Children Take Center Stage at the Closing of the Infancia y Comunicación 2025 Event

From February 11 to 13, Infancia y Comunicación 2025 brought together people of all ages in Old Havana, with children and adolescents rightfully taking the spotlight.

The young participants represented various elementary and middle schools from that district of the Cuban capital.

The a+ Adolescent Spaces Center served as the main venue for the workshops, fairs, and discussions, while other activities took place at Corazón Feliz, Habana Espacios Creativos, and Jardín de Cuba, an initiative of the local development project InSurGENTES.

During the closing event, children and teenagers presented the creative works they had developed in workshops on graffiti, podcasting, rap, and audiovisual production.

**Adriana Acanda, a standout participant in the audiovisual production workshop, at the Infancia y Comunicación 2025 event.**

«I participated in the audiovisual workshop, and it was incredibly interesting. We were really motivated by the idea of acting, directing, and everything that happens behind the camera. These are new experiences for all of us teenagers, and I believe this initiative should be expanded nationwide,» said Adriana Acanda, a student at José Martí Middle School, in an interview with Radio Enciclopedia.

The projects presented addressed issues such as different forms of violence, reinforcing the event’s commitment to sharing experiences and generating ideas to properly tackle these topics—especially in the media.

Yoylán Cabrales Gómez, director of the a+ Adolescent Spaces Center and facilitator of the audiovisual production workshop, explained: “We aimed to develop strategies and concepts aligned with the core themes of this event, with strong support from UNICEF.”

**Audiovisual production specialists engaged with children and teenagers at the a+ Center’s television studio.**

Cabrales Gómez also told Radio Enciclopedia: “For us, hosting this event is a privilege. Our center is deeply engaged with the issues and topics being discussed here. We have been working for seven years to create interactive spaces for adolescents—places that support their learning, activities, and, most importantly, their enjoyment.”

Sponsored by Cubavisión and UNICEF’s Cuba office, the event was dedicated to the 35th anniversary of three key milestones: the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Cuba’s signing of this global legal framework, and the founding of the Cubavisión children’s television channel.

**Regla Bonora Soto, General Coordinator of the event.**

Regla Bonora Soto, the event’s general coordinator, told Radio Enciclopedia: “We successfully brought together professionals from various fields, all in sync with our topics and priorities. The turnout was remarkable, with over a hundred participants engaged throughout the day. Many expressed that they learned valuable lessons and gained new perspectives on structuring audiovisual content, which is a significant achievement for us.”

As the lead specialist for Cubavisión’s creative team for children’s and youth programs, Bonora Soto emphasized the value of incorporating Popular Education methodologies: “This approach has strengthened connections among participants, fostering teamwork and the exchange of ideas. It has also enabled people from different provinces to find common ground for future collaborations. That, to me, is the greatest takeaway. These spaces are not about making science; they are about sharing, growing together, and recognizing that someone else’s strengths can help complete our own ideas or projects.”

«At first, the youngest participants were nervous about what to expect, but I reassured them that the workshops were all about having fun. That’s the key—giving them the space to think differently, to see life from a new perspective, just by sharing these days with their peers, creating something together, and enjoying the process. That’s how we help change their mindset for the better, and that is our greatest reward in the real world,» Bonora concluded.