Melissa Giorgio Alcalde, coordinator of the audience area of ​​the Gran Teatro Nacional, Lima-Peru, is a social communicator, cultural manager and actress.

Melissa herself has been linked to the cultural sector since 2003, the year in which she worked as a theatre producer and consultant on artistic and educational project management issues. Nine years later he created and implemented the Audience Training Programme of Gran Teatro Nacional of the Ministry of Culture of Peru, recognized by the NGO Ciudadanos al Día as Good Practice in Public Management 2015 and 2016, a year later, this same program was recognized as ally for education by the corresponding Ministry.

This multifaceted woman has also been a fellow in cultural management and cultural industries programs in the United States and the People’s Republic of China. She is also a university professor and lecturer, with more than fifteen years of experience in the public and private sectors.

“Women have always been there, but she could be more of a protagonist, that history is filled with new heroes, heroines, combatants, leaders and creators. We open space by believing in ourselves, listening to ourselves and having the courage to consider feasible projects. Having an active role and recording what is achieved will be fundamental, but systems and conditions are needed so that their participation is constant ”, she comments.

What are the difficulties and challenges of your position?

On the one hand, reconcile creativity and eagerness to develop sustainable projects with the budgetary reality of the cultural space. And on the other, form a solid work team that matches and resonates with the values ​​and mission of the organization, that is, an enthusiastic group eager to learn and build together in favor of people and the public.

As a woman, what has been the most challenging?

That the macho comments do not affect my creative confidence. I hope that the voice and the stories of women regain a place on the scene today. I want to see more magic, resilience, strength and sensitivity. I want to see that we make our way and share, not that we compete.

What is the contribution of women in the field of performing arts?

Our contribution is as valuable as that of men, but we seek to make it more visible.

We seek equity in all its trades: employment quotas, salaries, opportunities, presence. Each person leaves a mark on the collective work of the stage. I do not consider that, because she is a woman, she is better than another at work, but I do not always agree with colleagues on this.

So I value the artists and managers who lead the way. To the designers, directors, playwrights, programmers, lighting technicians. To the ministers, stage managers, electricians. To the young women who specialize in areas assigned preferentially to men, to all of them who make their way, who seek their space, who defend their opportunities.