Cleveland Children to Get a Glimpse of Rapa Nui Culture
by Jaclyn Reynolds

Children participating in Playhouse Square’s after-school program will get the opportunity to learn more about the ancient culture Rapa Nui as three Easter Island artists take part in a two-week international artist exchange in Cleveland. Visiting the Cleveland area October 1-13 are Ana Maria Arrendondo, a headmaster of the municipal school of Easter Island as well as an artist and a printmaker; Juan Lucas (Aka) Rapu, a dance teacher and choreographer as well as the general coordinator for the catholic school of the island; and Joanna Pakomio, a tri-lingual journalist from Easter Island (Rapa Nui, Spanish, English) currently living in Santiago, Chile who will record the event and serve as a translator.

The children will learn about the Rapa Nui culture and traditional dances of the island. The artists will perform for Ashtabula Elementary School children on Friday, October 12 at 10 a.m. The artists will be rehearsing with Inlet Dance Theater, a contemporary dance company in Cleveland. Playhouse Square will also arrange a series of lecture demonstrations at varios schools in Northeast Ohio.

As part of the exchange, two artists from the Cleveland area will visit Easter Island in Spring 2008 to participate in Rapa Nui cultural activities and share American culture and education resources. The research and results from both visits will be developed into a teaching and curriculum guide.

The Chilean-governed Easter Island, locally known as Rapa Nui, is famous for its rich cultural heritage that has manifested itself in diverse art forms. Located in the south eastern Pacific Ocean, Easter Island is home to Moai. These large stone statues in various locations on the island have provided Easter Island with recognition throughout the world.

In 1998, the Chile/Ohio partnership began when representatives from the Ohio Arts Council signed an agreement of cultural cooperation with officials from the Chilean Ministry of Education (Mineduc), following the signing of a trade agreement between Ohio and Chile. The agreement with the Ohio Arts Council was reaffirmed in 2004 with the new National Council for Culture and the Arts (CNCA) within the Chilean government.

The program is presented with support from a grant from the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the U.S. Embassy in Santiago, Chile, the Ohio Arts Council, Playhouse Square Center’s Education Department and the Ohio Arts Foundation, Inc.

The Ohio Arts Council is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally and economically.

[top]