When talking about the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba on the anniversary of its formation, tribute must be paid to the beautiful and the patriotic, to wisdom and aesthetics. It is a legacy where art and revolution walk hand in hand.
By Marlen Carrasco, translated from the Spanish
Nicolás Guillén, distinguished master of verse and fervent defender of culture, managed to unite the cultured and the popular like few others, reflecting the vibrant essence of Cuba. His legacy transcends poetry and is embodied in the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC), an institution founded in 1961 with the purpose of bringing together the country's intellectuals and artists under the ideal of the Revolution.
Since its inception, UNEAC has been much more than just a meeting space. "Since its emergence, it has been a propitious place for informal meetings between writers and artists. But it meant so much more. It provided the means for artists to actively participate in the animation of cultural life and, even more importantly, to intervene with their own voice in the various currents of the debates of ideas that characterized the time," says Graziella Pogolotti, a renowned Cuban essayist and intellectual.
Aware of culture as a tool for social transformation, Guillén led the creation with the firm conviction that artists should be at the service of the homeland. Since then, UNEAC has encouraged active participation in the construction of a more just and egalitarian society.
Among the figures who have guided this institution are Alejo Carpentier, José Lezama Lima and René Portocarrero, faithful exponents of the aesthetic and philosophical arts.
Throughout its 63 years of existence, its objectives have been clear: to stimulate, protect and defend intellectual and artistic creation, to recognize the broadest freedom of creation, to reject and combat any activity contrary to the principles of the Revolution, and to promote the study, critical evaluation and dissemination, both nationally and internationally, of the representative works of Cuban culture. They also contribute to the preservation and dissemination of the intellectual and artistic values of the Cuban people and to the representation of the world's cultures. They actively participate in the defense of humanity, cultural diversity, Latin American and Caribbean integration, and the fight against the commodification of culture and art.
To achieve these purposes, they focus their efforts on strengthening the artistic community, promoting cultural development and expanding its influence.
"UNEAC must remain alive, current, influencing, debating, discussing and intervening in cultural policy in the name of the avant-garde and quality (...)", claims the writer Abel Prieto, emphasizing the need for an organization "that is characterized by systematically encouraging participation and debate, and by maintaining and permanently renewing that essential unity of the revolutionary intelligentsia around the cultural policy of the Revolution".
The late actress Corina Mestre described UNEAC as "a space that defends creativity and dialogue between creators and institutions, in order to influence the fundamental problems facing Cuban society."
Thanks to the vision of the National Poet, UNEAC has managed to consolidate itself as a fundamental pillar for the development of the Cuban tradition. Its commitment to society, the promotion of artistic creation and the defence of freedom of expression make it an essential institution for the construction of a prosperous and fair island.
When talking about the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba, tribute is paid to the beautiful and the patriotic, to wisdom and aesthetics. It is a legacy where art and revolution walk hand in hand.
In this space there are characters full of nuances, ardent prose with a nostalgic approach and deep sensitivity, such as that of Senel Paz; the work of Abel Prieto, characterized by its thematic depth, its distinctive narrative style and its strong connection with national identity; and the poetry of Alex Pausides, Arturo Arango and Luis López Sacha, which is distinguished by formal experimentation and the search for its own voice. Other authors mark unmistakable rhythms and relate their dreams. The wisdom of Dr. Graziella Pogolotti enlightens those who come to her writings, becoming an accurate guide along the paths of knowledge.
Today, as we commemorate another anniversary of its founding, UNEAC is renewed with the energy of new voices, a testimony to the Caribbean tradition that, like a tree that blooms again, continues to spread its branches towards a promising future.
To it belong those men and women who, admired from afar, may have seemed inaccessible, but, as we get closer, we discover their skills, emotions and our own aspirations.
This work was translated and shared via a License CC-BY-NC
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