We penquistas have something enviable: wherever we go, we always have a good song born and raised in Concepción to accompany our steps. And without a doubt, these songs that marked us deeply were written by those who studied at your same school, those who lived near you, those you saw play at a gig in your neighborhood or university, and then saw later buying some drinks at the corner store. We are the cradle of Chilean rock, and our city beats to the rhythm of the rain and unforgettable chords of so many bands that inscribe their name at the top of the national scene.

And so UNESCO also recognizes it, granting our beloved city the category of City of Music, an achievement managed by our first interviewee on the podcast “15 minutes for the city,” Mauricio Castro. The Director of Culture of the Municipality talked about how music and the arts make Concepción a unique national space to unleash the creativity of minds and hearts, but that we can still achieve more.

If today REC is the most important free festival in Chile, this should be the baseline for creating and promoting penquista culture.

What do we have and what do we lack to further enhance culture in the capital of southern Chile? According to Castro, “Concepción is a healthy city for culture, from the point of view of creativity, from the point of view of infrastructure, institutions, communities that attend events, and the perspectives and discourses that are generated. This generates a creative ecosystem. There is more creativity, more creative products, more people creating and accessing, enjoying culture and the arts.”

Today, theaters are not being built around the world. But Concepción had a debt… a flame that stayed lit throughout the 20th century, and at the beginning of this century, it had a significant boost, allowing us to have this Teatro Biobío in a space that invites the city to come closer to its river.

Mauricio Castro, Director of Culture, Municipality of Concepción

What is the perception of the real impact with the arrival of the Theater, and how has this space been bringing culture closer to the citizens? This contribution is key to the creative ecosystem, points out Castro. “Culture is not just art, but all the positive connections that relate to human development. And the Teatro Biobío is an added value to the city, a new postcard, fulfilling a role in dignifying a sector like the Costanera. What is most interesting, moreover, is that it is capable of addressing challenges that were not originally thought for it, such as the production of the REC Festival.”

We talk about culture in the city with Mauricio Castro. These are his 15 minutes for the city.

History Professor at the University of Concepción, Diploma in Cultural Management from the University of Chile, and Master’s in Management of Cultural Institutions and Companies from the University of Barcelona. He was the director of the cultural services company Gestión Urbana, Producer of the Cultural Corporation Artistas del Acero, Vice-President of the Creative Industries Association of Concepción, Director of the Communal Artistic Cultural Center, and Cultural Advisor to the municipality of Concepción.

He currently serves as the Director of Culture at the Municipality of Concepción and the secretary of the Biobío Regional Theater Corporation.