Artist today, future leader tomorrow?

It's no secret that the performing arts help with physical and spoken expression. But what about leadership skills? Can the arts help us in our professional life? In this article we introduce you to three Peruvian actors who are successful leaders. 

1. Salvador del Solar

Salvador del Solar is a Peruvian lawyer and actor. He studied law at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, where he graduated as a lawyer in 1994. Subsequently, he completed a Master's degree in International Relations at the Maxwell School of International Relations at Syracuse University in New York, United States. At the same school, he also attended a program in Conflict Analysis and Resolution (Peru 21, 2019). He was a visiting fellow at the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies at Harvard University for the 2018-2019 academic period. He has also participated in politics, serving as Minister of Culture during 2016-2017 and as President of the Council of Ministers in 2019. As Minister of Culture, he promoted the ministerial initiative for the new Film Law, which sought to increase subsidies to Peruvian cinematographic works, even up to 30% of the project's investment.

En paralelo a su carrera de abogado y político, Del Solar ha sido un actor exitoso. Estudió actuación en el taller de Alberto Ísola, iniciando posteriormente una carrera en el teatro, que ha incluido obras como Presas de Salón, Ojos Bonitos, Cuadros Feos, Hamlet, El Gran Teatro del Mundo y El Rey Lear. Asimismo, ha participado en numerosas telenovelas como Malicia (1996), Escándalo (1997) y Apocalipsis (1998) de Iguana Producciones, bajo la producción de Luis Llosa. Entre sus más conocidas actuaciones, figuran el haber interpretado a ‘Pantaleón Pantoja’ en la película Pantaleón y las visitadoras de Francisco Lombardi y basada en el libro de Mario Vargas Llosa. En 2014, Del Solar debutó como director de cine con la película Magallanes. 

2. Wendy Ramos

Wendy Ramos studied Communication Sciences at the University of Lima and was one of the founders of the theater company 'Patacláun', a comedy show on Peruvian television in the late 90s (BBVA Aprendemos Juntos, 2021). In 2001, she created the 'Bolaroja Foundation', an educational and social transformation project through clowning. With it, he launched the hospital clown project 'Doctores Bolaroja', which visited sick patients in the hope of cheering them up and entertaining them. As a result of her social work, the Ministry of Health appointed her health promoter, ambassador for the fight against tuberculosis and ambassador of the 'Peru Brand' in 2011. Ramos is an actress, screenwriter, lecturer and author of the book inspired by her blog, 'Diary of a Stray Cow'. In 2018 she was part of the cast of the film Padre no hay más que uno by Spanish director Santiago Segura— and in 2020 of its sequel, Padre no hay más que uno 2. Hace poco, fue parte del proyecto ‘Aprendemos Juntos‘ de BBVA, donde ha dado charlas acerca de cómo ha seguido sus sueños y el rol del clown en su vida. Wendy declara que el clown le ha permitido conocerse a sí misma: hacer clown es reconocerse a uno mismo, ver lo que a uno le gusta y no le gusta. Es permitirse hacer las cosas que te gustan y arriesgarse por ellas para hacer cambios. (BBVA Aprendemos Juntos, 2021).

3. Rómulo Assereto

Like Salvador del Solar, Rómulo Assereto also studied Law. He has worked with renowned filmmakers and theater directors such as Francisco Lombardi, Juan Carlos Fisher and Roberto Ángeles. Rómulo tells how his two worlds combined when he worked on the program Desconozco Legalmente (in English, Lawfully Unknown): "Studying law helped me to ask useful questions to each of the specialists. Acting served me to face hosting a TV show: I had to create a character acting as a host." (University of Lima, 2012).

Spotlight Perú enseña a los jóvenes de hoy habilidades del siglo XXI a través de las artes escénicas, formando a futuros líderes. En nuestros talleres de teatro musical en Lima, los jóvenes toman agencia dentro de su propia educación, en un ambiente seguro donde pueden recibir ayuda y equivocarse. Kara Seigal, directora de Spotlight, declara: «Damos a nuestros alumnos las herramientas para que se empoderen». 

Sources:

El perfil de Salvador del Solar, el nuevo presidente del Consejo de Ministros. (2019). Perú 21. https://peru21.pe/politica/perfil-salvador-solar-nuevo-presidente-consejo-ministros-465000-noticia/

El personaje detrás del actor. (2012) Universidad de Lima. https://www.ulima.edu.pe/en/node/2086

El poder transformador de un clown. Wendy Ramos, actriz y clown. (2021). BBVA Aprendemos Juntos. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bl3-ich68ss&ab_channel=AprendemosJuntos2030