Crafts, a possible source of income to support cultural projects in Ecuador

Álvarez Basso pointed out in statements to EFE that in Ecuador the crafts sector “is very powerful”, as is gastronomy and tourism, so “one of the keys would be to merge these areas and not only work” in one discipline. artistic, whether plastic arts, cinema or fashion.

This is with the aim of “that the projects have different legs, pillars and financing channels”, so that artistic and cultural production is integrated with another line of work that may have to do with heritage, crafts or folklore.

“It is about opening our eyes and joining forces and disciplines, because it is key that the project does not remain in a financing channel ,” said Álvarez Basso, who under the organization of the Spanish Embassy in Ecuador held his workshop on Monday in Quito and on Wednesday he will do it in Cuenca .

“One of the keys to promoting the financial sustainability of a project is to knock on different doors because, as we say in Spain, you don’t have to put all your eggs in the same basket ,” added the cultural manager, who worked at the Reina National Museum. Sofía , directed the Matadero Madrid cultural center and founded the Women’s Film Festival , held in the Spanish capital.

In total there are twenty tools and strategies to obtain funds for artistic and cultural projects that Álvarez Basso presents in this workshop after having gathered them throughout her career as a cultural manager.

“There are elementary cultural management concepts that are very rarely explained by the university, such as the production chain of cultural value ,” he commented.

Cultural education

Álvarez Basso also emphasized the need to promote the consumption of culture from the schools themselves and break the stigma that culture is only for a certain social class.

He stressed the importance “of breaking that threshold that means crossing the door of a museum, or that of a cinema,” because once that type of habit is done and created, it is normally no longer reversible.

“Once you start consuming culture, you continue consuming culture, and I think it is important to help people take that first step to open the door to art galleries, which are also free ,” explained the cultural manager.

«Teaching people about art consumption not only enriches you intellectually, but it also enriches your social knowledge and your social contacts. The creativity of artists enriches your life and that first step is very important to encourage, not only from schools, but also with friends ,” he added.

Also with the family, through trying to create “intergenerational” cultural projects that allow them to be interesting for the grandparents, but also for the grandchildren”, which for Álvarez Basso “is a challenge that is a matter of programming” in which also citizens participate in its creation.

“I think that programmers have to be very open and very willing to learn from young people and learn other ways of communication that have nothing to do with ours ,” he added.

A learning that never ends

In turn, for Álvarez Basso it is necessary for creators to be open to new trends such as integrating artificial intelligence into their projects, because “it is a new tool, it is a new format and it is a new way of creating art, but also of distribute and market it.

“This entire value production chain is affected by new digital media, and we all have to adapt, because anyone who does not adapt is out of the game ,” he warned.

Álvarez Basso indicated that these media “are modifying the modus operandi of artistic creation and all of this is very valid”, so “all professionals must be learning every day” and “be up to date with new artists and new formats.” “, because “it is a learning that never ends.” EFE (I)