The Higher Institute of Art (ISA) will commence celebrations for its 40th anniversary from October with the inauguration of a program dedicated to Cuban culture on the 12th; including, among other activities, the awarding of an Honorary Doctorate to singer-songwriter Silvio Rodríguez.
Speaking during a press conference, Dr. Rolando González Patricio, rector of the institution, stated that the most important thing is not to celebrate, but rather that the program act as a service provider contributing to the students own development, adding that to be an artist means serving the public and society.
With five faculties (Visual Arts, Dramatic Arts, Media Arts, Dance and Musical Arts), and a little over 5,000 students enrolled in 35 courses, the ISA is renowned for having a selective, but not exclusionary, system; while its international prestige continues to grow.
Featuring among the foremost activities to take place as part of the program which will extend through September 2016, will be the first Conservation of Cultural Heritage Workshop, held in November at Havana’s Casa del Alba; as well as the creation of the 40th Anniversary Cultural Brigade which will tour the island.
In addition, a series of conferences on the historical and cultural heritage of the ISA will take place, while audiovisual offerings by the Faculty of Audiovisual Media will be screened in cinemas nationwide.
For the month of May, 2016, ISA is proposing a 7th Arts Festival and the First Visual Arts Studio, events which will showcase the best and newest examples of Cuban contemporary art, while workshops, master classes and conferences have also been organized. In June, the 40th Anniversary exposition will take place, with the participation of artists affiliated with the institution throughout its long trajectory.
Likewise, to inaugurate the enrolment process at the ISA for the 2016-2017 academic year, the institution has organized an open doors program, giving prospective students the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the different faculties and learn about the courses and academic programs on offer.
The intense year-long program will end with a 40th Anniversary Gala in September 2016, and the launch of a commemorative postage stamp, among other activities.
