Who makes up Colombiage?

Colombiage is run by a team of dedicated volunteers with diverse backgrounds, experiences and a shared passion and commitment to highlighting new developments in Colombian culture to the rest of the world.

Landa Acevedo-Scott, Founder & Artistic Director

After spending three highly successful years working as Business Development Manager at one of the world’s leading arts centres, the Barbican Centre, Landa decided to concentrate her efforts in developing Colombiage as well as setting up her own arts consultancy, Tibor Jones Consulting, which specialises in developing and delivering curatorial and fundraising strategies for organisations in the creative industry. Her clients include Como No, the UK’s leading promoter of Latin events, and the University of East Anglia’s Faculty of Arts & Humanities. Landa graduated in European Business Management & French at Lancaster University (1998), spending her second and fourth year at leading business schools, ICADE Madrid and Ecole de Management de Lyon respectively. She is also a qualified marketer from the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM). She brings to Colombiage her management skills, her experience leading international arts projects and her undeniable passion for film, music, literature and her native Colombia.

Sandra Tabares, Film Programmer

Sandra studied in Birkbeck College, University of London where she graduated in Spanish and Latin American studies with a First Class Honours degree in 2007. She has been researching Latin American cultural studies since 2003 and has been directly involved with the Latin American film activity in London since 2004 when she joined the DLA Film Festival as Documentary Programme Director. She joined Colombiage in 2006 as Film Programmer. Between 2006 and 2007 Sandra carried out an academic research project, which culminated in a documentary focusing on the cultural representation and perception of Latin American films by Latin American and non-Latin American audiences. Sandra is currently pursuing further studies in world cinema and film-making with specific interest in new platforms while at the same time periodically holding film events at Birkbeck College.

Diego Medina, Music Programmer

Diego has been at the forefront of the development of Latin American music since his arrival in the UK in 1986. He was a founder member of the London School of Samba, and a member of the Management Committee for ‘Latin American House’. From 1989 to 1996 he worked as Programmer and co-producer for La Gran Fiesta Festival at the South Bank Centre; then in 1996 he programmed and co-produced the Colores de Colombia festival at the Barbican Centre. More recently, through his own company, Diego has produced a Latin stage at the Thames Festival, co-promoted the concert of Aterciopelados (one of Colombia’s most established music groups) at the Royal Festival Hall and last year co-produced the River Tango Festival outside the Tate Modern Gallery.

Kevin Conroy Scott, Literary Programmer

After spending four years working as a literary agent for leading agencies of the likes of AP Watt, the longest established literary agency in the world, Kevin decided to set up his own creative agency, Tibor Jones & Associates, where he represents novelists and non-fiction authors including Hisham Matar, who was shortlisted for the 2006 Man Booker Prize for his debut novel In the Country of Men. He is also the editor of Screenwriter’s Masterclass, a collection of interviews published by Faber & Faber in 2005. Born in Chicago, Kevin began his career in the mailroom at New Line Cinema in Los Angeles before becoming the script editor at their London office. He earned his MA in Film History at Birkbeck College, University of London and has directed two short films. 

Laura Suarez Luna, Assistant Coordinator

Laura began her career as a professional dancer in Colombia’s prestigious Nacional Folklore Ballet in 2000, wining various national competitions. She then toured Europe in 2002 and 2004 taking part in festivals like “Festival du Confolens”, “International Reims Festival”, “Romans Dance Festival” and “Gorizia Dance Festival”, to name a few. Her passion for art, cinema and photography brought her to London where has lived since 2006. She is now finishing a degree in Business Studies at the London School of Commerce and is putting her knowledge to the test in a cultural context by working on various different aspects of Colombiage including sponsorship, marketing and operations management. 

Thomas Jacquart, Designer & Web Consultant 

Thomas started his career in advertising and quickly enrolled in the digital (r)evolution back in 1999, designing websites for global brands such as Cartier and Dunhill. He then moved onto the client’s side, heading the Product Development team of a start up that soon became the world leading recruitment site for finance professionals. Thomas is currently his own boss, with French free classified advertising website wanteed.fr. He has a degree in marketing from the EM Lyon, one of France’s leading business schools, and is passionate about new media, cinema, comic books and graphic design. 

Natalia Giraldo, Education 

Natalia was born in Bogotá Colombia. With a business administration degree, she is also a professional singer, having performed in different bands and musicals since a very young age. Before moving to London, Natalia co-founded a six hundred-capacity night club in Cali, where apart from being the resident band’s lead singer, she was also in charge of public relations and special events coordination. She is currently working as Account Manager for Oridian, a leading global online adverting network as is keen to nurture her personal interest in educating British audiences about Colombia by identifying and developing new ideas in this field.

Juana Miranda, Education

Juana is a Graphic and Textile designer living in London. She joined the Colombiage team as it represents the perfect opportunity to promote her country to the rest of the world. Colombia has always been the source of inspiration and energy for her personal work, highly characterised by a rich and diverse palette of colours that finds its origin in the Andean mountains of Colombia and the Caribbean sea. Leaving Colombia 7 years ago, Juana has lived in four different European cities (Paris, Milan, Madrid and Barcelona) where she has been able to combine her career as a designer with her passion for art, music, people and dance. Juana has participated with her ideas and sensibility in various cultural events in Italy and Spain.

Hector Mora, Photography & Marketing 

Hector is a Colombian photographer who changed his career in Advertising for a Camera and the love of photography. After graduating from university, Hector worked for an advertising agency in Bogotá before seizing the chance to uproot and move to London where he has been living for nearly five years.The diversity of London, and the strong contrast with his native Bogotá has motivated Hector to develop his fondness for photography. He now works as a successful freelance photographer. In 2007 Hector joined the Colombiage team where he was fortunate enough to combine two of his passions, photography and Colombia. 

Miriam Metliss, Visual Arts & Alliances 

Though born and bred in London, Miriam’s enthusiasm for travel, languages and culture has taken her as far as Latin America.  Miriam graduated in 2007 from the University of Nottingham with a BA in Art History and Hispanic Studies, and has since returned to London, intent on becoming immersed in the rich arts and cultural scene which London has to offer.   She has worked on separate occasions for Visiting Arts and has facilitated collaborative arts projects with Iniva (Institute of International Visual Arts) and Latin American youth collective Nueva Generación. Whilst working full-time at Christie’s auction house, she teaches English at IRMO (Indo-American Refugee and Migrant Organisation).  Miriam now intends to put her studies, travelling experiences, language abilities and passion for arts and culture into action with Colombiage.