Culture: Past events

The lines between food, medicine and poison are fine ones, yet their boundaries sometimes appear confusingly blurred. For Amazonian peoples, finding the right balance means the difference between life and death. William Milliken explores the apparently contradictory properties of the plants and animals of the Amazon forest, and how the region's inhabitants have learned to harness them in order to survive. Dr Milliken is currently employed at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, where he is responsible for the development of botanical research in Latin America.

Since the discovery of the American Continent until the mid-nineteenth century, dyestuffs from the New World were for Europeans a luxury trade. Two thousand years earlier in pre-Columbian times, rulers of the Middle American and Andean empires, fond of wearing colorful costumes, had propitiated a complex organization for the production, trade, and storing of dyestuffs, as well as the development of dyeing techniques. Although the conquest of their territories put an end to the existent social system, the skillful workers, especially women, who had for centuries created the magnificent paraphernalia for the high classes, kept all their skills and continued to dye and weave for their own domestic use. This is the story of the miraculous survival of technical and ethno-botanical knowledge among indigenous crafts people.

Speaker | Ana Roquero, curator and writer, has specialised in the study of ancient dyes since 1975. Her last publication "Tintes y tintoreros de America" (American Dyes & Dyers), Instituto del Patrimonio Historico Espanol, Madrid 2006, is a catalogue of more than 200 American dye plants and an ethnographic and historical register of traditional dyeing procedures of the continent. She lives in Madrid.

Latin America has more plant diversity than any other continent. This talk will show both some of the beauty of the flowers of the Amazon region and show how many crops of worldwide importance have come from Latin America. Professor Prance was Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew from 1988 to 1999. He is author of nineteen books and has published over 510 scientific and general papers in taxonomy, ethnobotany, economic botany, conservation and ecology. He was knighted in July 1995 and received the Victoria Medal of Honour in 1999.

Book Launch | The Lecture will be followed by the Launch of Mist of the Earth by Ruth Geni Donario and Denise Milan. This is an intimate account of caicara life in southern Amazonia, recently translated into English by Anne Prance.

This is a fund-raising event to support cultural activities at Canning House.

Music, food and Ethnobotany in the Americas

Canning House and Trinity College, in collaboration with Helen Glaisher-Hernandez bring you another enchanting evening of classical and contemporary Latin American music. A range of pieces influenced by, and exploring, food and plants of the region, including work by Ginastera, Ricardo Lorenz, Leo Brouwer and many others. The programme also features the British Premier of Mexican Enrique Gonzalez Medina.

This is a fund-raising event to support cultural activities at Canning House.

John Hemming, historian and former director of the Royal Geographical Society, tells the story of the Cinchona tree - from the medicinal uses of its bark to cure malaria by Ecuadorian Indians - to becoming the essential ingredient in gin-and-tonic. Rubber, though used by Amazonian Indians, became the durable product we know only in the 19th century. It produced flamboyant wealth for Manaus and its rubber barons, but hardship for the seringueiros and Indians forced to collect it. John Hemming gives new interpretations to the removal of rubber from the Amazon in the 1870s and the subsequent collapse of the rubber boom.

His new book "Tree of Rivers. The Story of the Amazon" describes the passionate struggles that have taken place in order to utilise, protect and understand the world's greatest expanse of tropical rainforest. Published by Thames & Hudson 2008.

We regret that due to circumstances beyond our control, Mike Gonzalez will be unable to attend this event and it has been cancelled. We hope to offer this talk later in the year.

A mid-life crisis prompted writer Simon Prichard to try and rekindle his love affair with Spain. For six months he wandered from fiesta to fiesta to get a concentrated dose of the Spanish genius for celebration. Among other oddities, he took part in a smoke procession, witnessed a drunken pole climbing contest, saw young men whip themselves with medieval scourges and was beaten with burning torches by an entire village. A talk based on the book that Simon really should get around to publishing.

Thank you to Camino Restaurant and Wines from Spain.

A series of black and white photographs by Italian photographer, Luca Rinaldini, who visited cacao plantations in northeast of Brazil in 2004. Texts from Jorge Amado's novels set around the cocoa farming accompany the images. Through the poetic language of Amado and that of photography, the exhibition entices us to discover the fruit, the harvest, the rituals, the workers and the physical and cultural environment of cocoa production.
Rinaldini specialises in monographic photo essays both in colour and black and white, principally on his trips across Asia, Central and South America.
The exhibition runs until 6 June. Opening Times: Mon-Fri 2-6pm.

Poor Little Rich Girl is a charming new production of the classic Brazilian play Pobre Menina Rica, with Gui Tavares, Rogerio Correa and Maria O'Connell. Featuring twelve songs composed by two of the founders of the Bossa Nova movement, Carlos Lyra and Vinicius de Moraes, this evening takes us back to the Golden Years of the 60s. After a successful run across London in December 2007, we offer an exclusive performance with Carlos Lyra here at Canning House as part of the celebrations of 50 years of Bossa Nova in 2008. Performed in English and Portuguese.

This is a fund-raising event to support cultural activities at Canning House.

Directed by Alfonso Arau.

Tita and Pedro fall in love, but are forbidden to marry. Mama Elena sees Tita's role as her caretaker for life - no youngest daughter has ever married and her daughter will not be the first to break tradition. Tita's heart breaks when her mother instead offers to Pedro her other daughter, and he accepts. Now they live in the same house, and Mama Elena cannot forbid their love as she did their marriage.
Mexico, 1992, 105 mins (Spanish with English subtitles).

Pre-screening talk with Ignacio Duran, Minister of Cultural Affairs at the Embassy of Mexico in London.

An exclusive performance with two bossa nova greats, Carlos Lyra and Marcos Valle in the intimate setting of Canning House. Carlos Lyra is one of the creators of the Bossa Nova movement and composer of many classics of Brazilian Popular Music. Marcos Valle is an internationally acclaimed composer from the "second wave" of bossa nova musicians. His swingy, dance-driven style created a new bossa: the drum'n'boss, popular with the next generation. Through voice, piano, guitar and a little conversation, we retrace Bossa Nova from its emerging years in the late 50s to its present fusion of the 21st century.

Sponsored by the Melia White House Hotel, Regent's Park. Part of Sol Melia international group.

This is a fund-raising event to support cultural activities at Canning House.

For the Maya and the Aztecs of Meso-America chocolate was not simply a tasty drink. It was a mind-altering, ritual substance that could be substituted for blood in religious ceremonies. Women in colonial Spanish America found it was hard to get through an entire church service without a chocolate break half-way through. The seventeenth-century French aristocrat the Marquise de Sevigne regarded chocolate as a health-food. Britons now consume on average 18 pounds of chocolate per year. This talk surveys the routes by which chocolate travelled from the forests of Central America to the confectionary shelf of your petrol station

Dr Rebecca Earle is a Reader in History at the University of Warwick, where she teaches on The Cultural History of Food in Latin America, among other subjects.

A second chance to hear two prominent authors speak on this remarkable plant. Professor Sir Ghillean Prance, former director of Kew Gardens and Britain's foremost botanist on South America, will describe the astonishing coca plant, whose many beneficial properties make it a staple of Andean Indians, but whose leaf can be transformed into the powerful cocaine. Historian Dr. John Hemming, one of the world's experts on the Incas and Peruvian archaeology, will tell how coca was an important element among the Incas and their predecessors.

Due to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control this event has been cancelled. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

2008 is the UN International Year of the Potato. To celebrate this remarkable tuber, two specialists come together for an invaluable discussion on the botany, history and role of the potato in helping to alleviate poverty, improve food security and promote economic development. Dr. Sandy Knapp is a botanist at the Natural History Museum and specializes in the Solanaceae (nightshade) family; and Jim Godfrey is Chairman of Centro Internacional de Papas in Lima.
The seminar will be preceded by a screening of the award-winning short Sawasiray-Pitusiray directed by Mariana Herrera, and followed by Peruvian potato feast.

