Cuban artists adapt to infrastructure crisis through street and improvised performances

Artists in Cuba are utilizing unconventional spaces and improvised methods to maintain cultural expression amidst severe infrastructure and economic challenges. In Santiago de Cuba, director Yanoski Suarez Rodriguez of the Danzaria AD Livintum Company staged a street performance titled ‘Camille’. The work, which features dance and theatrical elements, was designed as a reflection on personal freedom and the struggle against restrictive structures.

In Havana, the Cuban theater scene is struggling to survive due to frequent power outages, deteriorating infrastructure, and a lack of resources. At the Centro Cultural Bertolt Brecht, performances have been adapted to makeshift settings, such as hallways, using natural light and mobile phone speakers to compensate for the lack of electricity and professional equipment.

Beyond technical difficulties, the sector faces systemic issues including low wages, censorship, and a significant exodus of talent as actors, directors, and technicians emigrate, leaving many companies depleted of essential professionals.