie is already predicated on a lot of historical systemic oppression. Is this conversation exclusively about how we represent ourselves, or is there an additional extension of political work that we’re talking about as artists that goes beyond just getting ourselves in there?”—Alicia Cruz

Read reflections on the convening

“The thickening of our stories is not just about representation, but how we do our work and why.”—Carl(os) Roa

Collage of theatre artists participating in activities at the LTC Convening.

The Convening coincided with the opening weekend of Teatro Avante’s 34th International Hispanic Theatre Festival of Miami. Centered in the only major American city founded by a woman and known as a gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean, Miami in Motion! sought to bring the Miami Latinx Theater community together to connect and reflect upon their histories. The goal of the convening was to look forward toward the future as active participants in the creative economy, as a recognized incubator of talent, and as a community who continues to push the boundaries of innovation and creativity. The convening dialogues spotlighted:

History, Environment, & Advancement of the Art Form:

Continuing to build on the successes of prior convenings throughout the country, this was the LTC's first venture to the southeastern region of the United States. Conveners explored questions such as: How do we identify, embrace and celebrate our uniqueness? How does education about our histories in Latin America, the Caribbean, and the United States help us to thoroughly understand why colorism continues to exist, and how can we individually contribute to end colorism? What future do we envision for our local theatrical landscape? How can we advance the art form through interdisciplinary and intercultural collaborations? How can we use new media and technologies to develop new forms of theater?

Work-Life Balance & Career Sustainability:

Conversations around identifying the needs and concerns of Latinx artists who are caregivers and/or parent artists also took center stage at this Convening. Work-life balance, advocacy, resources for caregiver and parent artists, entrepreneurship, support for the mid-career artist, and more were topics of interest that were present for the first time at an LTC Convening. Conveners explored questions such as: What are the barriers to employment at different stages of life? What are the intersectional realities that impact career progression and a stable career trajectory? How do we take care of our aging artists? With an ever-growing retiree population, what intergenerational collaborations and conversations should be taking place? How do we retain talent in our city? What kind of artistic home are we aiming to provide our artists?

Learn more about the LTC