From 24 to 26 September 2026, the gathering will open conversations and spaces to reflect on female leadership and the representation of women in the performing arts. The Ibero-American version of Abriendo el Telón, a guide for the prevention, care and redress of gender-based violence in the sector, will also be presented.

Ópera Latinoamérica (OLA), the Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata Olivella (CNA) of the Ministerio de las Culturas, las Artes y los Saberes of Colombia, and the Teatro Mayor Julio Mario Santo Domingo announce the fourth edition of the OLA Women’s Forum, to be held from 24 to 26 September 2026 in Bogotá.

Under the theme Construyendo liderazgos inclusivos y colectivos, the gathering will bring together panellists from the CNA ecosystem, the OLA network and the local performing arts scene to address the challenges of female leadership in the contemporary cultural sector.

The data confirm that the gender gap in classical music and the performing arts remains a persistent reality. According to the Equality & Diversity in Global Repertoire report by the organisation Donne, Women in Music, which analysed the programming of 111 orchestras during the 2023–2024 season, works by female composers accounted for just 7.5% of the repertoire programmed worldwide. Within OLA member organisations, a survey of 18 of them revealed that in the 2024 season only 12% of operas programmed were written by female composers, whilst 38% of choreographies bore a woman’s signature.

“One of the defining characteristics of the Centro Nacional de las Artes’ programming has been diversity and inclusion. The OLA Women’s Forum coincides with jazz month in Colombia and with the concert by Spanish artist Buika alongside the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Colombia — one of the events of our Temporada de Jazz Expandido, which understands jazz as a language that expands and enters into dialogue with the traditional, the symphonic and the diverse,” says Xiomara Suescún, director of the Colombian institution.

On the question of leadership, the landscape within the OLA network shows progress: in 2022, more than 50% of its member organisations were led by women. However, challenges persist in the artistic and technical areas. According to a survey in which 22 OLA members took part, 60% of organisations have gender equity policies, protocols or initiatives in place — a sign that the sector is advancing, albeit unevenly.

“Closing the gender gap in the cultural sector requires more than diagnosis: it requires creating spaces where we can understand these gaps in depth and build concrete responses. The World Economic Forum estimates that, at the current rate, closing the gender gap will take more than 120 years. The OLA Women’s Forum is an invitation to act now, addressed to both women and men, because this is a challenge that calls on all of us,” says Paulina Ricciardi, executive director of OLA.

Broadening the lens: collaborative and inclusive leadership

Against this backdrop, the fourth edition of the OLA Women’s Forum will explore models of female leadership and the challenge of expanding the traditional conception of leadership, recognising the value of more collaborative, inclusive and human-centred styles in responding to the demands of the present.

The programme will also address practical issues related to the labour market and the representation of women in the performing arts, and will include the presentation of projects that give visibility to the work of women creators.

The first day of panels will take place on Friday 25 September at the Teatro Mayor, located in the Centro Cultural Biblioteca Pública Julio Mario Santo Domingo. The Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata Olivella (CNA) will then host the following day’s sessions on Saturday 26 September.

This new edition of the OLA Women’s Forum will also be the occasion to present the Ibero-American version of Abriendo el Telón, a guide for the prevention, care and redress of gender-based violence in the performing arts sector, originally published by the CNA.

Conceived as a practical tool for spaces such as theatres, cultural centres, festivals and artistic groups, Abriendo el Telón addresses situations arising in theatre, music, dance, circus and performance, promoting dignified and respectful environments for women and people of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities.

From Manaos to Bogotá: the journey of the OLA Women’s Forum

The OLA Women’s Forum was born in the framework of the 16th Annual Conference of Ópera Latinoamérica, held in Manaos, with the purpose of promoting the participation of women in the cultural sector and fostering the development of female leadership, providing tools to strengthen their presence in decision-making spaces.

Since then, the Forum has continued at OLA’s annual conferences: in 2024 in Santiago de Chile, in 2025 in Valencia and São Paulo — as part of the Abram Alas gathering — and this year in Lima, in the framework of the 19th Annual Conference.

One of the concrete initiatives to emerge from the Forum was the OLA Women’s Mentorship Programme, in which more than 50 professionals from 12 countries took part during 2025. The programme provided a space for growth in which leading directors and heads of Ibero-American theatres, festivals and lyric companies became mentors to professionals at early or intermediate stages of their careers.

Artistic programme

The Forum will feature an exceptional artistic programme. On Thursday 24 September, Ivorian-born musician Tiken Jah Fakoly will perform alongside the Coro Nacional de Colombia at the Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata Olivella. The closing event, on Saturday 26 September, will be led by Concha Buika in symphonic format, alongside the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Colombia, at the Teatro Colón de Bogotá. Tickets for both performances are available through tuboleta.com.

Access and participation

The OLA Women’s Forum 2026 is free of charge for the Colombian community. Those interested in attending may complete the registration form here.