Professionals explain why the art and culture They are a crucial component when thinking about the comprehensive development of a country. Art is a reflection of human culture and, therefore, preserving, transmitting and promoting it is a way of conserving the cultural heritage of peoples, countries and regions.

The language of art is universal and its validity is timeless. Anyone can appreciate it - in whatever form - and, to this day, its teaching is part of the basic education programs of most Latin American schools.

“Art and culture are a meeting point, a universal language. There resides the value of the work done by thousands and thousands of people who every day take on this task with passion and commitment, deeply linked to the identity of our towns and cities, to what we are as humanity," explains Jenifer Murillo, Communications and Corporate Culture Manager for South American. 

explain to Make sure you live that art and culture have a utility that can be understood from three times: 

• Past: to preserve the heritage and collective memory of what a people was.
• In the present: as a form of expression and a space for reflection, possible for both an individual and a society.
• In the future: achieving the configuration of new realities and possible scenarios, through the stimulation of creativity and sensitivity. 

“From the silent artisan who draws on his memory to evoke creations connected to ancestral roots, to groups that have spaces to bring together those who share the desire to learn, or institutions that face with conviction the mission of delivering knowledge and desire. Always in search of a connection, These people seek to convey a vision of the world, like an open door to which we are all invited to enter.“, reflects Murillo. 

Benefits of the development of art and culture

For sociologist Alejandra Parra, art and culture - theatre, literature, dance, music and the visual arts, among others - are the most authentic forms in which a society can express itself. They represent ways of thinking, traditions, ideologies and make up the history of a people. In this sense, "Promoting initiatives to encourage them is essential for the development of a country, because they allow us to preserve ancestral knowledge, enhance creativity, reaffirm identity and give rise to the creation and training of younger generations."He explains.

Parra argues that societies that invest most in artistic and cultural initiatives, anchored in legislation that promotes them, stand out for having:

• Higher literacy and schooling rates.
• Worldwide recognition for the quality of its educational centers.
• Lower rates of violence.
• Great social, cultural, and human capital.

Examples of initiatives that promote art and culture in Latin America:

• Educational I love my neighborhood, developed by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development of Chile.
• Community Neighborhood Improvement Program of Mexico City, Mexico.
• Library Parks in Medellin, in Commune 13, Colombia.
• Project Favela Neighborhood, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
• Project Neighborhood 31 in Buenos Aires, argenitna.

Throughout Latin America there are several avant-garde movements that are developing and beginning to gain relevance through the world of art and culture, and that are even transformed into ideological revolutions that mark the course of the societies of the region.Ni Una Menos It began in Buenos Aires in circles of artists, poets and painters,” exemplifies Nicolás Oyuela, an Argentine visual artist, and adds that Many times great changes begin because “artists agree in thought and concern".

Art and culture, then, function as a driving force of communication, allowing the expression of emotions, but also of messages that invite us to reflect on existence and social problems. In this line, art and culture could be considered as tools with the potential to educate and change societies. 

“Although they seem small, These initiatives have enabled the inhabitants, and especially the young people of these territories, to find a sense of belonging and ownership, and to integrate into the cities, thus reducing marginality, without losing their own identity.“, Parra concludes.

Being together and being different

“The territory of Latin America, with the complexity of our history, the richness of our diversity and the challenges it faces, drives us to use artistic and cultural expressions to to value what is unique, but also to find ourselves in what unites us as Latinos“, Murillo says.

Ultimately, Through art and culture, a space is created in which the individual, but also society as a whole, can create and express the different ideas, experiences and problems of everyday life. With each creation, at least someone is impacted and processes are triggered that have to do with education and revolution. In this way, Societies are enriched, develop their potential and explore their possibilities.

"The possibility of broadening the way of seeing the world represents a meeting point, and a point of development.”, says Murillo. That is why, at Seguros SURA we believe in art and culture as an essential component of our management as a company, and in creators and cultural managers as fundamental drivers of our countries.