WILLEMSTAD – Wintertuin Festival Curaçao has announced its final line-up for Saturday, September 19, when Landhuis Vredenberg will be transformed into a cultural venue featuring three stages dedicated to literature, music, theater, film and augmented reality.
The Mondi Stage will feature Cedric Dandaré i su Septeto, Tina Krolis and international guests including Spanish writer Ignacio Vleming and Hanna Yankuta from Belarus. Sorandy Sint Jacobs, Marinho Pina and Rebeca Chu will also appear together in a program combining Creole languages, music and poetry.
Music and spoken word will take center stage at the Ambiente Stage, with performances by Stacey, Grupo Umoja and DJ Mitch Devtiq, among others. The stage will also host the final of Moving Voices, a live competition for spoken-word artists, rappers and storytellers.
The Veranda Stage will focus on conversations, storytelling and acoustic performances. The program includes panel discussions around the themes “Moveshon” and “Creole,” storytelling by Kurá di Kuenta All Stars and readings by Roque Salas Rivera.
This year’s festival will also welcome four international artists-in-residence from Spain, Brazil, Belarus and Cuba. They are participating in the two-year Future Language Innovation project, which explores how artists can contribute to preserving and further developing Creole languages.
Ahead of the main festival, Wintertuin Curaçao will organize several free workshops and activities from September 16 through 18. These include a jam session in Mariepampoen, a workshop on decolonizing creative writing and a conversation with Spanish author Javier Sagarna at the University of Curaçao. Advance registration is required for the activities.
Wintertuin Curaçao is also seeking to make the festival accessible to people who might otherwise be unable to attend. Through community organizations, the festival is making 353 free tickets available to people with limited financial means and individuals with physical or mental challenges.
The September 19 program at Landhuis Vredenberg brings together local and international artists while placing particular emphasis on storytelling, language and Curaçao’s position within the wider Caribbean cultural landscape.