WHY THE MANANA PROJECT EXISTS
The Manana Project was born from three journeys, two extraordinary cultures and one shared belief: arts and culture have the power to transform how we live, connect and feel.
Our roots are deeply connected to Cuba and Brazil — two countries that have shown us first-hand the extraordinary value of music, dance, creativity and community.
Both cultures have faced significant social and economic challenges, yet have created some of the world's most vibrant artistic traditions. Through music and dance, people come together. They celebrate, share, support one another and find moments of joy, identity and belonging, even when life is difficult.
For us, Cuba and Brazil are living proof that richness isn't only about what you have — it's also about how you live, what you share and the connections you create with others. We know this because we have lived it.
Our Executive Directors Antonio de Freitas, Nilda Guerra and Esther Alvero have each experienced very different journeys through the arts — overcoming barriers, creating opportunities with limited resources and ultimately taking their work from grassroots communities to professional international stages.
Antonio's own story shows how Samba and Carnival provided purpose, discipline, community and eventually a professional pathway that took him around the world. Those experiences taught us something incredibly valuable:
Talent needs opportunity. Culture needs protecting. Artists need supporting. And people need connection.
The Manana Project exists to bring those things together.
We want to share the joy, resilience, creativity and sense of human connection that we have experienced through Cuban and Brazilian culture — while creating opportunities for artists, protecting living traditions and giving more people the chance to experience the transformative power of the arts.
Because ultimately, beyond productions, stages and performances, people remember how an experience made them feel and the people they shared it with.
Our specialist expertise begins with Cuba and Brazil, but our vision reaches much further.
Through world arts, we want to connect cultures, generations and communities — creating experiences that remind us of something beautifully simple:
Art connects us. Culture brings us together. And sometimes, happiness really is found in the rhythm we share.
“Inspired by the joy and resilience of Cuba and Brazil, we use the arts to bring people together — creating connection, well-being and a stronger sense of community.”
