FOCO

We are an association focused on using culture for social transformation. We work for and from the Baixo Miño (acting locally), towards the rest of the world (thinking globally). We are located in the border between Spain a Portugual and overlooking the ocean, ninety minutes away from Santiago de Compostela and Porto We employ theatrical methodologies and non-formal education tools to facilitate access to culture and training for young people and the local community. We aim to promote social inclusion, creativity, the arts, culture, active citizenship, respect for diversity, and other values of social justice. We cooperate with European entities and organisations from the rest of Spain to achieve our goals. We prioritise the quality, relevance, usefulness, and dynamism of our projects. We develop theatrical and cultural activities in A Guarda and throughout the Baixo Miño. We run weekly theatre workshops, carry out creative laboratories, stage performances… always placing the focus on the participatory process in the creation of our pieces, a methodology we bring to every project we undertake. We work from the principles of non-formal education, that is, education carried out voluntarily, outside the formal school system, based on first-hand experimentation and the development of competences. In this type of education, each person takes responsibility for their own learning: instead of exams and grades, there are processes of personal reflection (individual and collective) on the knowledge and skills acquired. We also have an extensive network of international partners, and we organise theatrical and educational encounters across Europe, sharing our work and learning from other ways of working in the cultural field elsewhere. If you wish to learn more about us, you can do so in our webpage: www.focoeuropa.com