Mérida Fest 2017: Open call for artists, musicians
Mérida, Yucatán – With a purse of 5 million pesos, 1 million more than last year, the City Council on Monday began an open call for musicians, film makers and visual artists to take part in Mérida Fest 2017.
Mérida Fest is a sweeping citywide cultural celebration that celebrates the city’s anniversary. Live performances of all kinds overtake the city, concluding with fireworks. Previous Mérida Fests lasted 24 days. The 2017 Mérida Fest will be Jan 5-27.
Next year is a special 365 days for the White City, with Mérida chosen for a second time to be the American Capital of Culture as well as the 475th anniversary of the city’s founding.
Mérida will receive a huge boost in publicity, as the Discovery Channel and Antenna 3 is in the eyes of millions of people by spreading various television networks like Discovery Channel and Spanish TV network Antena 3 participating with the Capital of Culture producers.
Mérida Fest, held every year year to celebrate the anniversary of the city, is known throughout the country as a cultural project on a grand scale.
On behalf of the arts community, Nelson Cepeda Barbosa, winner of the previous edition of the Municipal Fund for the Performing Arts and Music Artist, praised municipal authorities for making public funds available to art, artists and the public.
He said that the funds are in good hands and well channeled.
Cepeda’s project, a children’s play “Franz Kafka and the Girl’s Lost Doll,” was received well at the Olimpo last year.
City Cultural Director Felipe Ahumada Vasconcelos said that calls for the Municipal Funds for the Performing Arts and Music and the Fund for the Visual Arts, announced deadlines for proposals: Theater, Nov. 17; dance, circus arts and performance, Nov. 18; music, and interdisciplinary, Nov. 21-22.
For the Visual Arts Municipal Fund, deadlines are: Painting, sculpture and crafts, Nov. 14; graphics, drawing, illustration and photography, Nov. 15; installations, video art and film, Nov. 16.
For both groups 4 million pesos is allocated. The results of both funds will be announced on Feb. 1, 2017.
As for Mérida Fest, Victor Hugo Lozano Poveda, general coordinator of Community Policy, invited interested parties to submit proposals for multicultural programming for public spaces by Nov. 28. A million pesos is allocated to this portion of the programming.
The calls will be made available electronically on the City of Mérida website.