Joel Guzmán is the COO of the San Juan based Puerto Rican Theater Collective Y no había luz. He is an actor, stuntman, and a culture and arts manager, as well as an artist and educator. With advanced degrees in management and marketing and a certification in Circus Studies, he has dedicated the last 18 years to working with non-profit initiatives in the US and Latin America that transform spaces through the practice of art and performance. With YNHL, he supports the creation of original theatrical and educational workshops for children and adults. In 2021, Guzmán and his YNHL collaborator Yari Healfeld co-founded the non-profit Arte y Maña which provides communities with innovative artistic tools to facilitate social wellness, solidarity, leadership, and change. 

In this talk, Guzmán will discuss the Collective’s mission and creative process and provide examples of their theatrical work and techniques. Furthermore, he will discuss how both YNHL and Arte y Maña find inspiration in the Puerto Rican community and respond to the island’s reality.

This talk will be in English and is free and open to the public. For more information on Y no había luz check out this LINK.