The Arts Producers’ Community is a joint venture, a community of artists at work since 1989. COMPA strive to ensure that art and culture are an integral part of daily life, local development and personal and social transformation. It works continually to maintain and build ideals of participation, community democracy and solidarity. COMPA is one of Bolivia’s most important organisations involved in popular arts representation and innovative culture. It's a pioneer that nurturs the next generations of artists.

COMPA emerged from the Teatro Trono (Throne Theatre), an educational arts project. Its origins can be traced to La Paz, Bolivia in 1989, when street kids previously in the care of a state run rehabilitation centre which they called Trono, took part in an arts project initiated by Iván No­ga­les Bazan, today’s di­rec­tor of COMPA. Later community based projects, particularly in the town of El Alto, inspired young people to follow new directions. At present, we are working to strengthen skills and abilities of vulnerable children and youths as well as encouraging the idea of voluntary work and the formation of partnerships. It promotes decentralised working methods and its strategy is participative, inclusive, wide-reaching and inspirational.

COMPA has 2 cultural centres in El Alto. In the same city, there's also the project Calle de Cul­tura (Cultural street), a backstreet decorated with murales. There's also the Tea­tro Camión (Truck theater) which is used as a travelling theatre. It is also currently building an artists village in the Yungas, a tropical region close to La Paz. 

More information available in English:
- Article about the bodies decolonisation: De-Colonising the Body and Social Work in the South: the practical experience of COMPA in Bolivia
- Essay by Sonja Hohenbild about "Hij@s de la Mina“ (Children of the Mine) a participatory theatre play of COMPA-Bolivia (PDF)

Translation: Huw Jones, (Sir Fon, Cymru).

Donations to Foundation COMPA is possible via COMPA Berlin e.V. a German non-profit organization that supports the work of COMPA in Bolivia:
COMPA Berlin e.V.

Bank:
Ethikbank
IBAN: DE32830944950003204987
BIC: GENODEF1ETK