COMMUNITY
Jorge at Recycling Rhythm workshop, Darwin Festival, 2015
Jorge has worked as a community artist with disadvantaged communities in Australia, Colombia, USA and Afghanistan. He has also lead community arts projects bridging the gap between the Latin community in Australia. "Jorge Leiva and Claudia Escobar are the dynamic duo of Latin art in Melbourne, they have pushed the Latin artistic scene for over 10 years with projects that bring the community together through music, theatre, visual arts and poetry" Carmenza Jimenez, SBS, 2016
Jorge’s flagship project in this area is peopleartpeople, a contemporary creative space where people come together to show and be part of new artistic ideas in an InterArt environment set in unconventional spaces. Inspired on South American street life and born in Melbourne, it has been presented in Colombia, USA, Argentina, Ecuador, Germany, Mexico, Italy and Australia. Since 2008, it has built a global community of creatives and audiences engaging more than 700 artists across all disciplines and audiences of over 9,000. Since 2015, peopleartpeople has partnered with Melbourne Fringe Festival, Brtunswick Ballroom, City of Yarra, Casablanca Events, Reservoir Stomp, ISUTAKI and other production entities to program arts and cultural events.
OTHER COMMUNITY ARTS PROJECTS
Darwin Festival (Australia). Percussion and beat-making workshop for children in local schools, 2016, 2015
Port Fairy Folk Festival (Australia). Percussion workshop for festival audiences, 2013
Heartlands Refugee Art Price/Multicultural Arts Victoria (Australia). Coordinator, 2011
Preshil 'Margaret Lyttle Memorial School', Northland Secondary College (Australia), Academia de Artes Guerrero (Colombia) and Skateistan (Afghanistan). Creator and coordinator My International Friend Cultural Education Program between educational institutions in Australia, Afghanistan, Colombia, 2009 – 2012
Visible Sessions by Multicultural Arts Victoria and The Arts Centre Melbourne devising and running an interactive performance between Asanti Dance Theatre (West African dance and music), The Polynesian Log Drummers(Polynesian Music) and La Descarga Band (Colombian Music).
Sacred Heart School (Australia). Theatre Teacher and Artist in Residence devising and directing a performance piece with children between 12 and 13 of age from newly arrived communities in Melbourne (Sudan and Vietnam), 2010
Melbourne Writers Festival/Multicultural Arts Victoria (Australia). Arts and Crafts workshop for children. 2009
The Arts Centre Melbourne (Australia). Percussion workshops for “Sounds of Colombia” event audiences , 2009
Multicultural Arts Victoria/Queen Victoria Market (Australia). Design and running weekly percussion workshop for Market attendees, 2009
Auspicious Arts Projects Inc. (Australia). In charge of developing, planning and running a series of weekly percussion workshops for the City of Yarra during 2009.
City of Melbourne and RMIT ‘Livehouse’ project devising and running percussion workshops with Carlton estate housing residents of all ages including a final public performance, 2009
Academia de Artes Guerrero (Colombia), Fine Arts teacher (volunteer) ‘Art and Youth for Peace’ Program. Art teacher for social project supporting children victims of the armed conflict in Colombia, 2004- 2007
The City College of New York (USA). Tutor, Assistant Editor and Artistic Director for the Adult and Continuing Education Program, 2003