- In order to strengthen and reaffirm their commitment to preserving culture, Bancolombia and SURA have yet again partnered with the Hay Festival: Bancolombia has been its main partner for the last 8 years, and SURA has been supporting this event in Colombia for the last 11 years and is indeed its partner for Latin America.
- From January 30 to February 2, the Casa Hay SURA-Bancolombia shall be opening its doors at the Hay Festival in Cartagena. Here, workshops, book clubs and other free activities shall be staged for its attendees.
- Both organizations are supporting the streaming of five featured events for which advance registration is required, including talks titled "20 Questions on Climate Emergency" and "20 Questions on Democracy".
- This alliance is also a way of celebrating SURA's 80th anniversary and the commemoration of Bancolombia's 150th anniversary, through cultural activities, ideas and conversations.
The 2025 Hay Festival Colombia, an event that brings together diverse authors and experts to discuss culture, literature, art, science and relevant topics on the global agenda, has already begun, with a program spanning several cities throughout the country. Thanks to the support of SURA and Bancolombia, the Hay Festival Forum Medellín will be held from January 27 to 29, and the Hay Festival Cartagena, from January 30 to February 2.
With nearly 190 guests from 28 countries, the Hay Festival is celebrating a track record of 20 years, 11 of which have counted on the backing of SURA, which since 2014 has supported this event in Colombia as well as, on a regional level, those of Querétaro, Arequipa and Panama. Bancolombia, a major partner for the last 8 years, is reaffirming its commitment to culture, taking advantage of this year´s Festival to commemorate its 150 years of history.
"Throughout 80 years of our history, at SURA we have built up a way of doing business that recognizes art and culture as drivers of transformation within our societies. That is why we are celebrating our partnership with the Hay Festival, since it encourages conversations and allows citizens to learn about and connect up with global questions and important ideas, shared by thinkers and prominent figures from different fields of knowledge," stated Ricardo Jaramillo, Grupo SURA´s Chief Executive Officer.
Both organizations are inviting attendees to participate in various talks at the Hay Festival Forum Medellín as well as at the Hay Festival Cartagena, at which distinguished guests from different fields shall be attending. The program in Medellin shall remain open to the public until full capacity is reached. In Cartagena, the five talks being promoted by SURA and Bancolombia shall be broadcast via streaming, for which prior registration is required and shall be made available for 12 days on the festival's platform. This is aimed at encouraging more people to participate in the Hay Festival and the sharing of ideas and conversations regarding diverse and relevant topics for society.
Also this year, the Casa Hay Festival SURA-Bancolombia, a place open to the public visiting the festival in Cartagena, located in the Claustro de las Ánimas, shall once again open its doors. There, visitors will be able to meet, share a coffee, chat and participate in activities such as book clubs and workshops. In addition, they shall be able to visit an exhibition of the SURA Editorial Collection, the National Library of Colombia stand and purchase new literary publications at the National Bookstore. For its part, Bancolombia shall offer an interactive experience in which, through three Macondo characters created using artificial intelligence, questions regarding the environment, technology, diversity and other of the Festival´s central topics shall be answered.
"For Bancolombia, knowledge and conversation are transformative forces that positively move our countries forward. The Hay Festival invites us to open our minds to new ideas, to hold respectful conversations, for all of us to help building our social fabric and to imagine a world where the diversity of opinions enriches our way of understanding life in general. We know that this is key to promoting opportunities for holding conversations regarding democracy, human rights, the economy, the environment and global challenges because by understanding the corresponding contexts and integrating our respective visions we shall be able to draw up solutions to many of the challenges of today's world," added Juan Carlos Mora, Bancolombia´s Chief Executive Officer.
Scheduling
The Hay Festival 2025 schedule includes different events that enable critical thinking and a diversity of opinions on issues relevant to the present and future of our society, from literature, history and art, to science and the environment. Full details and the Festival´s schedule have been made available on the following link.
Hay Festival Forum Medellín 2025
This shall be held from January 27 to 29, with free admission to all events until full capacity is reached. The following is a selection of the events that form part of SURA and Bancolombia´s invitation as part of this year's schedule. For more details, click on the following link
Botero: ballet inspired by the work of Fernando Botero
Monday, January 27, 7:30 p.m. The Medellin Metropolitan Ballet.
An original production of the Medellin Metropolitan Ballet with the support of SURA, inspired by the life and work of the Colombian artist. As a token of the city´s public interest in the diverse expressions of art and culture, this event has already been sold out at the box office.
Juan Gabriel Vásquez in conversation with Ana Cristina Restrepo
Wednesday, January 29, 8:30 p.m. Medellin´s Museum of Modern Art
The Colombian author presents his most recent book Los nombres de Feliza, where he reconstructs the life of the Colombian sculptor of Jewish origin Feliza Bursztyn.
Mariano Sigman in conversation with Claudia Aponte
Wednesday, January 29, 6:30 p.m. Explora Park, Main Auditorium
In this talk the Argentinean neuroscientist explains the impact of artificial intelligence on life in general, discusses its potential benefits and challenges and analyzes how this technology can transform our reality.
"Small is perfect": independent publishers' fair
January 28 - January 31, 12:00 noon to 7:00 p.m. Medellin´s Museum of Modern Art
At this event, held with SURA´s support, nine independent publishing houses shall host book launches, talks and make their works available to the public.
Hay Festival Cartagena 2025
From January 30 to February 2, the Hay Festival shall be celebrating its two decade-long standing in Colombia with an extensive program, details of which can be found by clicking on the following link. As part of this Festival, SURA and Bancolombia shall be offering their support to five featured events that shall be broadcast via streaming, with prior registration required. In order to register for access to the complete virtual program, please click here.
In celebrating the Festival´s 20th anniversary here in Colombia, a collaborative project was carried out with the public in which the 20 key questions for our times were defined. Both organizations are offering their support to the two talks regarding this project, namely climate emergency and democracy.
- 20 questions regarding climate emergency: Peter Frankopan, Virginia Mendoza and Gustavo Ulcué Campo, in conversation with Rosie Boycott
Saturday, February 1st, 12:00 noon. The Adolfo Mejía Theater.
At this event, panelists shall address questions regarding the environmental crisis and climate change and invite us to rethink our relationship with nature.
- 20 questions regarding democracy: Anne Applebaum, Edward Chancellor, Natalia Humeniuk, Susan Neiman, and Daniel Coronell, in conversation with John Lee Anderson
Saturday, February 1, 5:30 p.m. The Adolfo Mejía Theater.
As democracy is being questioned and affected by growing challenges, the participants of this round table are inviting us to reflect on issues of disinformation, migration and the tension between security and civil rights.
Literature: Salman Rushdie in conversation with Juan Gabriel Vásquez
Friday, January 31, 7:30 p.m. The Convention Center´s Getsemani Auditorium.
In this conversation Rushdie shall be presenting his most recent publication, Cuchillo, in which he recounts the details of the attack that almost took his life in 2012 and reflects on the freedom of expression as well as art and literature.
Science: what makes us human? Lecture given by Rodrigo Quian Quiroga
Saturday, February 1, 3:30 p.m. The Adolfo Mejía Theater.
Rodrigo Quian, scientist, physicist and mathematician explores in this lecture the workings of the brain and advances in neuroscience.
Literature: Piedad Bonnett in conversation with María Elvira Samper
Saturday, February 1st, 12:00 m. The Convention Center´s Getsemani Auditorium.
The Colombian poet, playwright and novelist, Piedad Bonnett, talks about her work, especially her most recent autobiographical book La mujer incierta. SURA and Protección are hosting this event.
