Chile Abroad

Culture

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Territory and cultural diversity

Chile is located on the southwest coast of South America and is recognized by the contrasts and variations of its geography. Traveling from north to south, we would observe a great variety of landscapes, different types of vegetation and wildlife as a result from its geographical diversity, which includes an extensive coastline washed by the Pacific Ocean, the Atacama Desert, the Altiplano, steppe, Mediterranean and polar areas.

These different realities have conditioned the origin and development of the main cultural expressions that have emerged within the country. In this way, and in light of the special features of the physical and human landscape, it is possible to build a geo-cultural map representing the whole range of expressions of national folklore from north to south.

Thus, in the Far North, it is possible to identify through Andean music the presence of the Altiplano world. Likewise, the dramatization of religious dances such as diabladas and trotes, enliven the main expressions of popular religiousness making this region one of the most representative places of the religious syncretism of colonial origin.

Moreover and around Atacama Desert and the Pampa del Tamarugal (Plateau of the Tamarugal), a mining culture has developed that has been rescued in diverse literary works which testify to this fact, as the novels Hijo del Salitre by Volodia Teitelboim and Norte Grande by Andres Sabella. It should be noted that throughout the national landscape, the physical and human geography has been a source of inspiration for what has come to be known as a Poetic Geography.

In the Near North, noteworthy are the manifestations of Diaguita pottery, the religious celebrations in the town of Andacollo and Virgen de la Candelaria. At the same time, its fertile valleys have originated a buoyant culture base in farming, linked to the pisco grape, where the first expressions of 'canto a lo poeta' (poetic singing) were registered.

On the other hand, the celebration of the Pampilla festivity and the proliferation of the so- called dulces chilenos (Chilean sweet pastry), draw us near to what we most typically associate with elements of the native culture. Nevertheless, it is in the central valley, where main manifestations of Chilean identity or 'chilenidad' spring up.

Several stories and legends rescue the rural roots of our popular culture. In musical terms, noteworthy is the preeminence of the cueca (national dance), guitarreo (guitar-strumming) and payas (a style of improvisational singing). Empanadas (stuffed pastry), chicha (a kind of cider made from apples or grapes) and wine constitute Chile's main gastronomic attractions. Regarding entertainment, rodeo, kite flying, rayuela (a type of chuck or pitch farthing game) and spinning tops are expressions of competitiveness and a playful attitude which characterizes the festive spirit of the Chilean countryside.

Further south, at the borders of La Frontera ( The Frontier), various manifestations in the religious field as the guillatun (a community celebration in which human beings come in contact with natural and supernatural forces, thus reestablishing harmony in nature an obtaining well-being) and the machitun (a healing ritual performed by shamans) show the influence of the Mapuche nation, which also expresses itself in the musical production of the region through the use of the cultrun (drum), the trutuca (a long bamboo trumpet) and the trompe (a kind of mouth harp).

On the island of Chiloé, the insular nature of its geography has favored the permanence of a local culture that has been able to protect the main characteristics of its religiousness, myths and legends. The curanto (a mixture of shellfish, meat, sausages, potatoes and vegetables cooked in a stone-bottomed hole dug into in the ground), valses (waltzes) and the great variety of its textiles are traits that have managed to remain valid over time despite the growing territorial and economic integration of Chiloé to Chile's mainland. Similar is the case of Patagonia and Easter Island, where the geographic remoteness has contributed to the permanency of the local identity that enrich our cultural diversity.

Copyright 2004© MEMORIA CHILENA ®. All Rights Reserved

Source: http://www.memoriachilena.cl

Opportunities for cultural initiatives

For further information on Cultural matters, please visit: www.minrel.gob.cl

The Directorate of Cultural Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the organization responsible for disseminating, promoting and fostering the artistic-cultural presence of Chile abroad.

In addition, this Directorate has among its tasks to support the actions developed by the embassies, consulates and missions of Chile overseas, regarding the carrying out of cultural activities.

The Directorate of Cultural Affairs works in its corresponding areas coordinately with the rest of the state-organizations, such as the National Council for the Arts and Culture, the Directorate of Libraries, Archives and Museums, and the National Monuments Council, among others.

a) DIRAC Projects

DIRAC produces and carries out cultural projects abroad covering the diverse areas of culture. In order to address every area within the Arts, the Directorate is divided into different branches which deal with the specific issues of each area.

  • Visual Arts, Architecture and Integrated Arts
  • Literature
  • Theater
  • Music
  • Heritage and Bicentennial Projects

b) DIRAC Competitive Fund

Annual announcement allowing the sponsoring of artistic-cultural activities abroad. The competition is divided in two:

  • Fund for projects submitted by artists and foundations or cultural organizations.
  • Fund for projects submitted by different Chilean diplomatic representations.

c) Supporting Program for Audiovisual Dissemination Abroad.

The main objective of this program is to allow the international dissemination of Chilean filmmaking and audiovisual arts.

It goals are to participate in contests and specialized filmmaking events of global recognition. The initiative includes the areas of feature films, short films, documentaries, special shows (film seasons) and supporting national film festivals.

d) Cultural Embassies

'Cultural Embassies' constitute a Governmental Program financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs -through the Directorate of Cultural Affairs- conceived and coordinated in conjunction with the National Council for the Arts and Culture and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Negotiating Cultural Agreements

The foreign Ministry, through the Directorate of Cultural Affairs, negotiates cultural agreements with countries maintaining diplomatic relations with Chile, in line with its foreign policy priorities.

Thus, the Cultural Agreements constitute the main legal framework regulating these matters abroad. These agreements constitute a projection over time of the work carried out by the Foreign Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding cultural dissemination.

'Cultural' links in Chile: