The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), the body which represents the Travel & Tourism private sector globally, held its annual Global Summit in Seville in May 2019, and this resulted in good news for the world of flamenco in the capital of Andalusia. The TreadRight Foundation, a not-for-profit organization created as a joint initiative by Canada’s The Travel Corporation’s (TTC) family of brands, which include tourism companies such as Trafalgar, Uniworld, Insight Vacations, Contiki and Red Carnation Hotels, met the Cristina Heeren Foundation of Flamenco Art and they decided to collaborate in the near future.

That future has now arrived, and it has materialized in an alliance between both entities for the great benefit of young flamenco artists during the Annual Flamenco Course 2019/2020, which began on September 16^th.

Specifically, there will be four scholarships at the Cristina Heeren flamenco school aimed at helping advanced students with an outstanding record in guitar, cante or baile. Thanks to these subsidies, the international organization offers financial assistance so part of the students can complete additional training within the Annual Flamenco Course 2019/2020, which takes place in the Seville school between September and June.

The selected candidates are the bailaor Juan Tomás Domínguez (Trebujena, Cádiz, 2000), winner of the 2019 Talento Flamenco contest of baile; the Canadian bailaora Makeda Benítez (Toronto, 1999); the cantaora Marián Fernández (Granada, 1992), winner of the 2019 Concurso de Cante por Cantiñas; and the guitarist Martín Fayos (born in Frankfurt in 1991, but now living in Punta Umbría, Huelva), who won the first prize in the 2019 Talento Flamenco guitar contest. In return, the customers of Insight Vacations and Luxury Gold will have the opportunity to visit the Cristina Heeren Foundation and its Flamenco Triana Theater as an exclusive experience.

The Travel Corporation thus makes a small contribution in projects related to culture, sustainability and nature in the countries where it operates. In this particular case, the project is part of a category called “People”

«Anyone who has had the opportunity of experiencing a flamenco performance can’t help being moved by this centuries-old artistic tradition. It is obvious why UNESCO officially designated flamenco as mankind’s Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2010. It represents an incredible and unforgettable contribution for the culture and heritage of Spain and the whole world. We are thrilled about collaborating with the Cristina Heeren Foundation to help and support the brilliant young artists who work hard to keep this beautiful tradition alive and thriving», explained Brett Tollman, executive director of TTC and founder of The TreadRight Foundation.

«I think it’s a small miracle that TreadRight Foundation have understood the importance of flamenco, a unique artistic expression. Indeed, few people realize how unique flamenco is, being the result of numerous cultural influences which, through the centuries, were left in several towns in southern Spain. Now, thanks to the TreadRight scholarships, our most promising students will be prepared to access the professional world», stated Cristina Heeren herself.

Photo: flamencoheeren.com