Radio Cadena Agramonte emisiora de Camagüey
Camagüey, May 23 – Under the name of the Sociocultural Project Creative Cartoon, Iscar Armando Dupont de Zayas and Kevin Hinojosa Árboles defended their graduation project in the Sociocultural Management for Development college career. Guided by their advisor, Dr. C. Liannet Cheong Sarmiento, who has been involved with the project since its inception, the young people conducted a research that brought the University of Camagüey closer to the artistic institution.
"At the end of last year, we learned about the project, but we actually began the research in January. We met with its director, José Antonio Hechavarría, and conducted the interviews. The problem arose due to the shortage of fine arts teachers in the city of Camagüey. This is where Cartón Creativo comes in to help and fill that gap," comment Kevin and Iscar.
The advisor of the research project is closely involved with the project. "I came to Cartón Creativo for personal reasons. My son is part of the Paint Me a Tree academy, and before that, his father had a solo exhibition here at the project. From that moment on, I began to connect and learn more about the work they do," the teacher comments.
"One day, in a conversation with José Antonio, I learned that the project was working, but it wasn't documented. This is something that can happen, although many projects are written first and then decided whether to execute them or not. It was then that I suggested to José Antonio that the students of the college career, who are also professionals trained to do so, write the project."
Iscar and Kevin describe the work in Creative Cardboard and its methodology has to do, above all, with non-participant observation: the observation of classes, exhibitions as well as interviews. From there the project is documented hand in hand with its director.
"This is a project that remains open because José Antonio is a person with many concerns and is always creating. Although he sets the agenda for 2025 and 2026, it is open to the addition of new activities," the professor notes.
These activities are related to the Paint Me a Tree Academy and its work during these two years. Likewise, with drawing, painting, and sculpture classes, and exhibitions by local artists. Some of them involve the literary group La Rueda Dentada and Portales de Luz, at a time when visual arts are united with literature.
Ms. María Caridad Pérez Vega, head of the Sociocultural Management for Development college career, highlights the completion of studies through three modalities as a novelty within the faculty.
"One of them is through projects, generally of a sociocultural nature. They are generally endogenous, related to vulnerable areas of the population, with teenage pregnancy, older adults as well as new technologies, just to name a few examples", says Professor María Caridad.
"Another of the modalities is the thesis where an outstanding mark guarantees to the student the passage to a deeper investigation. These theses also respond to social, community or faculty needs. Finally we have the article, recently assumed by the career but something that is not new in the university".
"It is the culmination of research, whether field, investigative, scientific, or theoretical, which provides a set of results. This also comes from a socio-cultural profile, generating changes and transformations within society".
In the current year, the students presented the three modalities. "We have seen them evolve, and this time has provided them with tools, transforming them into what we hoped for: managers, determined to change their environment," commented Professor María Caridad.
The college career has an agreement with the Provincial Culture and also with the Provincial Center of Plastic Arts, where the Cartón Creativo Project is linked. However, it was necessary to strengthen ties on a more personal way.
"We are going to establish a direct agreement with the project. Cartón Creativo contributed to one of the projects developed by two of our students. Therefore, we want to maintain our collaboration with the institution, which is small like our college career, but with big hearts and perspectives," emphasized Professor María Caridad.
Creating alliances with companies, institutions, and projects has always been a premise for the university. In this case, bridges of collaboration are being built between the Cartón Creativo Sociocultural Project and the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Camagüey. These connections aim to defend culture and, why not, a part of our city's history. (Text and photo: Adelante Digital)
