The November 2023 collaboration brought H2M artist Geo Alva to Colombia to reconnect with and work alongside artist Natalia Arroyave in her home city of Bogota, Colombia.  Natalia was placed with H2M during her Community Engagement Exchange fellowship in spring 2023, working alongside H2M’s International Programs team to develop new collaborations around the world. Together Geo and Natty led workshops in the city, focusing on ‘Creating and Strengthening Connections Through Theater, Storytelling, and Community Interviews in Colombia’.

Geo traveled to Colombia to help coordinate, exchange, discover and co-lead the H2M approach centered training, and to do a deep cultural immersion dive into Natty’s community and culture. The first workshop was organized in partnership with theater ensemble ‘Tonos Colectivo' and the second working with a local non-profit organization ‘Match Tennis’ for their volunteer corps. These two workshops, held over a period of 2 weeks, had more than 30 youth and adults come participate.

This project was supported by an IREX CEPex Reciprocal Travel grant, part of the Community Engagement Exchange Fellowship 2023, funded by the U.S. Department of State.