Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center

Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center promotes appreciation for the culture and arts of Puerto Rico with an emphasis on its African heritage. It offers live performances, percussion classes, community workshops, and opportunities for teens to learn and perform traditional Puerto Rican music and dance. With this International Connections Fund award, Chicago-based Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center collaborates with an all-women, Afro-Puerto Rican group from Barcelona, Spain to produce a series of performances and audio recordings in the traditional dance and musical style of Bomba.

Established in 1971, Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center (Segundo) preserves and promotes appreciation of the culture and arts of Puerto Rico, with a unique emphasis on its African heritage. In Chicago, Segundo offers paid apprenticeships to teens to learn traditional Puerto Rican music and to study music video production. It also offers percussion classes, live music events, and community workshops. With this International Connections Fund award, Segundo collaborates with a Puerto Rican theatre company to produce carnival-style processions in San Juan, Puerto Rico and Chicago. Both events feature teen artists in the design, execution, and performance of the processions. In addition to the public events, Segundo and its partner offer workshops to young artists and community members in San Juan and Chicago, enhancing the cultural and artistic exchange. This is Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center’s first International Connections Fund award.

In support of general operations (over two years).

In support of general operations.

In support of general operations.