Thank you to Orient Express and the Embassy of Peru.

Most of us are at home in a world where the emphasis is on beef, milk products, wine and beer. Of the best-selling drinks, only Coca-Cola originally had a New World product - coca. None of these foods was utilized by the ancient Maya. What did the ancient Maya urban landscape look like? How did Maya men, women and children think about food? What sustained Maya cities? Dr. Graham is Senior Lecturer in Mesoamerican Archaeology at UCL.

Ruth Stiff presents an illustrated lecture portraying the life, work, and legacy of the British artist Margaret Mee. The artist's development within the historic context of Amazonian exploration and botanical illustration is portrayed. She establishes her as an artist internationally acclaimed by botanists and art critics alike. Mee's amazing journeys along the Amazon are highlighted, including her long-time and ultimately successful attempt to illustrate the "moonflower," a night-blooming cactus. Ruth Stiff is the Curator of North American Exhibitions, Kew Gardens. She has lectured throughout North America and Europe on botanical art. She has written various books including Margaret Mee, Return to the Amazon, 1996; and The Flowering Amazon, 2004. She is a Fellow of the Linnaean Society of London.

The Brunelleschi String Quartet was formed in 2004 by its leader and founder Orpheus Papafilippou. It is a young, energetic, vibrant and artistically forward thinking ensemble. Under the guidance of Michael Bochmann and George Hajinikos the ensemble has developed and nurtured its sound and interpretation. This evening's repertoire includes Spanish and Argentine music among other European pieces.

This is a fund-raising event to support cultural activities at Canning House.

For those completly new to the language, this course will give you the basics; how to introduce yourself, numbers, the alphabet, pronunciation, directions, ordering, shopping, and verbs in the present and past tenses.

This course will condense into 15 hours our normal beginners course, and will allow students to move to the elementary level in our autumn term (starting in September 2008).

Monday 7 July to Friday 11 July (5 days)
6pm to 9pm (3 hours daily)

An exploration of edible Mexican plants and the tastes of indigenous Mexican cooking and their interaction with other ingredients through history and throughout the world. Sofia will touch on the subject of Nationality (nationalism) in Mexican gastronomy to how something that is inherently 'Mexican' can be adopted and adapted by others. Sofia has a degree in Chemistry and Food Science from Mexico City University, has written cookery books, appeared on Radio 4 programmes on cooking and runs her own catering/teaching company: Fiesta Sofia.

This is a fund-raising event to support cultural activities at Canning House.

For those completly new to the language, this course will give you the basics; how to introduce yourself, numbers, the alphabet, pronunciation, directions, ordering, shopping, and verbs in the present and past tenses.

This course will condense into 15 hours our normal beginners course, and will allow students to move to the elementary level in our autumn term (starting in September 2008).

Monday 14 July to Friday 18 July (5 days)
6pm to 9pm (3 hours daily)

After children's theatre shows, book presentations and workshops at the Edinburgh International Book Festival which constitute the project MEXART for 2008, The Anglo Mexican Foundation, in collaboration with Canning House, the Mexican Embassy in London and Developing Artists, is pleased to invite you to an informal evening of readings and music from Mexico. It is an opportunity to meet the famous actor of film and theatre, Mario Ivan Martinez, to enjoy two readings from Mexican contemporary authors and to enjoy a recital of nostalgic music from Mexico's past interpreted by the internationally popular flautist Elena Duran, accompanied by pianist Betty Woo. Cutting edge literature with nostalgic music - a Mexican evening to remember.

A fund-raising event to support Canning House cultural activities.

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Please go to language courses page for more information.

Please go to language courses page for more information.

Talk based on a new book by Chris Moss, published by Signal Books

Patagonia is the ultimate landscape of the mind. Like Siberia and the Sahara, it has become a metaphor for nothingness and extremity. A vast triangle at the southern tip of the New World, this region of barren steppes, soaring peaks and fierce winds was populated by small tribes of hunter-gatherers and roaming nomads when Ferdinand Magellan made landfall in 1520, and since then it has captivated the imagination of explorers, sailors and traders in the endless search for Eldorado.

Chris Moss is a travel writer and a former journalist at The Buenos Aires Herald. He lives in the UK.

Talk followed by glass of wine.

Please go to language courses page for more information.

Please go to language courses page for more information.

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Coffee is not just a drink.

It's a global commodity. While Americans and Europeans continue to pay for luxury lattes and cappuccinos, the prices paid to coffee farmers remain so low that many have been forced to abandon their fields. BLACK GOLD tells the complex story behind an attempt to make globalization work for the producers of the second most traded commodity in the world, after oil. Nowhere is the disparity of the coffee industry more evident than in Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee, where the film follows one producer and campaigner from the field to the international negotiating arena to London and Seattle.

Q&A - After the screening we will discuss the relevance of this film to Latin American coffee production and trade, with speaker TBC.

Directed by Marc Francis & Nick Francis
2006, UK, 77 mins
www.blackgoldmovie.com

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Based on a huge variety of diary material and personal letters from principally British and American, but also Russian and French sources, We Saw Spain Die is a study of how the war correspondent came of age in this devastating conflict. It highlights the difficult circumstances - political, professional and personal, faced by some of the century's greatest correspondents both within Spain and in America, Britain, France and Russia.

Paul Preston is regarded as the leading historian of twentieth-century Spain. He is Principe de Asturias Professor of Contemporary Spanish History and Director of the Canada Blanch Centre of Contemporary Spanish Studies at the London School of Economics.

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PRIVATE VIEW

Cocos is a speck in the Eastern Pacific, a dynamic focus for the area's ocean currents, weather and spectacular sealife. Its sheer cliffs contain unique, exuberant forests and the traces of many a buccaneer. British artist Deirdre Hyde first went there thirty years ago has returned many times. This exhibition shows her recent figurative paintings of Cocos Island and its botanical treasures.

Exhibition runs until 17 October. Opening Times Mon - Fri, 2pm-6pm.

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Cocos Island, Costa Rica, may seem isolated, but in fact it helps to regulate the temperature of the entire Earth via a tangled web of relationships between its rainwater, rocks and teeming biodiversity. In this talk we will discover how the story of these interactions helps us to recover a deep sense of connection to the extraordinary life of our planet, which is so sorely needed at this time of ecological meltdown.

Stephan Harding gained his doctorate in ecology from the University of Oxford in 1986, and then taught for several years at the National University in Costa Rica, where he became a good friend of Deirdre Hyde. He is currently the Coordinator of the MSc in Holistic Science at Schumacher College in Devon, and is author of 'Animate Earth: Science, Intuition and Gaia', published by Green Books.

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This remarkable duo will perform an exciting repertoire of music by Manuel de Falla, Luis de Freitas Branco, Enrique Granadas and others.

Laura Isaacson studied at the Guildhall School of Music and has performed in festivals and concerts in Portugal, England and the United States. She played with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and in 2004 was co-principal of the Orquestra do Algarve. Recently she performed in Lisbon at the Aula Magna and in the Ciclo Manuelino de Musica in Belem.

Masa Tayama gained honours from both the Royal College of Music and the Guildhall School of Music. In 2002 he made his London debut at the Purcell Room. He has performed with the Sevenoaks Symphony Orchestra, the Guildford Symphony Orchestra, the Croydon Symphony Orchestra, and the Bacao Symphony Orchestra in Italy, and across Europe and Japan.

This is a fund-raising event to support cultural activities at Canning House.

