Natalia Soracipa

Donkey Xote Public Library emerged from my desire and Alexander Noreña's curiosity to continue researching the implementation of theater techniques and the study of images for language, literature, and culture learning. From that, we decided to build a children's library in Turmequé, Boyacá (Colombia), a safe space for kids to explore their creativity and grow their imagination while immersing in the stories of diverse books, learn English and improve their Spanish.

The Founders

Alexander Noreña

Alex Noreña is currently a P.hD candidate at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. He possesses extensive knowledge and experience in managing public libraries, having led several reading programs in various libraries in Colombia. Nowadays, he is devoting his career to the experimentation, research, and study of artistic pedagogical practices that help in the teaching of literature and language. His current research focuses on creating the first Wordless picture book for the teaching of Don Quixote de La Mancha and various artistic periods. His curiosity for experiencing art as a tool to reach young audiences has led him to create workshops such as "El teatro y la imagen" and connect with the Hispanic communities in Canada through some cultural organizations such as SpanicArts, where he has the role of magazine creator and editor, and Plaza Latina Home Businesses Association, of which he is one of the three founders. Additionally, he is one of the founders of La Cebolla Azul, a Colombian-based editorial company.

Besides taking on the roles of founder and library director at Donkey Xote Public Library, Alexander will also lead the research hub for the study of images in children's books and the reading promotion team.

Natalia Soracipa is a P.hD candidate at the University of Calgary in Canada. Her artistic, academic, and professional experience range from being a theater actress in Bogotá, Colombia, where she established for about 10 years, a Spanish and Hispanic Literature teacher at high school and post-secondary level in Portland, OR, United States, and today a researcher and Spanish/Literature/Culture teacher in Canada. Currently, she is devoted to developing a new teaching method that incorporates theater techniques into the instruction of Golden Age literature. Additionally, she is part of the Siglo Latinx project, led by Dr. Erin Cowling and Dr. Glenda Nieto-Cuebas, where she serves in the roles of Social Media Manager and Research Assistant. Besides working on the construction of Donkey Xote Public Library in Turmequé, Natalia plans to develop a new project in Canada called The Language Theater Lab, which will provide her with the opportunity to continue refining her teaching model after graduation.

At Donkey Xote, besides being the founder and second director of the library, she will lead the research hub for the study of languages (English-Spanish) and literature, utilizing theater as a learning tool.

The Begining

About Turmequé

The Foundations

Turmequé is a small town located in the beautiful mountains of Boyacá, 105 kilometres north of Bogotá. The town is well known for its amasijos (traditional baked and fried snacks made from flour), the harvest of several fruits, and the extensive potato harvest. This beautiful place is also well known for being "la cuna del tejo," which is the national sport of Colombia.

The kindness of the Turmequenses is primarily shaped by the presence of farmers, the stunning mountains, and a vibrant community of creative and hardworking individuals, making this town an ideal place to raise families and pass on the seeds of knowledge to future creators, artists, farmers, and leaders.

The foundations of this project span personal motivations, academic interests, and professional goals. I was born and raised in Tumequé, which gave me a firsthand understanding of the talent and resilience Turmequenses possess, which sometimes goes unseen due to various social struggles and limitations. This admiration and love towards them and the beautiful land of Boyacá ignited a desire to create something that could contribute to my hometown's growth. In 2024, Alexander Noreña expressed his desire to create a library where children can study and learn exclusively from children's books. Since then, we have been planning to make this dream a reality while nurturing it with the knowledge and experience we are acquiring in Canada.

Academic and Professional Foundations

During the last few years of our graduate studies, Alexander and I have worked on research projects that promote the learning of literature and the study of culture through various forms of art. Currently, I specialize in teaching Golden Age texts through the implementation of various theater techniques, which has led to the creation of a new teaching model (see the "The TTSC Model" section for more information). Alexander specializes in teaching various art periods and studying El Quijote de la Mancha through the creation and examination of images, which has led him to develop a new theoretical concept called "El espacio visual reconciliado". Both of us aim to continue these investigations while refining our pedagogical practices at Donkey Xote Library, thereby establishing it as a long-term research hub for us and other researchers and language/literature learners.

What's next!