Seychelles and Cuba to partner in new art, music and heritage exchanges

The agreement was signed by the secretary-general of SNICHA, David Andre and the Ambassador of Cuba to Seychelles, Martha Hernández Caneiro. (Seychelles News Agency)

(Seychelles News Agency) - The Seychelles National Institute of Culture, Heritage and the Arts (SNICHA) and the National Centre for Art Schools of Cuba have agreed to facilitate mutual exchanges between the two countries in art, music and heritage preservation.

This will be done through a newly signed cultural agreement that also establishes the basis for developing cooperation in the field of artistic education, which is an area of great interest to both parties.

The agreement was signed by the secretary-general of SNICHA, David Andre and the Ambassador of Cuba to Seychelles, Martha Hernández Caneiro, on behalf of the National Centre for Art Schools of Cuba.  

The signing was done on Friday, April 12, which marks the 46^th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Seychelles and Cuba.

The agreement includes academic and cultural cooperation among students, professors and specialists, with opportunities for visits and scheduled meetings in the Art Schools of both countries, complete training courses and short training courses in different disciplines in Cuba.

It will also include the promotion and participation of students in festivals and other events that enrich their academic training and the exchange of information, specialised and audiovisual materials.

The cultural cooperation can be extended to areas like the conservation, restoration and preservation of cultural heritage, and cooperation between our libraries and national archives, among others.

Andre said, "There are a lot of benefits through this agreement, for example, let's take musical education; Seychelles needs instructors at the School of Music, and Cuba has people with this expertise. We can also have people from Seychelles who go there for training. It is a mutual exchange."

He confirmed that one of the first concrete projects under this agreement is that the School of Music in Seychelles will soon benefit from a group of instructors from Cuba.

On her side, Caneiro said, "This is an opportune moment to strengthen the diplomatic relations between the two countries. We want to promote the rich Creole culture in Cuba. This will be good for Cuba because we also have to learn about Seychelles too."

She added: "On our side, I know that we have a very big expectation for the start of this agreement. For example, we have the Biennale of Havana at the end of the year and we are trying to agree for some Seychellois artists to go to Cuba. That will be a very good opportunity to show the art and culture of Seychelles."

Caneiro said, "In July we also have another event; the Festival of the Caribbean, where countries with Creole cultures can participate. Every two years we also have a festival for young dancers that includes training and presentations so there are many opportunities for Seychelles art to be displayed in Cuba."