The aim of this talk is to present an overview of the role that gold played in Aztec society. Contrary to popular belief that gold came second after jade and turquoise, we shall see that gold was very important to the Aztecs in the fields of politics, economy and religion. Furthermore gold conveyed a message of power and wealth and Aztec rulers used it lavishly to distance themselves from the rest of the people both in life and in the afterlife. The most important Aztec gods were also clad in gold or often displaying the symbol of gold. History, archaeology and the painted books (codices) will testify to the importance of gold among the Aztecs.

Elizabeth Baquedano is a Lecturer at the Institute of Archaeology, University College London and at the Institute for the Study of the Americas, University of London.

Canning House invites you to the event: 'Carbon and Renewable Energy in Brazil', with Mr. Francisco Roque de Pinho. It will take place on Tuesday, 4th November at 7.00pm at Canning House.

6.30-Registration
7.00-Welcome and Chair: Mrs. Veronica Scott, Director General, Canning House.
7.05-Presentation by Mr. Francisco Roque de Pinho, Partner at Plane Tree Capital
7.25-Q & A
7.40-Close

This event is FREE and open to all. Please click on the BUY TICKETS button to register.

Presentations given by experts on Latin American food and agriculture:

EXTRA SPECIAL BEANS FROM PERU AND OTHER AMERICAN PACIFIC AREAS WITH COLIN LEAKEY

Colin first encountered yellow coloured beans in Chile in 1979. These beans were special because they were known as "non-windy" beans. Since then he has bred his own kinds of yellow beans, seen the recent attempts of others to patent similar Mayocaba Mexican beans squashed by US courts, and been involved in NASA research to feed astronauts with these unusual legumes. The story of the yellow bean is certain to enlighten and amuse anyone who has a taste for frijoles.

Dr Colin Leakey Ph.D (Cantab) is an economic botanist and plant breeder with a huge diversity of interests and experiences, including a major study of Breadfruits since Bligh, which he is currently writing up. He is also an informal consultant to The Eden Project.

QUEST FOR FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL TECHNIQUES - A JOURNEY THROUGH LATIN AMERICA WITH ANDREW ORMEROD

Andrew recently travelled through Peru, Columbia, Costa Rica and Mexico to learn more about their local agriculture, and food cultures. These ranged from traditional Andean potato production, through popping beans to naturally coloured cotton production in Peru; to farmers doing research for their communities in Columbia; the quest for traditional tortilla making in Mexico and the development of "closed loop" farming systems in Costa Rica.

Andrew Ormerod is the economic botany researcher at the Eden Project involved with exhibit research and working with local farmers in Cornwall.

The Interoceanic highway crosses the Amazon Basin and Peruvian Andes linking the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of South America.

British photographer Quintin Lake joined an Oxford University Expedition which included Peruvian botanists to locate and identify orchids along two sections of the Interoceanic highway. The exhibition features a selection of the 98 orchid species recorded in flower, the construction of the highway and the lives of those for whom the road is their porch.

quintinlake.com orchidexpedition.com

Private View 12 November 6:30pm
Exhibition runs from 13- 21 November. Opening times: 2pm-6pm

Many Amazonian peoples ingest hallucinogenic plants in one form or another for a variety of reasons connected to healing, self-improvement, apprenticeship and visioning. This talk explores plants such as Ayahuasca, Datura and Tobacco and their uses. As well as descriptions and explanations of these plants' uses, the talk will cover their cultural context and connections with modern tourism.

Sally Evans has recently completed a PhD in Indigenous medicinal knowledge and intellectual property rights in the Ecuadorian Amazon.

3rd Canning House Ethical Christmas Fair

A special evening of Last Minute Ethical Christmas Shopping!

18 December, 4pm - 8:30pm

Ethical, fair trade and organic products from Latin America and around the world!

Christmas gifts, Quality Arts & Crafts, Stylish Ethical Fashion, Fine Jewellery, Live Music, Raffle, Global food, Mulled wine.

Come and support independent producers by shopping for your Christmas gifts at Canning House; enjoy food & drink & live music from Latin America all on the same night!

FREE ENTRANCE!

NO NEED TO BOOK - JUST TURN UP

Please go to the Language Courses page for more information.

Please go to language courses page for more information.

Please go to language courses page for more information.

Please go to language courses page for more information.

Please go to language courses page for more information.

From Paris to Quito passing by the United States, Canning House presents a team of experts in Ecuadorian history and culture from all around the world.
Speakers | Michael Handelsman, Katia Murrieta and Marisabel Silva
Chaired by Dr Rocio Duran-Barba a writer, novelist, essayist, poet, journalist and painter from Ecuador.

Professor Michael Handelsman is the cofounder of the Asociacion de Ecuatorianistas, an international scholarly organization devoted to promoting Ecuadorian literature and culture outside of Ecuador. He will cover the areas of literature and cultural impact.
Dr Katia Murrieta is a lawyer, writer and a successful press, radio and television journalist. She was the Ecuadorian Ambassador to the United Nations. She will cover the area of female presence in culture, especially in the arts.
Dr Marisabel Silva is an anthropologist, sociologist and expert in visual art and museology. She will cover the areas of popular culture and its development and will be showing a short documentary about the making of a "popular museum".

In collaboration with the Fundacion Rocio Duran-Barba (www.rocioduranbarba.com) and the Embassy of Ecuador

Illustrated talk by Oliver Balch based on his first book "Viva South America! A Journey Through A Restless Continent" published by Faber and Faber.

Ever since his death in 1830, Simon Bolivar has become the subject of nationalistic pride and literary fable. To schoolchildren, he is the man who vanquished the Spanish and held high the torch of liberty. To political theorists, he is the visionary who mapped out a unified future for the free Americas. To everyday South Americans, he is the bronze statue sitting high on a horse in the town square; model citizen, die-hard romantic and martyr to his cause.

Oliver Balch will describe his experience following Bolivar's footsteps around South America. In addition to general observations about how the great Liberator's ideals are playing out, attention will be given to four specific cases: the fight for economic sovereignty in Bolivia, the struggle for political democracy in Argentina, the search for peace in Colombia, and the progress of the Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela.

Wine reception sponsored by Hispamerchants from Argentina's Tapiz and Finca de Domingo vineyards

Ecuadorian writer and poet, Rocio Duran-Barba, presents a theatrical reading of a series of poems in English and Spanish accompanied by indigenous music performed by Fredi Rojas. This event will be introduced by the Ambassador of Ecuador Mr. Eduardo Cabezas

'Naci en un Crater' is an illustrated book of poems that won the House of Poets and Writers prize in Brittany, France. The story is based on an indigenous legend about a condor that protects an enchanted fountain in the Andes. Even though it is written as a single sequence of poems, every page can be read separately. The famous former professor from the Sorbonne University, Claude Couffon, writes in the prologue to this book: 'Rocio Duran-Barba, Ecuadorian writer, is one of the most well-known and best established Latin American authors of today. Since the publication of her first novel 'Paris Eternal Dream', her writing stood out because of her deeply personal and defined style capable of escaping current trends and literary schools'
Fredi Rojas, from the indigenous community of Otavalo, is a theatre director, musician and composer. For this recital he will play various compositions with different traditional instruments to accompany the readings.

As a backdrop to the recital and to complete the picture of today's Ecuador in its multicultural dimension, the artist Carolina Alfonso de la Paz will be showing a selection of paintings from her 'Golden Country' series.

In collaboration with the Fundacion Rocio Duran-Barba (www.rocioduranbarba.com)
and the Embassy of Ecuador

Film directed by Camilo Luzuriaga. In Spanish with English subtitles.

After being sent abroad at the tender age of eight, Virginia returns to Quito, her birthplace, twenty-five years later. She is finally reunited with her widowed father and her fraternal twin sister, Manuela. Her sister lives in their parents' house with her husband and two sons while her father vegetates in a retirement home. She confides to her sister that living in New York and the separation from her family has caused her to find affection in troubled love affairs, but Manuela has secrets of her own.
This is a chance to see one of the biggest box-office hits in Ecuador in recent years.

