The Early Childhood and Primary Education schools in the Canary Islands that bear the name of César Manrique, the one in Puerto de la Cruz in Tenerife, the one in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, and the one in Tahíche in Lanzarote, jointly celebrated the 1st Meeting of Manrique Schools and the 1st Mini School Congress on César Manrique, coinciding with the commemoration of the artist's centenary.
The 1st Meeting of Manrique Schools took place on the afternoon of Monday, April 22, and consisted of a presentation by the directors of the three centers on the trajectory of each school related to the values and work of César Manrique.
The audience, mainly made up of families from the educational community of Tahíche and teachers from the three schools, were able to learn about the actions that keep the artist's legacy alive in each center. In this way, they were able to hear how the school in Tenerife has created a cactus garden in the center, that in Gran Canaria they have studied the artist's words and organized activities such as, for example, to educate the gaze; or how in Lanzarote they have carried out actions to educate in values related to the artist in seven axes: personal harmony, cultural development, respect for nature, sustainable development, art and creation of beauty, Canarian identity, and universality.
The event was enlivened by the performance of the parranda of the Tahíche school, directed by the deputy director and music teacher Antonio Monzón, who premiered a polka with lyrics dedicated to the artist. A children's dance group directed by a mother from the center, Keyla Hernández, also participated, presenting a choreography for the song 'A César' by Taburiente.
I Mini School Congress on César Manrique
As for the I Mini School Congress on César Manrique, it took place on the morning of Wednesday, April 24, in which, with the help of the César Foundation, six speakers from each school traveled to Tahíche, who participated in the event, divided into three sessions.
The youngest, aged six and seven, prepared presentations on the life and work of the artist, which they presented to an audience made up of first and second graders from the Tahíche school. An hour later, it was the turn for students aged eight and nine, who spoke about César Manrique's interventions in nature and his ecological activism. The intervention of the Spanish-Italian student from the Puerto de la Cruz school, Camila Guidi, was especially emotional, as she recalled with great impetus Manrique's words and interventions in defense of nature. Later, it was time for students aged 10 and 11, who delved into César's painting and sculpture in its different stages.
In the act on Monday, in the interventions of the directors of the three schools (Leonor Hernández, from the school of Lanzarote; Diego Fleitas from Gran Canaria; and Candelaria Lorenzo from Tenerife) it was possible to see the presence of Manrique in these centers, both in the activities that are programmed and in the decoration of the facilities.
In addition, from their words, conclusions were drawn for the future work of the centers. Emphasizing the responsibility they assume for the name that designates the schools, they expressed the need to continue the joint work initiated in Lanzarote and the importance of students knowing well the life, work, and thought of César. Likewise, they agreed to recognize the pedagogical value of recreating and reinterpreting the artist's creations and the importance of the state and conservation of the facilities, with school gardens and facilities to access nature, as is the case of the CEIP César Manrique Cabrera, which has its own network of trails.
