Cuba has borrowed from the Vatican's Missionary Ethnological Museum the oldest piece of indigenous Christian art of the New World to be exhibited for a year at the Museum of the City in Havana.

Camerata de Música Áurea is a choir from Santiago de Cuba. They sing classical pieces, from Monteverdi to the 'Flight of the Bumblebee' in multi-part harmony as well as Cuban music from the typically amorous boleros to modern folk songs.

Project Cuba (2012) 16th July 2012 – 1st September 2012

STRONG hurricane winds are already blowing over Havana. Fortunately, this time they are cinema-related winds. Cubans, who are great cinema lovers, are getting ready for the celebrations and competition offered by the International Festival of the New Latin American Cinema. This 33rd edition, from December 1 through 11, will screen 562 films from 46 countries.

Alfredo Guevara, the Festival's president and founder, gave a press conference at Havana's Hotel Nacional where he announced that, this year 1,064 films were entered, of which 120 were selected for competition in seven categories: Fiction, First works, Medium and short feature films, Documentaries, Animation, Unedited film scripts and Posters.

Cuban photographer Ernesto Fernández Nogueras received the National Prize for Visual Arts 2011 [Premio Nacional de Artes Plásticas 2011] in Havana in honor of the breadth and quality of his work, which combines aesthetic experience and testimonial values.

Fernández Nogueras became the second "master of the lens" be distinguished with this prize, awarded by Cuba's Ministry of Culture and the National Council of Fine Arts.

Cuba holds its position as the top national baseball team in the world, according to the International Baseball Federation (IBAF).

Despite not being a winner in international competitions this year, the Cuban baseball team holds the leading position, followed by the United States, South Korea, Japan, which are second, third and fourth, respectively.

Alberto Juantorena, Olympic gold medal winner and Cuban deputy Sports Minister will be one of over 50 speakers at the largest conference on Latin America to be held in London on Saturday 3rd December. He will bring a unique perspective on sport and accessibility in Cuba and the world.

By Andy de la Tour reporting on the Havana International Theatre Festival
Our group of actors didn't know quite what to expect when we took our show, ‘Harold Pinter in Cuba', to Havana for the 14th International Havana Theatre Festival in October. In the event, it was a bigger success than we dared hope. Two packed out shows in the modern auditorium of the beautiful Museo del Bellas Artes, standing ovations and a half page in Granma were testament to the international reputation of Harold Pinter.

Although Harold was known by many Cubans as an outspoken critic of the US embargo and as the recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature, few in our appreciative audiences really knew Harold's written work. Our evening of excerpts from his plays, poems and prose gave them an entertaining insight into the breadth and depth of Harold's writing, his wisdom, his humour, his romanticism and his lethal dissection of corrupt power. From the moving poem to his widow, Lady Antonia Fraser, It is Here, to the brutal realism of ‘Mountain Language', Pinter's words revealed themselves as a universal language whose meaning was easily grasped by audiences not wholly fluent in English.

Raíces Cubanas, led by virtuoso violinist and musical director Omar Puente, headlined a fabulous night to celebrate Cuba's national day of Culture in October. The event at Conway Hall was a packed out, fun filled evening which also featured dance and poetry sets from Tio Molina, beautiful boleros from Yuri Moreno plus a special set from guest Colombian singer Fabian Velez dedicated to the Miami Five. The event also heard from Cuban Ambassador Esther Armenteros.

La guarida del topo (The Mole's Den) is the latest full-length Cuban film currently being screened in movie theatres nationwide. Its director, filmmaker Alfredo Ureta, spoke to Juventud Rebelde newspaper about the leading character, "the mole," a lonely man performed by Cuban actor Nestor Jimenez.

Danza Contemporanea de Cuba received overwhelming acclaim for their first ever major UK tour in 2010. The fresh, joyous and passionate programme of work featured the outstanding Mambo 3XX1, created by resident choreographer and dancer George Céspedes and nominated for both and Olivier and TMA award for his outstanding contribution to dance.

This internationally renowned company return in spring 2012 with a programme including the world premiere of a piece by award-winning choreographer and influencer of modern dance Itzik Galili, and another chance to experience the incredible Mambo 3XX1.

The UK based Santiago Quartet were formed in Mexico City in 2008 with the intention of playing rarely performed pieces by living Latin American composers, and through concerts and classes are introducing audiences to a rich repertoire. Ahmed Dickinson is a Cuban classical guitarist based in the UK.

Rogelio Orizondo, received the 2010 Virgilio Pinera Award with Ayer deje de matarme gracias a ti,Heiner Muller(I Didn't Kill Myself Yesterday because of You,Heiner Muller).

Watch this teaser for documentary being shown in the London Latin American Film Festival this November

Cuban swimmer Lorenzo Perez won the first gold medal for the Cuban delegation taking part at the Fourth Parapan American Games in Guadalajara.