This event will be introduced by Javier Mendoza, Consul of Ecuador in London, who has participated in the short documentary "Identidad Ecuatoriana" that we will be screening prior to the film.

In collaboration with the Embassy of Ecuador

Diplomat, editor, political analyst and translator are just a few of the areas that Alvaro Uribe has explored in his life without leaving his passion for literature aside.

A prolific and hugely original writer, his stories and essays have been included in the most important recent anthologies on Mexican literature and translated into English, French and German. A successful novelist as well with 'La Lotería de San Jorge', 'Por su nombre' and 'El taller del tiempo' which have been awarded with distinguished prizes such as the Antonin Artaud and the Iberoamerican Prize for Novel Elena Poniatowska.

In his lecture, Uribe will speak about his latest novel 'Expediente del Atentado' around an attempted murder against President Porfirio Díaz in 1897. This will give the audience a great opportunity to learn more about this exciting period of Mexican history.

Alvaro Uribe will also speak about his role as editor of the Best of Contemporary Mexican Fiction a remarkable anthology to be published in April by Dalkey Archive Press.

In collaboration with the Mexican Embassy

Please go to language courses page for more information.

Please go to language courses page for more information.

Please go to language courses page for more information.

Please go to language courses page for more information.

Canning House and the Embassy of Colombia invite you to a panel discussion followed by drinks and a cold dinner reception, on Tuesday, 28th April at 6.30pm.

The discussion, to be chaired by Canning House`s Chairman, David Thomas OBE, and Noemi Sanin, Colombian Ambassador to the UK, will highlight the outcomes of 184 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Participants will include three former UK Ambassadors to Colombia. This event provides an ideal opportunity to discuss the impact that closer political and economic relations might have for the UK.

In 2009 Colombia and the United Kingdom are celebrating 184 years since the beginning of relations between our two nations. On 18 April 1825 the British Government - the first of all European nations to do so - signed a treaty recognising the Republic of Colombia as a sovereign state.

Great Britain was the nation that provided most military aid to Colombia in its struggle for independence. In the early months of the campaign led by the Liberator Simon Bolivar, British ships holding over 5,500 troops sailed for Gran Colombia. Nowadays the British Government is committed to supporting the Colombian people in its efforts to confront the problems of illegal drugs, internal conflict, human-rights abuses, and climate change.

Expert analysis will come from three exceptional authoritative voices. Sir Keith Morris, Ambassador to Colombia (1990-1994). After studies at Cambridge University and Amherst College, Mass., Sir Keith Morris joined the British Diplomatic Service in 1959 and served in Dakar, Algiers, Bogota (1967-1971), Warsaw, Mexico, Milan, and once again in Bogota, (1990-1994). Widely recognized for his expertise on Colombia and international drug trafficking issues, in 2001 he published a high-profile article in The Guardian arguing that the drug war "is un-winnable, costly and counter-productive".

Mr. Haydon Warren-Gash joined the British Diplomatic Service in 1971, beginning his career in the Latin American Department. He was Ambassador to Colombia from 2005 to 2008, and this gives him a perfect awareness of the current situation in that country, its development and economic achievements, its progress on security, its business opportunities for British companies, and the development of trade agreements.

Mr. Jeremy Thorp, former British Ambassador to Colombia (1998-2001), Chair of the Anglo-Colombian Society. As a Financial Crime Director at the British Bankers' Association and secretary of the Joint Money Laundering Steering Group, Mr Thorp is an expert on the practical issues facing all those who are involved, in whatever capacity, in protecting and promoting the stability and integrity of the financial sector, and in dealing with the risks presented by serious crime and, in particular, organized crime and terrorists.

The event will examine a range of key issues including bilateral relations between the United Kingdom and Colombia and the current and historical ties between the two countries, as well as the highlights of this British-Colombian relationship, focusing on themes such as security, trade, and the British presence in Colombia.

Following the Cordillera of the Andes from north to south, a journey of over eighteen months in six different countries, covering 6000 kilometres on foot between 800 and 5000 metres in altitude - this was the crazy idea of an unusual couple that began a journey in search of the legendary route of the Incas, Qhapaq Nan. From Quito, Ecuador, passing through Cusco, Peru, to Aconcagua, Argentina, it is the first time that this historical route has been walked and documented in its entirety!

A documentary film, The Sleeping Giant (Ecuador, 30 min), will be followed by an illustrated talk. Our two adventurers set off in search of the Qhapaq Nan, the Grand Route of the Incas in the northernmost point of the Inca Empire. They slowly came into contact with those who could direct them on their quest - a local historian, a biologist, a fire-blowing shaman, a wood-craftsman and an archaeologist. Megan and Laurent also procured two young llamas bucks. With their new companions by their side, they had no idea what surprises the future would bring.

Megan and Laurent undertook this voyage on foot (at the time of the Incas, the Grand Route was known for being accessible only on foot), with no outside logistics, tent or food supplies. In addition to facing harsh conditions and dangerous situations, their journey was full of surprises. Relying on their enthusiasm, their stamina, and the help of the Andean communities whom they met along the road, the exertions of our two adventurers were not without their rewards: breathtaking landscapes, incredible ecosystems, majestic archaeological sites, and unforgettable encounters.

Following the Grand Route of the Incas is not as easy as it may sound: entire sections have been obliterated over time, and have been forgotten by local populations. To find and reconstruct the puzzle of this epic route, Megan and Laurent researched information from both local inhabitants and specialists. Much more than the physical achievement of an epic trip made across the continent, their project was motivated by the need to preserve the Qhapaq Nan and a sincere desire to discover and better understand a region through its exceptional archaeological, natural and cultural heritage.

Canning House and the Embassy of Colombia invite you to a talk by Dr Raul Cuero, PhD in Microbiology, Research Scientist and Distinguished Professor, on Thursday 30 April at 12 pm, followed by a drinks reception. The discussion will be chaired by Canning House`s Chairman, David Thomas OBE.

Professor Cuero will share with us the cultural and scientific experiences that led him to become one of the most prolific of Hispanic inventors. During his presentation, he will explain his views on what he sees are the advantages Latin America enjoys for its recovery in the current global economy: a young and mixed population, a diversity and abundance of natural resources, and a great passion for education, knowledge and innovation.

Dr. Cuero has become a renowned scientist and inventor in the United States and internationally. His later work on biogenesis is the area of research that he has most enjoyed, because - as he states - it has to do with life itself and the unpredictability of the unknown. His book, Triumph and Survival, is based on his 20 years of experience in the fields of science, discoveries and inventions, and on his travels around the world. He has received many scientific awards, and much recognition, including the honour of Distinguished Professor of Microbiology for his inventions and creativity.
Raul Cuero has lived half of his life between the USA and Europe, including the UK. He has travelled throughout the world, and speaks four languages. At an early age, because of his poor economic situation and social predicament, he knew that he needed to be creative and the best in whatever he decided to specialize in. That is how Dr Cuero became an outstanding athlete and scientist. His constant travels around the world, first as an athlete and later as a scientific researcher and lecturer, have made him appreciative of the importance of the unknown and of different cultures, thus giving him a better understanding of life and of harmonious living. In Dr Cuero own words, Many, including myself want to exceed our intellectual potential in order to survive the pain of being ignorant. He also contends that only through creativity has he been able to gain a real sense of absolute belonging and freedom.

