Oscar Niemeyer International Cultural Centre - Citizens Movement: I Support Centro Niemeyer

Citizens Movement: I Support Centro Niemeyer

After the regional elections in 2011 there were political differences that affected the center. At this stage, the opinion on the street and a Facebook Group become the origin of the citizens movement "YO APOYO AL CENTRO CULTURAL INTERNACIONAL OSCAR NIEMEYER" (I support Oscar Niemeyer International Cultural Centre). This movement was open to anyone who supported what the Centro Niemeyer had represented both cultural and economically for the town and the region, leaving aside political ideologies. As any citizens movement, it had to prove their political independency.

There was not renewed allowance for the Foundation to continue with the management of the center. On 15 December 2011 the center was closed and employees were laid off. A month later it reopened, for a few months, under a different name and project. Through demonstrations, online signature campaigns, articles on the press, manifestos and cultural events (some of which appeared on national an international media ), the movement tried to support and keep the original project. Members of the citizens movement met up with different political parties, trade unions and the Business. During this period, different personalities from the culture and journalism supported the Centro Niemeyer through social networks, signing manifestos, etc.

Eventually, a few months later, after early elections in 2012, the Foundation was allowed back to the management of the centre and the project recovered its original name. The plaque was up on the center on the 21 June 2012.

During the homage to Oscar Niemeyer on the 15th of December 2012 (it would have been his 105 birthday), the citizens movement released "Sentimiento Niemeyer". The verses were written by different people through a Facebook event and put together by musicians. The song was released under a Creative Commons license (attribution, non-profit, no-variations) so that other artists who shared the feeling around the world could make their own cover of the song, keeping the melody and translating the lyrics .