From Monday, November 25 to Sunday, December 1, the town of Sotuta, Yucatán, will host the eighth edition of the Lu’um Puksi’ik’al / Heart of the Earth Scenic Arts Festival. This year’s theme, “Pollinators,” reflects a desire to plant creative ideas in Sotuta’s fertile soil while encouraging artists to draw inspiration from the local landscape, its vibrant flora, and its people to carry these ideas to new places.
The festival will welcome 20 artistic groups from across Mexico and one artist from Italy. Notably, 10 of these groups hail from the Yucatán Peninsula, and three are based in Sotuta itself, including the artistic endeavors of children and young people from the Nachi Cocom Maya Cultural Center.
This year, the festival will bring theater performances to three elementary schools, a middle school, and the Sotuta branch of the Colegio de Bachilleres. It will also introduce “spontaneous public interventions” in order to reach a larger audience.
Theater highlights include “Paraíso” by Yucatán’s El Sótano troupe at the Pedro Pablo Gómez Elementary School, a piece giving voice to children fighting against environmental destruction in their homeland. Italy’s Canti Vaganti will perform “Siempre en Camino” at Pedro Pablo Echeverría Elementary School, and “Feróz,” presented by Belacqua, will be staged at Nachi Cocom Elementary School to raise awareness about child abuse prevention. Supporting this important topic, Ximena Camou Guerrero from IMAGINALCO will offer a workshop titled “We Don’t Play Like That” to help parents and teachers prevent child abuse.
For middle school students, Yucatán-based theater group Miriam Chi – In k’aatech Clown Company will perform “Esperancita ¡quiérete mucho!” and break dancers Bboy Yaco, Artur, and Iron Man from Kinchil and Mérida will lead a workshop and dance demo. At Sotuta’s high school, Silkateatro Andante will join forces with Corriendo con Lobas to present “Tiempo de abrazARTE.”
“Spontaneous public interventions” will also take place in the Nachi Cocom Plaza in downtown Sotuta, featuring local and guest artists Osvaa Káatsim, Manu Fajardo, Miriam Chi, and Corriendo con Lobas performing “Bravas Muchachas.”
Two intensive workshops will run throughout the week, culminating in a scenic journey performed by at least 60 local children and teens. Visual artist Aisel Wicab and puppet theater company La Liga Teatro Elástico, which will also present “¡Burros!” in the town’s main square, will lead these workshops.
As part of the festival’s educational component, Waffle Transmedia, the festival’s graphic design and audiovisual team, will offer a creative workshop for young people interested in following the event. Additionally, audio engineer Luis Fajardo will train two young people from Sotuta during the festival.
The opening ceremony on Thursday, November 28, will feature a performance by international Mexican circus artist Pancho Libre, who will present his interactive show, “El Mexicano,” in front of the Municipal Palace. A celebratory “Artistic Parade” will follow to engage the Sotuta community and invite them to join an artistic gathering at El Camarón restaurant. The event, organized by Colaboratorio Sonoro, will feature local rappers Cristian Novelo, Erick Novelo, Russell Madera, and Felipe Dorantes, singer-songwriters Don Medardo and Lupita Chan, and jarana dancers Jimmy Alcocer, Jocelyn Baeza, and Nicole Mora.
On Saturday, November 29, and Sunday, December 1, an “artisan and food market” will aim to boost the local economy by showcasing and selling products from the area. Organized by U k’aan am, a women’s embroidery and weaving collective, the market will also feature traditional crafts demonstrations, including workshops on wooden toy-making and pre-Hispanic musical instrument carving by artisans José Alberto Pot Chable and his son Angel Gabriel Pot Pot.
Both days will close with performances from Mexico State’s Chalanes del Amor and the iconic Yucatán rap group Ceiba Flava.
The week’s festivities will conclude on Sunday, December 1, with a focus on children’s activities. Kanasín’s Semillero Creativo will perform “Hooch,” and kids from the La Vida Buena Art, Culture, and Gastronomy Center will stage “Habitando El Porvenir.” Additionally, a roundtable titled “Pollinators” will highlight discussions on contemporary Maya culture, featuring Freddy Poot, José Alberto Pot Chable, Lupita Chan, and Soco Loeza. This event is part of the second regional meeting of cultural agents.
Since its founding in 2017, the Lu’um Puksi’ik’al / Heart of the Earth Scenic Arts Festival has been organized by Mixbaal, a nonprofit focused on education, with the Nachi Cocom Maya Cultural Center as its main venue. This year’s event is made possible with support from Mexico’s PROFEST program, the Alas y Raíces initiative, the Yucatán Secretariat of Culture, and the Sotuta City Council. All festival activities are free and open to the public.
