Programa de Atención a Grupos Vulnerables
Instituto Quintanarroense de la Cultura

The Orquestra Mitote (Mitote Orchestra) of the Programa de Atención a Grupos Vulnerables (Vulnerable Groups Attention Program) is not your ordinary orchestra. It comprises 15 young people from the local Juvenile Readaptation Center, and the music they make is performed on instruments that they have created from recycled solid trash. The performances they give, however, are music to the ears of their community, which views this program as a means of giving these young people hope and a chance for a productive future.

The Programa de Atención a Grupos Vulnerables at the Instituto Quintanarroense de la Cultura (Cultural Institute of Quintana Roo) serves youth from the area's poorest neighborhoods, foster homes, and juvenile detention centers. Recognizing that economically and socially disadvantaged young people historically have been excluded from cultural and artistic activity, the program strives to give children and youth skills that will allow them to develop self-esteem and to be productive in their communities.

The program is divided into three phases that address both immediate and long-term issues confronted by these young people. The first phase, carried out in low-income neighborhoods, offers courses and workshops in arts and handicrafts. The year-round classes include instruction in papier- mâché, work done with recycled materials, and sewing. In the second phase, music and visual arts workshops are offered year-round for orphaned or abandoned youth, giving these young people an opportunity to express themselves creatively and increasing their sense of self-worth and belonging. The youth in juvenile detention facilities also have access to these classes and have formed their own orchestra that performs throughout the community and region. In the third phase, arts scholarships are awarded that provide training in job-related skills, giving the young people the means to care for themselves financially and to become active participants in their culture and community.

The program delivers 120 workshops and awards 30 scholarships annually in artistic disciplines at the Arts School of Quintana Roo. The percussion orchestra, from the Juvenile Readaptation Center, performs African-American, African, and Middle Eastern music every month in venues throughout the state. A touring art exhibit, featuring work produced by the youth enrolled in the painting workshops, has been presented in eight municipalities.