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The Medellín Philharmonic Orchestra, Filarmedhas been recognized in the awards LEAD 2024presented by the Kennedy Center Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability. The recognition was given for the orchestra’s commitment to accessibility and inclusion in the arts for different communities, including people with intellectual disabilities, dementia and neurodivergence.
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Specifically, the jury praised a model that has been implemented for 8 years in the Soy Músico program, which, according to Filarmed executives, benefits more than 110 people. In addition, “the program strengthens the musical identities of people with disabilities, encouraging the development of musical skills and the construction of a community around their artistic interest,” reads the official press release issued by the orchestra.
“To this day, we are the only performing arts organization in our city and one of the few in the country that addresses the issue of accessibility, arts, and disability. Currently, we are not aware of any government funding dedicated to working on accessibility in the arts,” said María Catalina Prieto, executive director of Filarmed. This recognition, once again, puts Filarmed at the center of international interest, something that had already happened in recent years, when the orchestra won the Latin Grammy for best Latin music album for children in 2021 and received the Classical:NEXT Innovation Award in 2022.
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“We firmly believe in the transformative power of music… we have been working for eight years with young people with cognitive disabilities, displaced communities and ex-combatants and victims of the armed conflict, we have also begun to work with young people and children with hearing and visual disabilities. These communities have in common that through music they can redefine their relationship with the city, with each other and with themselves and others,” explained María Catalina Prieto.
