On 12 October, Peruvian artist Nereida Apaza Mamani London-based dance group Baila Peru UK, and collaborating artists participated in a whole-day event celebrating Indigenous heritage and resistance.

The 12th of October marks the beginning of European colonisation of the Americas with the arrival of Christopher Columbus to the continent in 1492. At present, this day is officially celebrated with over 15 different names on both sides of the Atlantic, from ‘Hispanic Day’ as it is commemorated in Spain, to ‘Decolonisation Day’ or ‘Day for Indigenous Peoples and Intercultural Dialogue’, as it has been reclaimed in Peru and Bolivia. More and more, the 12th of October has been appropriated by social movements and Indigenous organisations across Latin America not only to celebrate Indigenous peoples, but also to raise awareness of their resistance for the last 500 years and voice their continuing struggles to this day.

On this important date, Peruvian artist Nereida Apaza Mamani, London-based dance group Baila Peru UK, and collaborating artists participated in a whole-day programme of performances and activities, in an event organised by the Learning and National Partnerships programme in collaboration with the Santo Domingo Centre of Excellence for Latin American Research (SDCELAR) at the British Museum.

EMBROIDERED MEMORY: RESISTING THROUGH PERUVIAN DANCE CLOAKS 

Apaza Mamani’s work centres around embroidered dance cloaks from Peru, also known as esclavinas, which form part of the Latin American textile collection at the British Museum. These embroidered cloaks are steeped in history, traditionally handcrafted and worn in negrerías religious dances, which are deeply rooted in the legacy of colonialism and slavery in the Andes. Three of these dance cloaks are currently on display at the Peru and Andean World Case, at the Wellcome Trust Gallery (room 24). 

A new series of six dance cloaks created by the artist since her SDCELAR residency in 2019 travelled all the way to London to be featured on a one-day display at the British Museum. On this occasion, Apaza Mamani gave a talk and demonstration of her work alongside the teachings of master Fabián Ezequiel, one of the last surviving artisans in the Andean city of Huancayo, showcasing the transformation, persistence and renewed meanings of this artistic expression in the central highlands of Peru. By looking at the esclavinas not only as surviving heritage, but also as artifacts of political resistance, Apaza Mamani connected the ancestral tradition of Peruvian embroidery with contemporary art practice to amplify the voices of present-day struggles in Peru. 

COLLABORATIVE PERFORMANCE: STRUGGLE IN THE STREETS

In an artistic collaboration between Nereida Apaza Mamani, Jéssica Luong from the London-based dance group Baila Peru UK, and collaborating artists, the embroidered dance cloaks were brought to life. The performance created a dialogue between traditional negrerías music, Afro-Peruvian rhythms, and Nereida’s esclavinas. While the esclavinas have been traditionally associated with men in the negrerías dances, on this occasion they were worn by Nereida and five women dancers from Baila Peru UK, enacting women’s struggles and bringing them to the Museum’sGreat Court.