The project in summary
Poetry sessions in favor of children and youths from poor neighborhoods of Medellín, Colombia.
The project in detail
The promotion of social inclusion and integration of children and adolescents from the violent and degraded slums of Medellín (Colombia) through poetry.
357 children between the ages of 9 and 12 who come from poor neighborhoods characterized by great socio-economic marginality, enrolled in four public schools in Medellín and the province.
Poetry is an artistic instrument with which the group of poets from Corporación de Arte y Poesía Prometeo stimulates the young beneficiaries to look beyond the violence and conflicts that characterize the environment in which they live. In fact, the children of Medellín have for years lived in a particularly violent city. Poetry fosters the development of means to confront, listen and attach value to life, since “poetry is the song that humanizes everybody’s conscience.” In this way, children rediscover coexistence, integration, inclusion and their own personal value as well as that of the group of which they are part. In 2017, the project foresaw the participation of eight members of Prometeo as artists/educators who taught poetry in schools and orphanages; the sporadic participation of artists (musicians, plastic artists, story-tellers) in poetry lessons; the elaboration of audio-visual materials; and the publication of a book with the poetry written by the young beneficiaries. The project has been based on both reading and writing poetry linked to complementary activities such as poetic dialogue, film and documentaries, listening to live music, seeing and interpreting theatrical productions and producing plastic art. All these activities aimed to stimulate the imagination and creativity of the children, helping them to regain the innocence and spontaneity typical of their age but often denied them as they are forced to face a reality that is far beyond their ability to handle.
Corporación de Arte y Poesía Prometeo
This non-profit Colombian organization was founded in 1993; its objectives and activities concern the creation of poetry and its diffusion as a complement to consciousness-raising activities for both individuals and society through the use of language and poetic action. Prometeo also organizes an important International Poetry Festival, an annual meeting of poets from all parts of the world who read their work in parks, theaters and poor neighborhoods. In 2011 the Proyecto Gulliver was supported by AMG and from 2012 onwards it has been supported by AMI in partnership with AMG.
In 2011, the Proyecto Gulliver was supported by AMG, between 2012-2017 was supported by AMI in co-partnership with AMG.
