Gonawindúa

The Heart of the World

Process of creation

The creative process of the performance lasted three years (from 2022 to 2025) and was made possible thanks to the partnership between Teatro Cenit, the Gonawindúa Tayrona Organization, and the Kogui, Malayo, Arhuaco Reserve.

The methodological approach developed during the creative process was that of “Theatre as Bridge,” which deepens the dialogue between ancestral knowledge, contemporary theatrical practices, and other artistic disciplines.

Crucially, the creative process has strengthened the transmission of ancestral knowledge from the elders who teach and advise the actors during the workshops. They guide the process of adaptation and train the actors in their ancestral dances and songs as well as impart the ancestral knowledge from which the piece is devised.

“This is a play that has great power because it comes from the indigenous elders who want an alternative way of expressing their thought system to the non-indigenous. This makes it incredibly powerful, strong, important and it’s what we need in the West, to change our mindset.” Juan Mayr, former Colombian Minister for the Environment.

“To me, these theatre workshops feel important because they are related to our own culture. I can see that in the theatre they use masks like our elders used masks. We are maintaining, preserving, conserving our culture and in doing so we are giving the world our message so that the younger brothers (non-indigenous) can understand us. Why do we dance? We dance to connect or to communicate with the rain, with the water and with the plants so that they feel better. This is why I think doing these theatre workshops is so important.” Arregoces Sauna Simungama, Kogi actor.