At the heart of Descolonizarte Teatro’s (Desco) mission is the desire to promote and support the Latinx community in Central Florida. The organization was founded in 2020 to create spaces and opportunities for local Latinx talent, as well as fill the gaps in resources and representation within the region and champion diverse Latin American artistic and educational programming.
Desco “decolonizes” by centering Latinx, immigrant, and LGBTQIA+ identities and their intersections, while working to foster healing, joy and community through the power of the arts. Accessibility, truthful representation, justice, social change and decolonization remain their core values.
“We strive to ensure that everyone, regardless of income, location, ability, HIV status, English proficiency, sexual orientation, gender identity, immigration status, have access to theater and arts,” said Nadia Garzón, executive & artistic director.
Desco’s work comes to life through initiatives like the Latinx Arts Encuentro, also known as EDALX. This annual, international multidisciplinary festival brings together world-class Latinx artists from around the globe for a night of celebration, showcasing the diversity of Latinx talent across theater, music, visual arts, dance, performance art, poetry, literature and more. “It’s an Encuentro — an event focused on connecting and building community among artist participants,” explained Garzón.
Originally a single, online event in 2020, EDALX quickly evolved into a hybrid festival that reaches both national and international audiences. The festival’s growth underscores Desco’s commitment to treating the diversity of Latinx artistic expression as a focal point and creating culturally relevant programming that resonates with audiences everywhere.
Desco weaves the richness of Latinx heritage into every aspect of its work. By amplifying Latin American voices and narratives in arts and theater, Desco helps counter harmful stereotypes and caricatures, offering authentic and respectful representation not often seen in mainstream media. The organization’s programming shines a spotlight on a broad spectrum of Latinx experiences.
Despite its many successes, Desco also faces several challenges, most notably the lack of a permanent space and the lack of a full-time staff. Many of Desco’s team members balance their work with other jobs to support the organization. But Garzón and the Desco team dedicate an incredible number of hours to make the organization successful.
You can attend one of Desco’s most anticipated events, the 5th Latinx Arts Encuentro EDALX virtually or in person, on Saturday, November 16th, 2024.
Visit their website at https://www.descoteatro.org/ or social media to learn more about upcoming events and ways to support their mission.
