The Special Management and Protection Plan (SMPP) for the Amira de la Rosa Theater begins

Banco de la República (BR) continues to carry out the necessary tasks for the intervention of the Amira de la Rosa Theater, seeking that the inhabitants of Barranquilla and all Colombians may enjoy this cultural venue again. The Special Management and Protection Plan (SMPP) was initiated in August 2020 by the specialized firm Consorcio NVP, which is developing the action plan to be carried out to guarantee the protection and sustainability of this national asset of cultural interest.

Take Note:

• As the first step in the preparation of the SMPP, the Central Bank, through Consorcio NVP, will summon in the next few days agents and permanent users of cultural services as well as scholars, researchers, and the community in general to a first meeting in which it will present the scope of the plan.
• Besides starting the SMPP, the Bank will resume focus groups with the community and cultural authorities of the region in order to ensure the dissemination of its progress and communication with interest groups. (Watch here >> one of the focus groups held in 2019).

In 2006, the Ministry of Culture declared the Amira de la Rosa Theater an asset of national cultural interest, for which any intervention to the building must be authorized by the Ministry. The SMPP is the first step of the roadmap for the development of the project.

The contract between BR and Consorcio NVP was signed on 20 April, but due to the limitations caused by the health emergency decreed by the National Government due to COVID-19, it started in August. Since then, virtual meetings and preliminary activities have been held with support from the district authorities of Barranquilla, which has allowed for significant progress in the project´s timetable.

In parallel, BR will continue to strengthen its relationship with the district´s administration and the community through focus groups that will allow recognition of new voices, histories, and traditions that account for the cultural diversity that characterizes this region with the aim of including them among the services and cultural programming that the Central Bank will offer in the Amira de la Rosa theater. Thus, the upcoming meetings with the focus groups will take place between 28 September and 2 October, virtually. There will be a dialog with cultural agents, institutions, and associations of the arts, users, and students next week.

Despite the Distance, we are united by Culture

In the midst of the health emergency, cultural programming has been strengthened virtually, allowing different audiences to interact. In addition to regular activities, the project Artistic Exchanges in Times of the Pandemic stands out. Also, Interior / exterior, in which 13 artists and 2 collectives of Barranquilla and its surroundings participated. This group is part of the 130 artists who transformed their facades, balconies, doors and windows into spaces to appreciate art, and who received support from BR for the realization of their works, which allowed them to reactivate their economy at a difficult time for the arts sector. It is also worth highlighting the participation of the public in Sabor Barranquilla and the continuation of the cycle of lectures on the cultural and artistic legacy of Alejandro Obregón, transmitted via Facebook Live at Banrepcultural Barranquilla.