During the 1950s more than 30 per cent of the children in his home town of Buenaventura died before reaching the age of ten, from malaria, tuberculosis and other diseases. This situation served as inspiration for his career.
After studying biology on a scholarship awarded for academic merit at the Universidad del Valle in Cali, Colombia, he was offered a further academic scholarship to continue his education in the United States in biology and plant pathology. He was later awarded another scholarship which enabled him to earn his PhD in microbiology in the United Kingdom.
Among his multiple awards and honours, the most notable are: Distinguished Professor, Prairie View A&M University (Texas), NASA Technology Award and Tech Brief Monetary Award (both 2003), Nominated by the Invention and Contribution Board of NASA-JSC-Houston, listed among the selected Inventors for the Invention on Removal of Radionuclide Such as Uranium, Using Martian Simulated Soil. In May 2004 Dr Cuero was awarded the Simon Bolivar Order Medal by the Government of Colombia for his inventions, his brilliant scientific career, and his contribution to society.

Canning House's Culture Department, the Embassy of Colombia, and Warwick University invite you to a talk by Juan Gabriel Vasquez followed by a drinks reception, on Friday 1st May at 5.30pm. The talk will be chaired by Canning House's Chairman, David Thomas OBE.

If novelists in Britain sometimes feel the weight of earlier generations on their shoulders, influencing their choices and fictional concerns, you can just imagine what the new generation of writers from Colombia have to face. Their efforts are almost overshadowed by the presence of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, whose novels launched the school of magical realism and whose international renown has made it seem impossible for following generations to choose a different way of writing.

Juan Gabriel Vasquez is a 35-year-old Colombian author, and his first novel to be published in English, The Informers, suggests a new and original way. In this profound and intricate work, Vasquez returns to the history rather than to the myths of his country, examining Colombia's dark corners and the actions of protagonists who cannot suddenly sprout wings and fly away from their destinies, as Garcia Marquez`s characters might have done.

The Informers is a powerful story of personal conflict and political fanaticism - a German-Jewish woman escapes to Colombia just before the Second World War and is subjected to a witch hunt - and these are aspects of the work that lead critics to maintain the novel's affinity with Philip Roth's I Married a Communist. Other critics have found in the complex and allusive plot of The Informers, traces of a delicate creation of artifice and ineffable truth that has an obvious parallelism with Schlink's The Reader. Juan Gabriel Vasquez will explain some of the key factors for an understanding of Colombian fiction since Gabriel Garcia Marquez first appeared on the literary scene in the 1950s.

"Juan Gabriel Vasquez is one of the most original new voices of Latin American literature. His first novel, The Informers, a very powerful story about the shadowy years immediately following World War II, is testimony to the richness of his imagination as well as the subtlety and elegance of his prose" - Mario Vargas Llosa

"Anne McLean, who translated Javier Cercas`s Soldiers of Salamis, has done a stupendous job of rendering Vasquez's intricate style into beautifully fluid English. The Informers deserves to be read not because its author has been named as part of a cabal of promising writers but because he has written one of this year`s outstanding books" - Angel Gurria, Financial Times

"What Vasquez offers us, with great narrative skill, is that grey area of human actions and awareness where our capacity to make mistakes, betray, and conceal creates a chain reaction which condemns us to a world without satisfaction. Friends and enemies, wives and lovers, parents and children mix and mingle angrily, silently, blindly, while the novelist uses irony and elipsis to unmask his characters' `self-protective strategies` and goes with them - not discovering them, simply accompanying them - as they come to understand that an unsatisfactory life can also be the life they inherit" - Carlos Fuentes

Canning House and the Embassy of Colombia invite you to a panel debate on Human Rights in Colombia on Monday 11 May at 5.30p.m. followed by drinks reception at Canning House.

Opening Address: Lord Dan Brennan, President of Canning House
Chair: Professor Malcolm Deas, University of Oxford

The panels will discuss their views on the progress made by Colombia in the protection and promotion of human rights, within the framework of the presentation made by the Government for Universal Period Review by the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.



PANEL I: 17.30 - 18.30

Gillian Merron MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign & Commonwealth Office

Ambassador Angelino Garzon, Colombian Ambassador to the United Nations, Geneva and former General Secretary of CUT (Central Union of Workers)

Sophie Haspeslagh, Programme and Advocacy Manager, ABColombia

PANELl II: 18.30 - 19.30

Luis Fernando Cadavid Mesa, Member of the Executive Committee of the General Labour Confederation (Confederacion General de Trabajo, CGT) and President of the Union of Textile and Clothing Industry workers (Sindicato de Trabajadores de la Industria Textil y de la Confeccion de Colombia, Sintracontexa)

Enrique Albeiro Franco Valderrama, Member of the Executive Committee of the General Labour Confederation (Confederacion General de Trabajo, CGT) and President of the Antioquia Division of the National Union of Livestock and Agribusiness Workers (Union Nacional de Trabajadores del Sector Agroindustrial y Pecuario, Unaltrasap).

Luciano Sanin, Escuela Nacional Sindical (National Labour School)

Free Entrance. Pre-Registration for the event is required due to limited sitting.

Canning House and the Embassy of Colombia invite you to a talk with Frank Pearl, High Commissioner for Peace and Reintegration, Colombia on Wednesday 20th May at 6.30p.m. followed by drinks reception at Canning House.

The High Commissioner will describe the efforts being taken by the Government of Colombia to ensure a long-lasting peace in the country. His previous work as Presidential Counsellor for Social and Economic Reintegration in transforming persons who have been demobilized from illegally armed groups into autonomous responsible citizens while simultaneously restoring the social fabric of all communities affected by violence has been one of the biggest challenges in the history of Colombia.

Canning House and the Embassy of Colombia invite you to a talk with Oscar Morales on Wednesday 20th May at 6.30p.m. followed by drinks reception at Canning House.

Oscar Morales will recount his personal and successful experience of using Facebook and the use of social networking pages to mobilize people to participate in social issues. Oscar Morales, from Bogota, used Facebook to organise the largest protest in the history of Colombia on 4 February 2008, calling for No More Farc bringing together more than 12 million people in over 200 cities across the globe.

The US Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton, recently highlighted the power of the One Million Voices Foundation:

The biggest challenges we face today will be solved by the 60 percent of the worlds population under the age of 30. And already, young people, like all of you, are using their talents and ingenuity to help fashion their own brand of service and diplomacy. A few examples: In the nation of Colombia, two young college graduates, fed up with the violence in their country, used Facebook to organize 14 million people into the largest antiterrorism demonstrations in the history of the world. In a few short weeks, their peaceful efforts did as much damage to the terrorist networks as years of military action.......

In collaboration with the Colombian Embassy.

Canning House and the Embassy of Colombia invite you to a talk by Paula Moreno Zapata, Minister of Culture of Colombia, on Tuesday 26 May at 12.30, followed by a drinks reception with natural juices made from exotic Colombian fruits.
In her first official visit to the United Kingdom, Paula Moreno Zapata is going to offer a lecture about Cultural Diversity, a topic that has become particularly controversial in Europe. The lecture will be chaired by Baroness Howells of St Davids, member of the House of Lords.

Paula Moreno Zapata is the first woman of afro-Colombian descent ever appointed to the Colombian Cabinet and is currently the Minister of Culture. Born in 1978 she was educated in Bogota and undertook postgraduate studies at Cambridge. She has written extensively, including her book "Afro-Colombians: the different meanings of the African Diaspora". She is a passionate advocate of promoting and protecting cultural diversity: "Cultural expressions of all kinds constitute a necessary and integral condition for the economic and social development; in this sense, it is important to underline that development, different from the more limited concept of growth, can only materialize if equal opportunities are fostered"

In 'Amigos & Friends' Gui Tavares will perform his own compositions - joyful, sunny music with a Latin vibe - together with songs by well-known Brazilian composers including Tom Jobim, Roberto Menescal and Chico Buarque. The musical arrangements will combine a variety of sounds, mainly inspired by Bossa Nova.

