The Bertolt Brecht Cultural Center, which emerged from the renowned Café Brecht space in Havana’s cultural panorama, celebrated its 15th anniversary on July 17.

Performing groups such as Pequeño Teatro de La Habana, Teatro D’Dos, Teatro el Círculo and Mefisto Teatro have had their spaces in this building, a jewel of modernist influence, designed by the renowned Cuban architect Aquiles Capablanca and inaugurated in 1953.

The modern building is characterized by its multiple spaces, where all artistic manifestations, such as music, theater, dance, pantomime, visual arts are inserted in the Sala Café Teatro, Sala Tito Junco, formerly Sala Alternativa and named in homage to the master of the Cuban stage; The Raúl Oliva Gallery, the only one in Latin America dedicated to scenic design, and within its spaces we find a branch of ARTex, with a cafeteria and at night offers services in the Sala Café with live music, with notable performers of the patio in various formats.

The center’s director, Roberto González Gómez, provides details about Del Brecht, as it is known, and its activities:

«Our center has 53 employees in total, 15 work in the Raúl Oliva Gallery and 39 belong to the other spaces.

In all this time, the center has hosted important events such as the Havana International Theater Festival, the Monologue Festival, which was born here, Mayo Teatral, organized by the Casa de las Américas, the International Meeting Cuentos para una añeja ciudad, the Aquelarre Humor Festival. We have hosted the German, Norwegian and Danish Theater Week,» says the producer and assistant director.

«In the field of music, we have hosted the International JazzPlaza Festival, Cubadisco, the Jojazz Contests and the recent performance of the Street Opera.

The Tito Junco Hall has hosted prestigious groups such as the Compañía de Rosario Cárdenas, the Conjunto Folclórico Nacional de Cuba, and the Compañía de Danza Tradicionales JJ, directed by maestro Johannes García.

These venues have hosted the premieres of works that are now classics of the theater and other specialties.

Other events have taken place there, such as the National Council of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba, the celebration of International Women’s Day, actions of the National Center for Sexual Education, the International Day of the Makeup Artist, to name a few, said the director, who also works as a lighting designer for several productions.

With a very dynamic and functional structure, the Bertolt Brecht Cultural Center actively contributes to the cultural life of Havana.

The 15th anniversary celebrations included a theatrical presentation, a visit to the exhibition at the Raúl Oliva Gallery and a meeting with the workers, highlighting the founders.

Meanwhile, the Raúl Oliva Gallery, headquarters of the Center for Scenic Design Studies, has been preparing for the big party for several days, with an exhibition entitled 15 Years, Preserving a Dream, dedicated to the memory of the important Cuban designer Jesús Ruiz (1943-2014), who directed the gallery.

The Bertolt Brecht Cultural Center, located on the 13th Street, corner I, in the capital’s El Vedado, maintains a varied program for all audiences, from Tuesday to Sunday, says the entity’s communicator, Isabel Cristina Peraza Gómez, who means the presence of children’s shows on weekends.

At the end of his speech, Roberto González Gómez emphasized the bond between all those who work at the Center: «We are a family, we love what we do, and this must be one of the premises that we must continue.

Translated by Luis E. Amador Dominguez