Beca Gestoras Culturales awards ten new female cultural managers in its sixth edition and reaches more regions of the country

It should be noted that of the total applications received for this edition of the scholarship, 32% came from Lima, 65% from different regions of the country, and 3% were foreign applicants residing in Peru. 

“We are excited to welcome the new scholars from different regions of the country. We firmly believe that they will improve their skills to execute meaningful and sustainable proposals that contribute to the development of the sector and their communities. Through our curriculum, we will accompany them in this process so they can professionalize their passion and experience. We thank UNESCO for extending the reach of MALI’s Cultural Management Specialization Program to more managers across the country,” said Luis Enrique Ramírez Koctong, Education Manager at MALI, an institution that has supported the initiative since its first edition. 

Carina Moreno Baca, Coordinator of the Cultural Management Diploma from UARM’s Graduate School, which has been part of the scholarship since 2022, highlighted its role in the sector: “We consider the Cultural Managers Scholarship a contribution to closing the gender gap in the cultural sector and offering a professionalization opportunity to managers in different parts of the country thanks to digital tools. It is a privilege to be part of this important initiative by UNESCO Peru,” she emphasized. 

Finally, Erika Lastra Neyra, Director of the Specialized Program in Cultural Project Management at UPC’s Graduate School, which joined the scholarship from this edition, expressed UPC’s commitment to the sustainability of the scholarship. “I believe our participation in the Cultural Managers Scholarships promoted by UNESCO Peru is crucial. It strengthens the strategic alliance between both entities, enriches the training of our students, and positions the university as a leader in promoting culture and sustainable development,” she stated. 

The implementation of this sixth edition of the scholarship has been made possible thanks to the commitment of the allied institutions mentioned above and the funding from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), through the project “ReIShaping Policies for Creativity and Artistic Freedom: Gender and Creativity”. Additionally, mixed committees formed by representatives of UNESCO Peru; the Directorate General of Cultural Industries and Arts of the Ministry of Culture; and the artists and cultural managers who won the first two editions of the scholarship: Judith Cruz Laserna from Amazonas; Liz Tania Díaz Vela from Ucayali; and Violeta Quispe Yupari from Lima, were involved in the evaluation and final selection stages. 

It should be noted that in the previous five editions, 339 eligible applications were received, benefiting 18 cultural managers residing in 8 regions of the country. With the sixth edition, the scholarship has received more than 490 eligible applications since its inception in 2020, reaching, for the first time, two more regions: Lambayeque and Apurímac. To date, six editions of the Cultural Managers Scholarship have been held, benefiting a total of 28 women from 10 regions of the country. 

Within the framework of the principles established by the UNESCO 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, the Cultural Managers Scholarship was created to contribute to reducing gender gaps in the cultural sector by professionalizing more women working in arts and cultures. To achieve this objective, the scholarship has an intersectional approach, allowing women in vulnerable situations due to gender, origin, socioeconomic and educational level, family burden, and belonging to protected groups to access specialized training in cultural management.