Gui Tavares is a Brazilian musician based in London. He has been developing a number of projects to promote Brazilian music, and has played in venues such as Pizza Express Soho, Cargo, Jazz Cafe, the Barbican Foyer, and others. He has performed three times at Canning House, each time receiving a very appreciative reaction from the audience. The three shows were: Nossa Voz (Brazilian vocal group), Poor little rich girl (with the participation of Carlos Lyra and Marcos Valle), and Carlos Lyra and Marcos Valle in concert together (in which Gui collaborated).

You can hear some of Gui's songs at www.guitavares.com

A photography exhibition by Eleanor Marriott marking 50 years since the Cuban Revolution

In 2009 Eleanor Marriott travelled around Cuba photographing the island in order to capture the spirit of the place 50th years after its revolution. She discovered that Cuba is much more than a land of cigars and classic cars. It is a place of intense patronage towards the revolutionaries, of crumbling colonial buildings, of music coming from houses, plazas, cafes and bars; of men playing dominoes in the streets; children playing baseball with plastic bottle caps and sticks of wood; people getting by in spite of food, water and electricity shortages.

Through her photographs Eleanor wanted to convey that Cuba is a land of educated, patriotic people full of warmth, vitality and pride. They are people living under extraordinary circumstances following the revolution and the subsequent American embargo, who are still able to express a zest for life through their music, friendliness and general good humour.

Website:eleanormarriottphotography.co.uk

Exhibition runs from: 15 - 26 June
Opening times: 2pm - 6pm
Late night viewing: 25 June 6:30pm - 8:30pm

Venue: Canning House Library
Free entrance

Canning House and the Embassy of Colombia invite you to a talk by Alberto Calderon, a Group Executive and Chief Commercial Officer at BHP Billiton, on Wednesday 17 June at 19.30, followed by a drinks reception.

Alberto Calderon is Group Executive and Chief Commercial Officer and a member of the Group Management Committee at BHP Billiton. Mr. Calderon joined the Group as President Diamonds and Specialty Products in February 2006. Prior to BHP Billiton, he was Chief Executive Officer of the Cerrejon Coal Company. He is also a former President of Ecopetrol, President of the Power Company of Bogota and has occupied various other senior roles in the financial industry and in the Colombian Government.

Canning House and the Embassy of Colombia invite you to a panel conference on Thursday 18 June, 9.00am to 11.00am.

Speakers:

Luis Carlos Villegas, President of the National Business Association of Colombia- ANDI
Daniel Linsker, Head of Desk Americas - Global Risks Analysis at Control Risks

Chair: Mr. Ian Breminer, Chairman, British & Colombian Chamber of Commerce.

Colombia has recently signed trade agreements with Chile, Canada, Central America and EFTA countries (Switzerland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland). The country has also advanced on the EU-CAN negotiations and the Bilateral Investment Treaty with the United Kingdom.
This event would provide an excellent opportunity to discuss these recent developments as well as their influence in business activity. We anticipate a deep analysis of the benefits, opportunities and challenges that Colombia and the companies working with the country will expect from these agreements.
Canning House, The Embassy of Colombia, Proexport and the British & Colombian Chamber of Commerce, are organising this event. It will consist of a debate with the participants, followed by a short networking session.
This event is specifically aimed at the business community. As such, senior executives of organisations with significant operations and interests in Colombia would benefit greatly from taking part.

Canning House and the Embassy of Colombia invite you to a talk by Gunter Pauli, Founder and Director of ZERI [Zero Emissions Research and Initiatives], on Friday 19 June at 18.30, followed by a drinks reception.

Gunter Pauli is a world-renowned sustainability educator whose entrepreneurial activities span business, culture, science, politics and the environment. He is dedicated to designing and implementing a society and industries which respond to peoples needs using what is available from nature. In this occasion he will be discussing innovations inspired by Colombia biodiversity.

Canning House invites you to a talk by Gian Luca Gardini, Lecturer at the University of Bath, on Tuesday 23 June at 18.30.

Outside Europe, Latin America is the region of the world where integration has the longest tradition and the most sophisticated, although not necessarily successful, record of implementation. In the 1850s the key theoretical features of Latin American regionalism were already defined: The stance to be adopted vis-a-vis the United States, the ambivalent role of Brazil, and the model of development to be incorporated at the regional level. These three characteristics still define and differentiate the current projects of regional integration in Latin America. Regional integration concentrates on four schemes: ALCA, ALBA, MERCOSUR and UNASUR. Latin American regionalism today reflects the diversity existing within the continent more than it expresses its unity.

A photography exhibition by Eleanor Marriott marking 50 years since the Cuban Revolution

In 2009 Eleanor Marriott travelled around Cuba photographing the island in order to capture the spirit of the place 50th years after its revolution. She discovered that Cuba is much more than a land of cigars and classic cars. It is a place of intense patronage towards the revolutionaries, of crumbling colonial buildings, of music coming from houses, plazas, cafes and bars; of men playing dominoes in the streets; children playing baseball with plastic bottle caps and sticks of wood; people getting by in spite of food, water and electricity shortages.

Through her photographs Eleanor wanted to convey that Cuba is a land of educated, patriotic people full of warmth, vitality and pride. They are people living under extraordinary circumstances following the revolution and the subsequent American embargo, who are still able to express a zest for life through their music, friendliness and general good humour.

Website:eleanormarriottphotography.co.uk

Exhibition runs from: 15 - 26 June
Special night viewing 25 June 6:30pm - 8:30pm

Opening times: 2pm - 6pm
Exhibition closes on Friday 26 June

Venue: Canning House Library
Free entrance

A special one night screening of Mexican director Fernando Eimbcke's multi-award winning film in collaboration with Yume Pictures.

"On a deserted road in the early morning, sixteen-year-old Juan inexplicably crashes the family car into a telegraph pole. He sets off in search of spare parts and help, but in this sleepy Yucatan town his options are limited. His encounters with the few people he does manage to find are gently funny, and only after considerable time has passed do we learn that Juan's father has recently died, his grief stricken mother isn't coping, and his younger brother has been left to fend for himself."

The film opens in London at the cinema Renoir from the 26th June (please check film's times on cinema Renoir website), and at the cinema Lumiere from 9th July (please check film's times on French Institute website). More screenings in several cities across the UK throughout the summer.

In collaboration with Yume Pictures and the support of the Mexican Embassy in London.

Wilson Saliwonczyk is a 'payador', a troubadour from Argentina. With his improvised gaucho verses he vividly describes the landscape, people and culture of the Rio de la Plata region. While keeping true to the roots of the Creole payadas, he gives them a more current feel by composing verses with a modern theme.

The brainchild of Argentinean singer songwriter Silvia Demetilla, alasVALS are a folk/fusion experimental-tango collective based in London and Buenos Aires.

With this concert we would like to commemorate the Independence of Argentina and we thank the Embassy of Argentina and the Anglo-Argentine Society for their support.

Aimed at those with a Beginners course under their belt, also suitable for fluent Spanish speakers who are beginners in Portuguese. Students will learn useful vocabulary for travelling, comparisons and descriptions, how to give and receive information, the imperative, the gerund, working with past and present tenses.

5 day intensive course: Monday 13 July to Friday 17 July - 6pm to 9pm

For those new to the language with no experience, this course will give you the basics - how to introduce yourself, numbers, the alphabet, pronunciation, directions, ordering, shopping, verbs in the present and the simple past.

5 day intensive course: Monday 20 July to Friday 24 July - 6pm to 9pm

A photography exhibition by Eleanor Marriott marking 50 years since the Cuban Revolution

In 2009 Eleanor Marriott travelled around Cuba photographing the island in order to capture the spirit of the place 50th years after its revolution. She discovered that Cuba is much more than a land of cigars and classic cars. It is a place of intense patronage towards the revolutionaries, of crumbling colonial buildings, of music coming from houses, plazas, cafes and bars; of men playing dominoes in the streets; children playing baseball with plastic bottle caps and sticks of wood; people getting by in spite of food, water and electricity shortages.

