Conecta Miami Arts is a multi-disciplinary arts organization that produces and presents socially-engaged artistic experiences for the general public. Our mission is to develop the next generation of culturally sensitive artists, audiences, philanthropists and arts officers of Miami by producing and presenting contemporary and relevant performances of high artistic excellence.
Conecta Miami Arts produces high impact events with broad reach that involve local, national and international artists, and provide access to the arts for children, youth and adults in underserved areas.
Conecta Miami Arts develops strategic partnerships with other local arts organizations to champion artistic collaboration and a unified artistic landscape that enhances Miami’s cultural ecosystem.
One of the pillars of Conecta Miami Arts is to empower emerging artists to create their own stories by providing them with the tools to develop and self-manage their own projects.
Conecta Miami Arts starts in Miami as a new non-profit multi-disciplinary arts organization that produces and presents socially-engaged artistic experiences for young people. Our mission is to develop the next generation of culturally sensitive artists, audiences, philanthropists and arts officers of Miami by producing and presenting contemporary and relevant performances of high artistic excellence. By providing access to the arts at an early age, Conecta Miami Arts directly contributes to development of a generation who will engage the arts with purpose and will in turn mold the future cultural landscape of Miami.
Paramount to carrying out our main objective of shaping a culturally sensitive generation is our goal of connecting the different communities of Miami through our artistic and educational activities. Such connections are carried out for and with a number of key community entities such as schools, arts and community centers, hospitals and other artistic partners of our city and its surroundings.
Meet our team
Neher Jacqueline Briceño
Artistic Director
Actress, director and dramaturge. She began her career in 1973 and worked for two decades with some of the most recognized theatre companies in her natal Venezuela. In 1997 she relocated to the United States and since then has worked as an invited director and acting instructor for a number of institutions such as Teatro de la Luna in Washington DC, a recognized company she has collaborated with for the past 15 years. In 1999 she joined Teatro Avante as the Production Coordinator and Administrative Assistant of the International Hispanic Theatre Festival of Miami, where she also played significant acting roles in many of their productions. In 2006 she joined Teatro Prometeo of Miami Dade College as an acting instructor for children, young adults and adults, in addition to directing and writing many works for this iconic institution. She has received a number of awards during her 40-year career in theatre, and currently holds the position of Artistic Director at the Adriana Barraza Black Box, where she also works as the acting instructor for children and adults of its Acting Studio.
Melissa Messulam
Executive Director
Born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela, Melissa is an arts manager with close to ten years of experience working with significant cultural entities in Miami and abroad. She has worked with Teatro Avante as Festival Assistant Director of the award-winning International Hispanic Theatre Festival of Miami, acted as Assistant Director for a number of their productions, and currently serves as a board member. She was also the production coordinator for Teatro Prometeo, the nation’s only Spanish-language conservatory-style theatre training program in Spanish, and programmed all the entertainment and theatre components for children at Miami Book Fair International, the nation’s largest and finest literary event. She was part of the opening team of the operations department for the multi-venue Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County, where she worked as an event manager for their first three seasons. Melissa received a Bachelor’s in Art History with a Minor in French from the University of Pennsylvania and a Master’s in Arts Management from the Sydney Opera House. Recently, Melissa was the General Manager of Sydney-based Powerhouse Youth Theatre, the only professionally led youth theatre company in Western Sydney creating contemporary performance work.
Belen Castres White
Production Manager
Belen is a versatile production manager with more than three decades of experience providing technical, logistical and touring support, as well as executive production services in the performing arts and special events industry, working extensively in North and South America, Europe, Asia, India and Australia. Originally born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina Belen has worked with major music, theatre and dance companies such as La Fura dels Baus, Rock and Pop, el Nuevo Ballet Español and Fuerza Bruta, as well as with international superstars of the likes of Tina Turner, Iggy Pop and UB40. She managed various performances for Amnesty International (1988) including notable artists such as Tracy Chapman, Bruce Springsteen, Peter Gabriel, Youssou N´Dour and Sting. She relocated to Spain at the end of the 80s and has since been working with some of the most influential Flamenco artists of the 21st century, ranging from Antonio Canales, Ballet Flamenco de Andalucia, Ballet Nacional de España, Estrella Morente, Eva Yerbabuena, Farruquito, Jesús Carmona, Marina Heredia to the iconic Paco de Lucia. Throughout her impressive 12-year tenure as the production manager and technical coordinator for Flamenco Festival, she has managed on a yearly basis around 100 artists in over 60 different performances touring around 35 different cities to approximately 80,000 audience members each year. She currently resides in Miami where she continues her work for Flamenco Festival and volunteers for various cultural initiatives for children from under served communities.
