(ANS – Santa Clara) – “Continue dreaming like John the Dreamer!”. These were the words that closed the Festival organised by the Salesian Society for the Arts (COARTES), on Monday 4 February in the El Carmen Theatre at Santa Clara. Artists, guests and public attended. “Wonderful People” Awards were also given.
 
On Friday 1 February, the focus was on musical arts and various musicians from Santa Clara performed, such as soloist Mayela, the Trio Palabras, troubador Peter O’Reilly and the concert performers Pedro García and Maritere Fernández.

The second day was dedicated to media. They watched the video “Padre Vandor, corazón de paz” (Fr Vandor, Heart of Peace), a documentary produced the Creative Communications Centre, Santa Clara.

Sunday 3, instead, the theme was theatre; The COARTES Festival had prepared “Déjame en paz” (Leave me in peace) by Mosè Mato and Matutian Teatro, and “Le zumba la berenjena” by Luis Ángel Valdés.

As has been the case since 2009, the “Wonderful People” Awards was given out at the end of the COARTES Festival. It is given in recognition of the work of evangelisation achieved through arts; this years awards went to:

María del Carmen Sarmiento Rojas, 13 years old, together with her teacher Felicia Pérez Fillí, who looks after the parish choir;

Guitarist Yenkys, who has run various Retreats and helped out with different groups, and is now continuing his apostolate at the “José Vandor” Communications Centre;

Yasleidy, who has inherited the artistic tradition from the house at Santa Clara, and who has demonstrated his versatile artistic skills in recital, singing and dancing;

Closing the Festival, Fr Eduardo Marroquín opened subscriptions for next year's “Juan Soñador” event in view of 2015, and reiterated COARTES' commitment to evangelising art and through art.    

Published 13/02/2013