Website:eleanormarriottphotography.co.uk

Due to public demand, the exhibition has been extended until 31 July

Opening times: 2pm - 6pm
Venue: Canning House Library
Free entrance

Mondays 6.30pm - 8.30pm
21 September 2009 - 23 November 2009

Please go to language courses page for more information.

Tuesdays 6.30pm - 8.30pm
22 September 2009 - 24 November 2009

Please go to language courses page for more information.

Wednesdays 6.30pm - 8.30pm
23 September 2009 - 25 November 2009

Please go to language courses page for more information.

Thursdays 6.30pm - 8.30pm
24 September 2009 - 26 November 2009

Please go to language courses page for more information.

Play in Spanish for all students learning the language.
A fund-raising event in support of Canning House's educational activities.

On publication in 1719, "Robinson Crusoe" was immediately received with universal appreciation, and since then the novel has been a firm favourite amongst readers of many nationalities, even considered by some to be the most read book after the Bible.

In this adaptation Firewalk Theatre continues with its task of making English classics accessible to foreign audiences, with the additional objective of offering a reflection on man's relationship with his environment, his co-existence with others of different racial origins and the need to find solutions to problems through co-operation rather than individual enterprise.

A minimalistic set with a high-energy soundtrack and lighting design provide a lively and modern approach guaranteed to keep all audiences thoroughly entertained.

The script is entirely in Spanish. The Spanish version, is suitable for all levels and ages, and in particular secondary school students. As it is very visual and students should already be familiar with the well-known story, beginners are able to follow the plot, yet more advanced students find the language stimulating.

www.firewalktheatre.com

Graham Wade, the undisputed expert on the life and works of Joaquín Rodrigo both in the UK and worldwide, opens the 2009 Rodrigo Festival with a talk on the composer and his legacy. A regular author of programme and liner notes on the composer, Wade's research culminated in his 2006 book Joaquín Rodrigo: Travelling to Aranjuez. In his talk, Wade will examine Rodrigo's position ten years after his death, and will discuss the 21st century future of this consummately 20th-century artist.

In collaboration with ILAMS organisers of the 2009 Rodrigo Festival.
Go to "www.ilams.org.uk/concerts" for details about the rest of the Rodrigo Festival.

An exhibition of photographs taken in the Cayo Hueso district of Havana by British artist John Comino-James. Photographs from his book 'A Few Streets, A Few People/Pocas Calles, Pocas Personas' published by Dewi Lewis Publishing.

In 'Our Man in Havana' Graham Greene wrote that "to each man a city consists of no more than a few streets, a few houses, a few people. Remove those few and the city no longer exists except as a pain in the memory, like the pain of an amputated leg no longer there." Through engaged portraits and candid observation, John Comino-James explores the streets of Cayo Hueso, a neighbourhood of Havana. He builds an intimate and sympathetic record of a part of the city that is not only rich in its historical associations but also far removed from the better-known sights of Old Havana.

Monday 5 Oct to Friday 9 Oct
Opening times: 2pm - 6pm
Venue: Canning House Library
Free entrance

In collaboration with Cubacheche & Ola Latina, organisers of the festival Cultura y Cubania: www.culturaycubania.com

Launch of the Festival and the Photographic Exhibition 'A Few Streets, A Few People / Pocas Calles, Pocas Personas' by artist John Comino-James, with music from award-winning Cuban guitarist Ahmed Dickinson and dance from members of London's newest Cuban dance company CubanaDanza.

Cultura y Cubania is a week-long cultural event celebrating the richness of Cuban culture in the UK, as part of the celebrations of Black History Month 2009 and in collaboration with Canning House.

Free Entrance (limited places, please reserve)

In collaboration with Cubacheche & Ola Latina, organisers of the festival Cultura y Cubania: www.culturaycubania.com

Cecilia Rodrigo introduces and reads a fascinating collection of letters and essays written by her father, composer Joaquín Rodrigo, with a script compiled by guitarist Carlos Bonell. Together with Bonell playing music by Falla, Sanz, Sainz de la Maza and Rodrigo himself, the presentation will include letters to some of Spain's leading artists of the last century, including Segovia, Mompou, and Manuel de Falla, and his future wife Victoria K. The letters reveal a personal and artistic struggle to find success and satisfaction, and are a vivid evocation of the turbulent times which Joaquin Rodrigo's long life (1901-1999) encompassed.

N.B. Narration in English

In collaboration with ILAMS organisers of the 2009 Rodrigo Festival.
Go to " www.ilams.org.uk/concerts" for details about the rest of the Rodrigo Festival.

Documentary in English by Gloria Rolando, Cuba 1996 - Introduced by Eva Tarr, director of the 19th London Latin American Film Festival.

Migration has been and is a constant theme in the life of the people of the Caribbean. In the municipality of Baragua, in the present province of Ciego de Avila, Cuba, the stories and customs of the English speaking West Indians and their descendants still remain alive. Today, they are a part of Cuba. For some, there is always the nostalgia for the country to which they will never return; others express their total rootedness in today's Cuba. The youngest will nevertheless be able to learn of their ancestry and better understand the origins of the English surnames they have.

In the style of the documentary are merged family memories in a process very familiar to other Caribbean people: for example the trip from Jamaica, Barbados, and other islands to Panama and subsequently to Cuba which started the heady development of the sugar industry in the early years of this century.

Direct testimony does not preclude the poetry present in the charm of the environment of the old sugar barracks, the re-creation of the traditional music and dance such as the Maypole, and the use of old photos that allow us an imaginary approach to that past.

In collaboration with Cubacheche & Ola Latina, organisers of the festival Cultura y Cubania: www.culturaycubania.com

A photography exhibition by Matt Humphrey exploring the plight of the Nicaraguan people 30 years after the revolution.

In early 2009, Matt Humphrey travelled to Nicaragua to live and work among some of the most impoverished communities in the country and, indeed, the western hemisphere. This exhibition is an honest and open portrayal of the plight of the poverty-stricken majority on the Atlantic coast of this Central American country, exploring such themes as the family; community; education; environment; and work.

Thirty years after the revolution and almost 20 years since the independent elections of 1990, his engaging photographs raise questions about what benefits the common man has gained from this extended period of civil unrest. These striking images highlight the extraordinary circumstances that form the backdrop to everyday life.

He will be donating 10% of sales profit to the Peace & Hope Trust, who actively support these communities.

www.matthumphreyimages.com

19 Oct - 30 Oct
Opening times: Mon to Fri, 2pm - 6pm
or by appointment: matthumphrey@me.com
Venue: Canning House Library
Free entrance

Award-winning photographer Julio Etchart presents a selection of pictures from "The Forbidden Rainbow", his photo-book on the legacy of colonialism in the Americas, published by Serpent's Tail.

The images document societies from the old and new worlds of Latin America focusing on the tensions created by the continent's economic and social imbalance. They highlight the plight of the homeless youth, the informal economy, the political cycles, the patterns of migration from native ancestral lands to the edge of the cities and the syncretism of African-American religions.

Julio grew up in Uruguay and later settled in the UK where he studied Documentary Photography. He has travelled round the world covering events for the international media and NGOs. For more information on his work: www.julioetchart.com

The exhibition coincides with the launch of the 19th Latin American Film Festival: www.latinamericanfilmfestival.com

Monday 2 Nov to Friday 13 Nov
Opening times: 2pm - 6pm
PV Tuesday 3 Nov, 6:30pm -8:30pm
Venue: Canning House Library
Free entrance

To coincide with this year's London Latin American Film Festival, Canning House will be hosting a special launch event with the private view and auction of Julio Etchart's work.

The auctioneer will be by expert Joanna Hardy, F.G.A., D.G.A, F.R.S.A*

Free entrance (limited places, please reserve)

For information about the festival: www.latinamericanfilmfestival.com

Mexican cinema expert Ignacio Durán will discuss the importance of death as a key subject in the history of Mexican cinema.

