“Gritos” (“Cries”) is one of the businesses in the “Hub-EoC in Cuba” project which is run by five artists passionate about visual arts. Its aim is to offer artwork which is aesthetic and conceptual and invites people to reflect.
“We met at a school for plastic and visual arts in Havana. We formed an excellent relationship between us and a number of teachers, and because we got on so well together we enjoyed meeting after school in a city square to discuss all kinds of issues. Shortly after completing our studies we decided to give up our jobs and launched a new activity which was creating a workshop to produce our own art works”.
Today, because Cuba is currently very open to micro-businesses being created, the group of artists has been able to get organised and gain legal status. The Hub-EoC Cuba has accompanied them in this new venture and once their business is established they will be able to trade freely.
Encountering the Economy of Communion was really important for them, not only because of the support they received but also because what the EoC proposed coincided with the ideas they had had at art school: “This culture attracted us right from the start because it is a culture that doesn’t just consider the financial part but also looks at the company as a whole putting people at the centre. We really liked the idea of “working with…” instead of the usual “working for…”.
Even in the most challenging times, such as those experienced during the pandemic, they never lost heart: “We thought about how we could reinvent ourselves or seek financial support elsewhere, but we didn’t give up. We pooled the funds we had saved, so that no one was in need. When someone managed to do a job, they shared what they earned with those who were struggling to make ends meet. Then, something unexpected happened. We were offer work restoring the woodwork of the Church of the Holy Cross. We started working and gradually our financial situation started to improve. This enabled us to have an income and stay together!”.