The Tinajo City Council has organized a participatory action between the children and young people of the municipality, together with the young Africans who are in the La Santa shelter, based on the realization of a large mural in the Tinajera town of La Santa. It will cover the entire floor and walls of the town's sports court, located next to the teleclub and the protection center
The activity began on March 14 and will take place until the 26th of this month, and is directed by the internationally recognized artist, Tono Cruz. From the Consistory they point out that it has been designed through a participation process of almost a hundred residents of La Santa of all ages, in which proposals have been made and decided based on the creation of the artist.
The activity promoted by the Tinajo City Council with the collaboration of the Cabildo de Lanzarote and the General Directorate of Social Rights and Immigration, is part of a socio-educational process of intercultural community revitalization. This process is called "La Cancha", and is developed as one of the projects in the "Municipality candidate for Child Friendly City of Unicef in 2022".
A "considerable rejection" towards immigrant minors was observed
The "La Cancha" project arises during the elaboration of the diagnosis on childhood and adolescence, carried out by the Consistory itself, between September 2020 and January 2021. From the Consistory they explain that at that time "a considerable rejection" was observed on the part of some young people and children towards the African boys of the center, observing "different conflicts in spaces of the municipality, one of which is the soccer field".
The City Council points out that "special interest" is paid to the situation that was being generated in the town, and "different actions" were articulated, in coordination with other resources of the community, the protection center and the Cabildo de Lanzarote.
Among these actions, which are planned from the youth area of the City Council, are different leisure activities, such as opportunities for meeting between African boys and boys and girls residing in Tinajo, "favoring the relationship, dispelling fears and hoaxes from mutual knowledge and becoming an opportunity for collective creativity from different perspectives, in a positive and participatory dynamic".
From the City Council they affirm that, in just a few months, "what was perceived as an integration problem, had become a great educational opportunity that enriched both the boys and girls of the town and those who came from Africa, as well as the rest of the neighbors".
They also point out that this activity has a "symbolic character", not only for the artistic creation, but also "for the place where it is located that has gone from being a space of conflict to a space of artistic encounter between cultures, designed with the participation of all".
During the process, the film director Domingo De Luis is making a "documentary fiction", which can be seen through QR code in the sports facility once the work is finished.
Tono Cruz, an international artist
The City Council of Tinajo explains that Tono Cruz is a Canarian artist, with extensive experience in participatory art projects. He also has a degree in Social Pedagogy from the University of Barcelona, and has developed his work in different places in Europe, Asia, Africa or America, highlighting his extensive curriculum in community projects with interventions in Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Mali, Cuba, Malaysia, Naples or Indonesia. In addition, he has participated with Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo, with the Zapatista National Liberation Army or BRP in Chile, among others.
Likewise, his work has been exhibited in Galery of Singapore or Fake Galery of Naples, being many the works realized in Lanzarote and rest of Canary Islands.
On the other hand, together with Felo Monzón he founded in 2006 the group CNFSN+, and in 2010 with Giuliana Conte the group Blee, from where he develops his most social and participatory projects.
At present he combines the work he develops in Tinajo with the integral painting of a church in the Sanita neighborhood of Naples, together with the renowned Chilean artist El Mono González.
From the City Council invite citizens to know the development of the Mural project. It will be exposed in the morning, and will participate students from CEIP Virgen de los Volcanes and Güigüán, La Santa minor protection center and the IES of Tinajo, being in the afternoon open the participation to boys of the municipality and the protection center.
