Hay Festival's Cristina Fuentes La Roche awarded Peru's Medal of Culture

Hay Festival international director Cristina Fuentes La Roche has been awarded a Medal of Culture in Arequipa, Peru, to celebrate the festival’s 10 years in the country. The regional government of Arequipa awarded Fuentes La Roche to "celebrate individual contributions to the development and strengthening of culture in the region". The medal "highlights the tireless work in creating spaces for cultural exchange and facilitating access to knowledge for all communities".

Fuentes La Roche said: “This medal celebrates a decade of work in a city and country that has helped transform our charity. The conversations we have enjoyed in Peru over this time have inspired us with new ideas and imbued our work with hope for a better future. Thank you to the Governor for this honour. This is the result of a collective effort from our great festival teams and our family of artists, partners and funders.”

Hay Festival started in Arequipa in 2014 and is part of an international calendar of Hay Festival events, forums and outreach work across North and South America, Europe, Africa and Asia.

Hay Festival c.e.o. Julie Finch said: “This incredible honour for our charity from the regional government of Arequipa marks a decade of Hay Festival’s work in Peru, opening cultural exchange and changing lives. Many of the young people who first engaged with our work in the city are now adults working to help these activities grow and evolve. None of this would have been possible without the relentless efforts of our international team and our wider family of colleagues, supporters and funders who make it happen each year.”

Hay Festival Arequipa 2024 is taking place 7-10 November, while outreach and engagement activities coincide in Moquegua, Lima and the city’s surrounds.