Government opens Cultural Village in what used to be an old prison in La Romana

Government opens Cultural Village in what used to be an old prison in La Romana
La Romana, Dominican Republic, July 30^th 2014

Culture Minister José Antonio Rodríguez led the opening ceremony in which he said that this is one more indication of the support President Danilo Medina of the Dominican Republic has been providing to the cultural sector

Minister Rodríguez was joined at the head table by his wife, artist Monika Despradel; Governor Juan José Medrano Santana and Senator Amarilis Santana; Luisa María Ortiz,Provincial Director of Culture, and Jenny Polanco, Regional Director of Culture.

The First Cultural Village in the Dominican Republic, built in the old Santa Rosa de Lima jail of this resort city, was opened on Wednesday in a splendid ceremony headed by the Minister of Culture, José Antonio Rodríguez,together with municipal and provincial authorities.

The Cultural Village will be acenter for showcasing and teaching all domestic forms of art, Minister Rodríguez said in his opening remarks.He also added that this is anotherindication of the vision of President Danilo Medina, aimed at strengthening the cultural identity of the Dominican people.

Rodríguez noted that this is the first of several centers that the Government intends to open in tourist destinations around the Dominican Republic, which, he said, are part of a group of projects that the current administration is implementing.

The event began at 11 am with the singing of the National Anthem by Jeannette Marquez, the blind soprano of the Teatro Orquestal Dominicano (Todo), who also sang”Por Amor”with renowned singer Nini Cáffaro.

Minister Rodríguez was joined at the head table by his wife, artist Monika Despradel; Governor Juan José Medrano Santana and Senator Amarilis Santana; Luisa María Ortiz,Provincial Director of Culture, and Jenny Polanco, Regional Director of Culture.

Before Minister Rodríguez’s speech, the Provincial Director of Culture, María Luisa Ortiz, welcomed the attendees and praised the initiative as a good deed of the Government, and stressed the commitment of the Minister of Culture for successfully completing it.

Then,the entrance to the cultural village was unveiled and a tour of the facilities of this great center for the promotion of art and literature in this region, and which was once a prison that housed hundreds of prisoners, was offered.

Likewise, two exhibitions were presented. The first was “Expresiones en Reclusión”, photographs of graffiti from the prison, by artist Alfredo Esteban, from La Romana, curated by María Elena Ditrén, Director of the Museum of Modern Art.

The second exhibition was “La Romana, Historia de un Pueblo”, curated by Ana María Conde, Director General of Museums. In addition, there was a crafts exhibition.

Another activity includedin this opening ceremony was the presentation of the Koribe group, the René Carrasco Folkloric Ballet and the Percussion Ensemble of Teatro Orquestal Dominicano. All these shows were open to the public.

Representatives of various social, artistic, cultural and political sectors attended the event.

The old building where the Santa Rosa de Lima prison operated was built at the beginning of the last century, and it was delivered in late 2012 to the Minister of Culture, José Antonio Rodríguez, by Colonel Víctor A. Mercedes Cepeda, Commander of the Sixth Infantry Brigade of the National Army.

Areas

The Director of Cultural Infrastructure of the Ministry of Culture, Adrián Gañán, reported that the building of the Santa Rosa de Lima fort (the main and central building), is the only structure that has been preserved, with minimal intervention that does not affect significantly its original design, especially the facade, in order to preserve its architectural and heritage value.

Meanwhile, the other buildings and areas, such as the prison itself, the stores, the kitchen and the offices, have been completely demolished.

In this first phase, which has already been completed, major areas such as the Exhibition Hall, which is the place where visitors are welcomed and where interactive visual exhibitions on various aspects of the national culture will be presented, have been retrofitted.

Other areas have also been readiedfor the administrative offices, and the outdoor spacesnow include a plaza and gardens.

The second phase, which will start soon, comprises the third area that has a recreational and service purpose. An amphitheater for 350 people, a multipurpose room, a music library, a ballroom, an area for the sale and exhibition of the local cuisine, a coffee shop and craft shops will be built.

Likewise, a two-story building will be built.There, workshops for creating masks, manufacturingtobacco products, handicrafts, ceramics, visual arts, dance, theater and music, will take place.

Some of the events that are envisioned as taking place in these scenarios are the performance of folk, theatrical, musical and dance activities, as well as the promotion of films and literature by national and international experts and artists.

Regional Director Jenny Polanco, Governor Juan José Medrano Santana, Minister José Antonio Rodríguez, Monika Despradel, Senator Amarilis Santana and Provincial Director Luisa María Luisa Ortiz

The Minister of Culture, José Antonio Rodríguez, during the opening of the Cultural Village

The event began with the singing of the National Anthem by Nini Cáffaro and blind soprano Jeannette Márquez

The moment when the entrance of the first Cultural Village in the Dominican Republic was unveiled