Ignacio Durán, the current Minister for Cultural Affairs in the Mexican Embassy to the UK, has co-produced several films such us the highly acclaimed "Como agua para chocolate" and has been the director of the Mexican Film Institute (IMCINE). He has also been director and producer for channel 11, vice-president for production at TV Azteca, Deputy Director of the National Institute of Fine Arts and Minister at the Mexican Embassies in Sweden, Great Britain and USA.

Minister Durán has lectured on cinema and television at the National Autonomous University, Universidad Iberoamericana and Universidad Anahuac.

In collaboration with the Mexican Embassy

Still from movie "Macario" from Colección IMCINE

Panel Discussion and Documentary Screening - "12.511 Radilla Case: An Open Wound from Mexico's Dirty War"

Tita Radilla: Mexican Association of Family Members of the Detained and Disappeared.
Sarah Murrell: Foreign & Commonwealth Office Human Rights, Democracy and Governance Group.
Sujeevan Satheesan: Foreign & Commonwealth Head of Section for Mexico, Central America, Cuba, Dominican Republic and Haiti.
Michael Tamblyn: Coordinator of Peace Brigades International in Mexico.
Panel chaired by Tony Lloyd MP: Former Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

In July the Inter-American Court of Human Rights heard the first ever case of forced disappearance to be brought against the government of Mexico. The case was that of Rosendo Radilla Pacheco, a respected community leader who disappeared after being detained by soldiers in 1974 in Guerrero state. Tita Radilla Martínez, Rosendo's daughter, is a founding member of the Mexican Association of Relatives of the Detained, Disappeared and Victims of Human Rights Violations (AFADEM), which campaigns for justice for the families of people who disappeared during Mexico's "dirty war". The international community has a vital role to play in the protection of human rights defenders, and this is a fundamental part of FCO human rights policy. Peace Brigades International has provided protective accompaniment to Tita and AFADEM since 2003.

In collaboration with Peace Brigades International: www.peacebrigades.org.uk

Free Entrance (limited places, please reserve)

Lecture in Spanish

Renowned Mexican specialist Dr. Alfredo López Austin, explores the relation between men and deities before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadores. His researches aim to understand the meaning, rites and myths around the pre-Columbian and conquest-era indigenous cultures in Mexico, particularly those of Mesoamerica.

Among his most important works are the books "Hombre-Dios" (1973), "Cuerpo humano e ideología" (1980), "Los mitos del tlacuache" (1990) and "Tamoanchan y Tlalocan" (1994). His knowledge about the Mexican civilizations' trajectory has taken him to be part of the current processes, which seek for a redefinition in the relation between the ingenuous people and the Mexican nation.

In collaboration with the Mexican Embassy

Chilean painter and graphics designer based in the United Kingdom, Corral started her career in visual arts in 1985 studying portraits and still life with established Chilean painters. In 1995, she moved to Mexico where she continued her training in portrait painting. During her stay in this country she had many exhibitions in art galleries in Mexico City and participated in the successful exhibition "Sensibilidad y formas". She moved to London in 1999 where after a break, Valentina re-launched her artistic career. Her paintings can be found in private collections in Latin America and the UK.

Monday 30 Nov to Monday 7 Dec
Opening times: 2pm - 6pm
or by appointment
Venue: Canning House Library
Free entrance

Los Angeles and London are huge mega-cities each with very diverse populations. Both their City Halls, working in partnership with other government agencies, are facing the same challenges - the impact of the global economic crisis on residents and problems of drugs, gangs and crime - particularly amongst youth. With the British and US governments promoting active citizenship at all levels, we are delighted to hear from the first Hispanic elected to the influential role of Mayor of Los Angeles. Elected in 2005, Antonio Villaraigosa will outline his groundbreaking policies that are transforming the lives of all citizens of Los Angeles.

This event will be chaired by our Vice-President, broadcaster and former Government Minister, Michael Portillo.

This is a free event, generously supported by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, and will be followed by a Christmas drinks reception.

Mondays 6.30pm - 8.30pm
11 January 2010 - 15 March 2010

Please go to the Language Courses page for more information.

Tuesdays 6.30pm - 8.30pm
12 January 2010 - 16 March 2010

Please go to the Language Courses page for more information

Wednesdays 6.30pm - 8.30pm
13 January 2010 - 17 March 2010

Please go to the Language Courses page for more information

Dr Aquiles Alencar Brayner, curator of the Latin American Collections at the British Library, will give a talk on the historical process of independence of the various Spanish American republics in the 19th century. The talk will be illustrated by images of different materials held at the British Library such as official correspondence, maps, engravings and other written records produced by British and Irish travellers who were in Latin America between 1810-1850, comparing the impressions they had from the region during its period of independence.

In collaboration with The British Library

Thursdays 6.30pm - 8.30pm
14 January 2010 - 18 March 2010

Please go to the Language Courses page for more information.

The movements of independence which erupted across Spanish America at the beginning of the 19th century reflected the profound discontent of local populations with the colonial policy of Spain: a situation that led Spanish Americans to call for independence. This panel exhibition highlights the various struggles fought in the region, giving special attention to the role played by the British government and citizens in the process of Spanish American independence.

The exhibition is complemented by an online gallery which can be accessed at: www.bl.uk/spanishamerican

Date: 11th January to 5th February 2010
Venue: Canning House Library
Opening times: Mon-Fri, 2-6pm

In Collaboration with The British Library

The Brazilian percussionist Adriano Adewale brings the base of the samba, performing songs from the master Brazilian composer Pixinguinha.

"The vibe is exhilarating" Manchester Evening News ****

"Adewale's compositions are simple but uncliched...It's beautifully recorded." The Guardian ***

"Adewale boasts an imposing collection of firepower yet deploys it with rare restraint" The Times

CHORINNHO FOR CARNIVAL

Canning House is proud to host Adriano Adewale Trio performing Chorinho to celebrate the Brazilian carnival, bringing the roots of the Samba but with a contemporary taste.

THE ADRIANO ADEWALE TRIO

The percussionist Adriano Adewale will be performing with two very special guests, his fellow musician composer and multi instrumentalist Marcelo Andrade and composer and guitarist Jonathan Preiss. The concert will be featuring the works of Afro-Brazilian composer Pixinguinha, 1897-1973. Pixinguinha lived in Rio de Janeiro and wrote mainly in a style called Chorinho, he was one of the first composers to incorporate Jazz and Improvisation into Brazilian music. Chorinho has many similarities with Baroque music, however with a Brazilian rhythm and flavour added to it. Passionate, virtuoso, challenging, charming and fun, this is a concert which will show and make you feel the essence of Brazilian music.

Adriano Adewale: percussion
Marcelo Andrade: Flutes and Sax
Jonathan Preiss: 7 string acoustic guitar.

Photo by Mike Kwasniak.

For more information email us at events@canninghouse.org

At a time when new US President Barack Obama signed an order to suspend the proceedings of the Guantanamo military commission, Yvonne Ridley and filmmaker David Miller get unprecedented access to the infamous Guantanamo Bay prison where they are given a guided tour of the facility by the US Military Public Relations apparatus. With exclusive access to the ill-famed holding facility, the documentary also interviews former inmates who give a detailed explanation how they were treated at the hands of the US Military.

Visiting all areas of Gitmo including Camp Delta, Camp Iguana, and Camp X-Ray, we are given a first-hand look into the conditions "enemy combatants" are held.

A winner at the 2009 Rome Film Festival, this is the UK premiere

Following the film there will be a Q&A session with journalist Yvonne Ridley, director David Miller; HE René Juan Mujica Cantelar, Ambassador of Cuba in the UK; and former Guantanamo inmate Moazzem Begg.

In collaboration with Cageprisoners