“In Colombia and London alike, I’ve seen young people come into the workshops with a dull look in their eyes… and leave with them shining. It was then I understood that art doesn’t just entertain, it also heals.”
It has been almost three months since the trip to London, and everything that experience meant still feels very much alive in me. Being part of the OLA project has been a profoundly transformative opportunity, not only professionally, but personally as well.
From the beginning, People’s Palace Projects trusted in my work, gave me a space for growth, allowed me to collaborate with other artists and, above all, to bring music to communities that often lack access to these kinds of experiences.
Thanks to PPP, I was not only able to develop meaningful projects in Colombia, but also to share them with young people in London. To be there, to represent my process and at the same time to learn from others, was something truly valuable. I didn’t just show what we were doing back home; I was also enriched by the stories, talents, and experiences of people who, although on the other side of the world, share many of our same quests and emotions.
There, I confirmed once again that art is a universal language, capable of breaking down barriers, building bridges, healing, and transforming.
After that week of workshops in London, I returned to Colombia with a fuller heart than ever. Full of inspiration, motivation, and the certainty that this path, that of art as a tool for social and emotional transformation, is completely worth it.
I am infinitely grateful to People’s Palace Projects for believing in my work and allowing me to be part of something so beautiful.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! May these kinds of experiences continue to open paths and connect worlds through art.
By Natalia Bernal Aragón, OLA project ambassador in Colombia