The 'Vidas Cruzadas' project, which fosters learning, coexistence, and artistic creation through encounters between young students and seniors, has earned this recognition from the entity La Betweien in Madrid. The initiative, coordinated by professor Elia Padrón Quintero from the Department of Spanish Language and Literature, brings together students from the first year of Performing Arts Baccalaureate and Curricular Diversification with users of the Centro Sociosanitario El Pino.
Through 'living libraries,' seniors share their life stories with the students. These testimonies inspire research, writing, and scenic creation processes, culminating in theatrical works based on real accounts. The jury particularly valued the project's ability to transform artistic education into a tool for social change, promoting communicative, creative, and emotional skills, as well as values such as empathy and respect.
This initiative exemplifies collaboration between educational and socio-sanitary institutions, strengthening intergenerational bonds and preserving collective memory. To conclude the academic year, the project will present the play 'La esperanza me mantiene' ('Hope Keeps Me Going'), inspired by the poetry collection of the Canarian writer Pedro García Cabrera.
The performance will take place in the Auditorium of the Centro Sociosanitario El Pino. With this national distinction, the IES Pérez Galdós reaffirms its commitment to pedagogical innovation, social engagement, and the value of performing arts.
