The boys and girls of the bridge | Olenka Márquez | TEDxMadridSalon

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx

Olenka explains the story of the Bridge of Colors, which over the course of three years the neighborhood of San Cristobal de los Angeles has helped to restore and paint, making it a gorgeous location which she and her colleagues enliven with experiences of community and culture. This is the first TEDx event in the world to take place under a bridge. Filmed by Daniel Goldman and edited by Xavi Fortino.

Olenka is a student of cultural development. She was born in Lima, Peru, 18 years ago, and has lived in Madrid since she was 7. Olenka is one of the students of The Class on Cultural Development #culturabajorpuente, which is part of the Autobarrios SanCristobal project, and has spent 3 years working to transform an abandoned location into an open-air cultural space for and by teenagers as well as the neighborhood of San Cristobal de los Angeles. Since June of 2014, young cultural developers have been learning to stir up the streets of San Cristobal, helping create transformative cultural experiences which awaken the vitality of this neighborhood on the periphery of Madrid,

Tonight, this bridge unites
each and every one of us.

It unites all of us
from this neighborhood

with those who have come
from elsewhere.

It unites those who,
different or similar,

live with us here.

Whose diversity, whose beauty
and whose richness --

that diversity which the colors
of this bridge - this night -

are meant to represent.

This bridge unites us with a story
that began three years ago.

When a group from the
neighborhood of San Cristobal,

working with the local organizations

and with the collaboration
of a group of experts

decided that this spot,

this spot here where we are tonight,

would be the place
to return to participating.

It would be the place
to return to working,

to return to unity, and it would also
be the place to begin imagining again.

At first we didn't believe
that it would be possible.

We didn't believe it possible to build

something that would last so long,

something that would be cared for.

But of course, how could you not
care for something you made?

In 2012, we started to make the plan

for this huge, transformative idea,
and in the beginning of 2013 it began.

Retaking this public space,
step by step,

action after action, metre after metre.

In measures we began to
obtain the necessary resources.

Kids who were no more than a foot tall

painted first the letters
and the wall that I have behind me.

Three months later,
they blocked off traffic

and put up ladders and scaffolding

so that moms, dads, kids and grandkids,

almost 200 people,
could each paint a diamond

in order to take back 1700 square
metres of surface area on this bridge.

In November of 2013, with a container
of wood that a business no longer wanted,

the people of the neighborhood
made a triangle

that they would later add with another
in order to make the furniture

all around this bridge, which
you can see with your own eyes.

They also build the stage
where I'm standing right now.

And so, without being painters,
or builders, or artisans,

even though there were
kids, like I said,

who came here from
the first day to build,

who wanted to work the drill,

we worked as a team to make this space

what you see tonight: truly beautiful.

And at this point, a question
comes up: Now what?

What should we do with this space
that has been reported on,

has been photographed,
has received awards --

That has been seen in music videos,

that has been visited
by so many from Germany,

from Paris, from Qatar,
and from Canada.

What to do with a space on which
so many people have worked?

And here, ladies and gentlemen,
is where we come in:

the boys and girls of the bridge.

We're a group of kids from
the neighborhood and elsewhere

who have proposed to make
incredible things happen here,

things that wouldn't normally happen.

We've decided to create cultural
experiences with the neighborhood

here, at this site, at the bridge.

We are the boys and girls of
the first course of cultural management,

and we work for the chance to shake up
our streets, our neighborhood.

But we also work for the chance
to wake up our vitality.

But how do you learn outside of
regulated schools and official training?

Mainly you learn by practicing,
forming a foundation of good ideas

and of course a foundation of mistakes.

Often we had to learn how
to do things we didn't know,

and sometimes we had no choice
but to learn how to do things

that wouldn't have even occurred to us.

We had to learn to weld,
because we needed to build

a mobile audio-visual device
to make movies.

We had to learn to use Photoshop
because we needed to make posters

and scissors and glue
were not good enough.

We also had to learn to write press
releases because we needed publicity.

And now we're learning public speaking,
because we need to communicate.

(Applause)

We've also learned that in a place
like this bridge anything can happen.

Almost anything.

It doesn't need to be just
film, dance or theater.

Or even all three at the same time.

We could be watching a concert,
listening to the concert

while we are eating paella,
for example.

We've organized showings of films
under this bridge that weren't only film.

We've counted over 100 Charlie Chaplins
in "Charlie Chaplin in Modern Times."

All wearing bowler derbies
made in old shops

and learning to fall and get up
like Chaplin did,

thanks to the help of
a few specialized acrobats

who helped us knock each other
around without anyone getting hurt.

A young poet from the neighborhood,

with a huge passion for poetry
and spoken word

inspired the Festival of the Word,

which gave the opportunity
to come to this exact spot

to poets and to rappers,

to amateurs and to experts.

We've also learned that theatre
can be whatever you want

and not what you expect.

We've collaborated with a group of
professionals who have taught us

that theatre isn't just going somewhere
to see how others act,

but that theater can be
a lively, communal experience.

The boys and girls of the bridge
have learned in this neighborhood

that culture isn't just found
in the city centre

or on the posters in the metro.

You don't have to be a snob
to make culture.

Culture is more of a common imagining.
It comes from the people.

People like every one of you
who is here,

people with a first and last name,
with frustrations, fears, and interests.

People, above all, with
some concerns to be aware of.

And if you ask us if we'd want to do
this course in an official location,

we would say that we now know
that a building, an official location,

is not the only place where you learn.

What we learn here in the neighborhood,
complements what we can learn

in a building.

And it is precisely that that
has made us specialists.

We, the boys and girls of the bridge,
are not an exclusive group

but a mind-set.

A mind-set that wants
incredible things to happen here.

Things that will make you
happy to talk about later.

Right now we're a small group,
but we want to be much bigger

with more neighbors who are willing
to offer crazy ideas.

With more kids from all over the city
who are also willing

to get involved with this neighborhood
or with any other.

Not to mention with collaborators
and other associations

who see in this space, in this
colorful bridge, an opportunity.

Who see this colorful bridge
as a location of freedom.

We're proud that this neighborhood
can be an example of compromise,

that this neighborhood can be
an example of creativity,

and that is is also
an example of energy.

A neighborhood working on getting rid of
its reputation of conflict.

A neighborhood where people know that we
don't need to await change sitting down.

You are also part of the bridge.

You encourage this adventure
and give it life.

Tonight this bridge unites us all.

And only 15 minutes out
of the centre of Madrid,

this bridge waits for you
with open arms.

Be welcome.

Thank you.

(Applause)