Experience culture like never before with Open Scene where all voices are celebrated

This is the fifth in a series of newsroom stories highlighting local arts and culture organizations awarded Cultural Tourism Grants.

Whether through a theatrical production, festival, workshop, or visual arts expo, Open Scene strives to curate spaces where diverse voices can be seen, heard and celebrated.

“We try to create more spaces for dialog and different perspectives for the multicultural community,” said Thamara Bejarano, visionary behind the Winter Park nonprofit founded in 2019 to amplify global arts and culture.

A mix of personal and practical reasons led the former South American journalist and professor to Orlando; but it was the city’s vibrant spirit that prompted her to stay.

“I feel deeply inspired by the people, communities, and possibilities it nurtures,” she said. “I’m humbly honored to be part of its unfolding story.”

Her bold career shift paved the way to create something fresh – an inclusive platform to strengthen the Spanish-language theater scene and promote cultural awareness through multivocal experiences.

“One of our mottos is ‘welcome to the unexpected.’ We invite people to experience culture like never before. It’s all made with a lot of presence, awareness and love,” she said. “I think it is in our DNA. It’s how we see the world. It’s very powerful to get the opportunity to share those perspectives with others.”

Open Scene is one of 40 local organizations awarded Cultural Tourism Grants from Orange County. Funding will help support their flagship Latin American Festival of Performing Arts (FLAE), an annual celebration of Spanish-language theater, music, dance and visual arts created by Latin and Ibero-American artists from around the world. The fifth edition of FLAE is set for September 22–28, 2025, at the Art & History Museums of Maitland.

“We are excited, excited, excited,” Bejarano said. “It’s our largest program and requires the biggest effort to coordinate all of our groups.”

Here is a sampling of the lineup:

• FlamencoDanza, an international flamenco duo from Spain
• Claire & Antho’s On a Thread, a blend of physical storytelling, dance and hand shadow from France
• Three Times Cruz, a play by Pulitzer-prize winning playwright Nilo Cruz, and produced by Arca Images
• Afro-Caribbean Drums from New York City

Establishing national collaborations is key for Open Scene. With the Chicago Latino Theater Alliance, they co-founded the National Alliance of Latino Theater Festivals, an initiative that brings together dozens of national organizations that produce Latin theater festivals. The goal is to build connection, raise visibility and encourage collaboration among like festivals.

Open Scene recognizes the power of local partnerships as well. They collaborate with the Winter Park Library for HeART & Soul: A Celebration of Black Culture. The annual festival offers live music, visual arts, mini-documentaries, poetry readings and spoken word performances of Harlem Renaissance literature.

Patrons to Winter Park’s spring arts fest got a sampling of Open Scene’s work through its thought-provoking Blue Element installation. This multi-sensory public art display blends visual poetry, interactive activities and architecture, transforming Winter Park into a vibrant cultural experience.

Ultimately, Bejarano hopes for something bigger than applause – a true cultural shift in the community.

“Open Scene is a welcoming space for people of all backgrounds – a place to connect beyond differences and to learn, heal, and enjoy through meaningful global cultural experiences and professional artistic expression,” she said.

For more information on Open Scene, visit www.OpenScene.org