Colombia Colores

Our first UK-based project, Colombia Colores workshops aim to teach children from the diaspora in London about the richness of Colombian culture through music, dance and art.

The project arose after the Colombian community in London expressed a need to offer regular workshops for their children. We aim to bring together Colombian-born, second and third-generation Colombian children to educate them on meaningful parts of Colombian culture and encourage them to feel connected to the larger community.

Read more about the background behind the project in our blog.

Colombia Colores workshop cycles

The Colombia Colores workshops take place on Saturdays throughout the academic year. They are split into three cycles: autumn, spring and summer, in line with school term times. Each cycle focuses on a specific topic.

November 4 2023 - February 10 2024

Autumn Cycle: Art and Music

The first cycle of our Colombia Colores workshops focused on Colombian music, dance, literature and art.

February 24 - April 3 2024

Spring Cycle: Nature

In the second cycle of our workshops, the children learned about the ecosystem, Colombia flora and fauna, and environmental awareness

April 30 - July 20 2024

Summer Cycle: Language and Culture

In the summer cycle workshops, we taught the children about Indigenous cultures, celebrations, food and myths

The workshops are held at the Bernie Grant Arts Centre and are divided into two age groups: 5-7 year olds and 8-12 year olds. Colombia Colores is sponsored by the City Bridge Trust and the Colombian Consulate in London.

The Colombia Colores team

María Mónica Gutierréz

Main Facilitator and Coordinator

María Mónica is a London-based singer-songwriter, who has a thirteen year career with her bands Suricato and Ságan, as well as her solo project, Montañera. She has performed her music in more than 300 concerts across 8 countries, has released 9 albums, and is a Marca Colombia Artist. María Mónica is also a social worker holding a Masters in Music and Development from SOAS, which she attended as a Chevening student, a scholarship granted by the UK Commonwealth Office. She currently leads several projects focusing on music and wellbeing, with particular interest in the power of music to help others.

Laura Rondon

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Officer

Laura is committed to bridging the gap between governments and citizens. In her professional life, she promotes open government, empowering citizen participation, and utilising technology to strengthen governance. She has successfully implemented MEAL frameworks in policy projects to improve access to public information, tackle corruption, and to create opportunities for young people. Laura holds a Masters of Public Administration (MPA) in Innovation, Public Policy, and Public Value. Originally from Bogotá, she is thrilled to work on projects that can bring joy and purpose to Colombian children.

Yvonne Velásquez

Outreach Coordinator

Yvonne is a Spanish Language and Communications Consultant and a qualified translator and interpreter with over 20 years experience across the commercial, diplomatic, NGO and public service sectors. She also works as an events coordinator to promote Colombian and Latin American culture to British audiences. As the Outreach Coordinator for Colombia Colores, she brings her extensive experience to the project. Yvonne has been a dedicated volunteer and supporter of Children Change Colombia for over two decades. During this time she has advocated passionately for children’s rights and raising awareness and funds to tackle key issues.

Maria del Pilar Paz Gonzalez

Teaching Assistant

María del Pilar is a professional in environmental management with a passion in research and sectoral policies, especially concerning water, climate change, and the Sustainable Development Goals framework. After receiving the scholarship for black communities in Colombia, she was able to participate in environmental education projects. She later received a scholarship to study in Spain, where she obtained her Masters in Government and Public Administration from the Complutense University of Madrid. A proud Afro-Colombian, she is delighted to teach children of the diaspora about the traditions of their culture.

Colombia Colores