(speaking in foreign language) (bright upbeat music) The Cre Arte Latino cultural center is a great and unique place located between Sarasota and Manatee county.

Our focus is to promote the arts for the Latin Hispanic community, but also to be a cultural exchange channel between both the community at large and the Latinx community.

(bright upbeat music) You know for us, the Latin Hispanic people were really far away from where we were born, from our home countries.

But to be able to enjoy performances in our language, representing our culture, but also sharing that with the local community is just, it's amazing.

So, since we started, our focus was theater.

We just wanted to do theater in Spanish, in Sarasota because there was nothing like that in the area.

So it was just a group of, let's say passionate people that used to perform in South America, Central America.

(upbeat music) We pretty much did one play a year for about five years.

But then in 2017 we wanted to expand those programs because we saw the need.

Our own audience they were asking us to offer painting classes, like music making lessons.

They wanted us to teach acting to children as well.

(indistinct chatter) And then literacy.

We gave it a try for one of our book clubs and it's been a hit, and it's been one of our most successful programs.

(gentle music) I believe in the project because I think it's really important to give a space to the community where we, through art, we can bring together all these cultures.

Sarasota breathes art.

Sarasota is full of art, full of theaters, museums, organizations that bring art.

But there was nothing like us and I think it's important to give back to the community.

The community has to have a space where they can come in the weekends and laugh, and watch a play, and their children can learn a new activity be it art, painting, dancing.

It's important.

(speaking in foreign language) (speaking in foreign language) (Carolina speaking in foreign language) (Sebastian speaking in foreign language) - [Carolina] We have gotten a great response from the audience and our team has grown, but we know there's so many more people there that still don't know about us.

And it is actually hard to get to them because you know, they don't really check their emails.

They don't really follow social media that much.

They might have two, three jobs, or maybe arts, it's obviously not a priority for them.

- [Sebastian] I think it's important because as we grow as a nation, as a country, we have to understand that there's over 50 million Hispanic, Latinx people living here.

And each country brings a unique culture, and if each culture is so rich in many aspects and we can learn and enjoy everything.

The volunteers that have helped us since the beginning, they give 110%.

This couldn't be done without the volunteers.

This is what it is because everybody that came here after work, the weekend, to help build this place is amazing.

- Moving from a 1,500 square feet to a 4,300 square feet and being able to make this space, that the space of the art that we wanted it to be by the help from our community, by the help of our team members, it's umh... the satisfaction it's, it's undes, it's hard to describe.

But again, it's because of the community and I always say, Cre Arte Latino is a community project.

(upbeat music) - It doesn't matter what language you speak.

It doesn't matter what you believe on.

It doesn't matter where you come from.

If you like art, if you love art, you will communicate in an elite language.

(Carolina speaking in foreign language) - So it's definitely important, not only for the Latin Hispanic community, but for everyone.

(upbeat music)