Festival del Nazareno Photography Retreat
Portobelo, Panama
October 17th - October 23rd 2011
Description:
PLEASE NOTE: This is a Cultural Trip/Artist Retreat NOT a religious or missionary trip. This Festival is more secular than sacred, a sensory overload sure to excite and ignite creative output, and is open to participants of all spiritual backgrounds.
El Festival del Nazareno, also known as the Black Christ Festival, is ideal for photographers interested in religion, Latin America and the African Diaspora. Photographers will be attracted to the age-old rituals and traditions of the colonial town; it’s ancient Spanish forts, breath-taking bay views and colorful mix of Latin, African and Indian cultures.
Participants won’t fail to be stimulated by the abundance of stunning visual imagery, overwhelming emotion and electrifying energy of the festival. More secular than sacred, the Festival boasts streets full of food vendors, shops, make-shift discoteques and pilgrims crawling, dancing, drinking, praying and partying for El Nazareno.
Artists will have the opportunity to commune with one another, work on small projects and participate in the annual religious festival that draws tens of thousands of pilgrims each year.
As a special treat, participants will get to meet, view and discuss the work of Photographer Sandra Eleta and Filmmaker Miguel Sanchez.
Participants will:
Take part in Festival activites and parties
Visit Puerta Frances beach
Join pilgrims on the walk from Maria Chiquita to Portobelo (optional)
Get a guided tour of historic Portobelo
Take a walking tour of Colon
Visit the Colon Duty Free Zone
Meet with local Panamanian Photographers and Artists
Visit the Resort Town of Isla Grande (optional)
About the Festival:
Oral history in Portobelo tells of a crate containing a black sculptural figure of Jesus Christ magically appearing in the bay during a cholera epidemic and being brought ashore by two fishermen. Shortly after the people began venerating the figure, the epidemic miraculously ended. As a result, for the last three centuries on the 21st of October, the Feast Day of the Cristo Negro de Portobelo—Black Christ of Portobelo, is celebrated.
As many as 60,000 devotees make the yearly pilgrimage to visit the statue. Many walk from places as far away as Panama City, a journey of three days. The Black Christ Festival is more secular than sacred. The crowds of thousands eat, drink, dance, yell, laugh, and blast music until the wee hours of the morning during the days leading up to the festival. The pilgrims descend on the small village carrying their homemade altars high above their heads, dragging their heavy, life-sized crosses behind them or crawling into town, their partners pouring hot wax on their bare backs.
Eligibility:
Professional and Emerging Photographers are eligible to apply. Knowledge of Spanish is helpful but not mandatory.
Fee:
$675 per person
Fee Includes:
Airport Pickup + Drop Off
Multi-Occupancy Accommodations
Daily Meals at Taller Portobelo
Tour of Historic Portobelo
Walking Tour of Colon
Black Christ Festival Activities
Artist Talks w/ Panamanian Artists
Beach Trip to Puerta Frances
Not Included:
Roundtrip Airfare
Meals outside of Taller Portobelo
Souvenirs
Optional Trips (Isla Grande)
Deadline:
Non-Refundable $250 Deposit Due: Friday August 26th
$425 Balance Payment Due: Friday, September 23rd
How to register:
#1: Complete the Online Registration and Payment form here.
#2 Download the accompanying information packet.
