Communities Take Center Stage in Celebrations of Cuban Culture

The community will serve as the primary stage for the Jornada de la Cultura Cubana (Days of Cuban Culture), dedicated to the centenary of the historic leader of the Revolution, Fidel Castro, and the 50th anniversary of the Ministry of Culture (Mincult), the organizing committee announced today.

From October 10 to 20, participating organizations will ensure access to a diverse, inclusive, and decentralized program featuring cultural expeditions, artistic performances, audiovisual screenings, and activities across urban and rural areas throughout the nation.

The schedule will encompass various thematic days, with programming centered on concert music, the Cuban educational system, the legacy of founding Mincult Minister Armando Hart, personnel associated with the ministry's foundational system, and poetry.

Additionally, honors and decorations are slated to be presented to various cultural figures.

The capital will host a special screening of the feature film "Neurótica Anónima" (2025), a concert by the National Symphony Orchestra, and a gala performance by the National Ballet of Cuba, among other events.

Across the rest of the country, Matanzas will hold the main ceremony for the José Martí Brigades of Art Instructors; Holguín will celebrate the Fiesta de la Cultura Iberoamericana; Sancti Spíritus will host the Encuentro de Agrupaciones Centenarias; Villa Clara will hold the Encuentro de Bandas de Concierto; and Pinar del Río will stage the Salón Provincial 20 de Octubre, alongside other gatherings.

The ten days of festivities will coincide with the 32nd edition of the Fiesta de la Cubanía, the 34th Crisol de la Nacionalidad Cubana Theoretical Event, and the 39th Festival of Cuban and International Cinema, all held in the city of Bayamo, in the eastern province of Granma.

Dalia Duarte, an expert in Cultural Policies at Mincult, explained that the central activities will open with a ceremony at the La Demajagua historical site in Granma, followed by the heritage tour "Cantares por la Ruta de Céspedes," a screening of the Cuban film "El Camino," and subsequent cultural expeditions across all municipalities.

Alongside Duarte, Mailin Elías, representing the organizing committee of the Fiesta de la Cubanía; Yasel Toledo, president of the Asociación Hermanos Saíz (AHS); and Carlos Castillo, national president of the José Martí Brigades, provided an overview of the main program.

The Jornada de la Cultura extends its commemorative focus to the anniversaries of the AHS (40th), the José Martí Brigade of Art Instructors (22nd), the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (65th), the University of the Arts (50th), Fidel Castro's landmark address "Palabras a los Intelectuales," as well as the centenaries of filmmaker Julio García Espinosa and musician Pacho Alonso.

Each honored organization features its own cultural program, integrated into the commemoration of National Culture Day, which marks the date the national anthem was first sung on October 20, 1868.