FLAWA is a new arts festival showcasing female Latin American talent in London. Over five days of events, guests will enjoy live musical performances (from Liniker, La Dame Blanche and others), take part in literary events, talks and discussions (with the likes of Yara Rodrigues and Alia Trabucco Zerán), as well as admiring an art exhibition and attending multiple films, including Marialy Rivas' award-winning Princesita.
The Festival of Latin American Women in Arts (FLAWA), will be the first festival of its kind in the British capital, showing the perceptions of women from Latin America in film, music, literature and arts in a range of London venues between the 15th and 19th May 2019.
This promises to be an exciting platform for cultural exchange and learning, comprising activities for anyone interested in the many angles and trajectories of Latin American culture.
According to Teresa Guanique, Director of FLAWA, the festival was born out of the need to show what Latin American women have accomplished: "This is the time to create empowering opportunities for us, to create spaces where women's expressions and perspectives are celebrated, where narratives are reclaimed".
London and the UK are home to a rich crowd of Latin American creators - an important diaspora in this city and beyond - which is blossoming year-round, growing in size, in diverse identification and in creative impetus. Women are the main force driving this community.
But the arts is not a balanced sphere, and Latin American women are too often overlooked: neglected by curators and disregarded in discussion. Despite the presence of the Latin American community and their growing representation in different areas of London life, all too often it is a male experience we are presented with.
We thus decided to celebrate and honour what Latin American women do; cisgender, transgender, queer and non-binary creators. The Festival of Latin American Women in Arts will be a platform for female Latin American expression, showcasing their work and empowering others to create. You are all invited to join us.