Event Regulations, Participant Guidelines & Cancellation Policy

Please Read Carefully
We are delighted to welcome you to an immersive cultural and artistic experience in the heart of Havana, created in collaboration with outstanding Cuban artists, musicians, teachers, and the Conjunto Folklórico Nacional de Cuba during their historic 65th Anniversary celebrations.

Our commitment is to provide an authentic, meaningful, safe, high-quality, and unforgettable experience rooted in Afro-Cuban dance, music, culture, community, and heritage.

By registering for the festival, participants acknowledge and accept the following guidelines, policies, and terms.

1. Festival Programme & Schedule
It is our responsibility to provide the workshops, activities, and cultural experiences included in the festival programme and to coordinate the artistic, social, and educational elements of the event.

As we are working alongside the Conjunto Folklórico Nacional de Cuba during their active artistic season and 65th anniversary programming, schedules, teachers, timings, cultural activities, and venues may occasionally be adapted where necessary due to artistic, institutional, or operational requirements.

Any adjustments will always be made with care and with the intention of maintaining the highest quality experience possible.

Please note that festival activities may include workshops, cultural visits, rehearsals, conferences, talks, performances, live music experiences, social gatherings, and public cultural activities.

2. Filming & Photography PolicyFilming During Workshops
To protect the quality of the teaching process and support focused learning, filming during classes is not permitted.

However, participants will have designated opportunities to film teachers demonstrating movements, combinations, musicality, choreography, or practical learning material at the end of sessions.

Media Consent
By registering, participants grant permission to be photographed, filmed, or recorded during the festival.

Images, videos, and recordings may be used by the Afro-Cuban Dance Festival, Luanda Pau, affiliated festival partners, websites, and social media channels for documentary, educational, promotional, and marketing purposes without compensation.

3. Timekeeping & Participation
Time management is essential to the quality of the festival experience.

Participants are expected to arrive punctually, be prepared, and participate respectfully in workshops, scheduled activities, and cultural experiences.

Late arrival, repeated disruption, or failure to respect schedules may affect participation in activities.

4. Respect, Conduct & Community Care
The Afro-Cuban Dance Festival aims to maintain a safe, respectful, welcoming, and inclusive environment for everyone.

Participants are expected to treat teachers, musicians, organisers, assistants, staff, local collaborators, and fellow participants with kindness, professionalism, and mutual respect.

Discriminatory, unsafe, aggressive, disrespectful, disruptive, or inappropriate behaviour may result in removal from activities without refund.

5. Health, Medical Conditions & Wellbeing
Participant wellbeing is extremely important to us.

Please inform us in advance of any relevant:

• Injuries
• Medical conditions
• Allergies or food intolerances
• Accessibility requirements
• Physical limitations or concerns that may affect participation

By registering, participants acknowledge that festival activities may involve physical movement, dancing, walking, heat exposure, cultural outings, and physically demanding activity.

Participants are responsible for managing their own health and participating according to their own physical condition.

6. Travel, Accommodation & Third-Party Services
Participants are solely responsible for organising and managing:

• Flights and transportation
• Accommodation (Airbnb, hotels, casas particulares, guest houses, etc.)
• Passport validity and visa requirements
• Travel permissions and government regulations
• Travel insurance
• Personal travel arrangements outside the festival programme

The Afro-Cuban Dance Festival Havana, Luanda Pau, Simon Atkinson, organisers, staff, and affiliated partners cannot be held responsible for disruptions or losses caused by third-party services or circumstances outside our control, including but not limited to:

• Airline delays, cancellations, strikes, or schedule changes
• Accommodation cancellations or provider issues (including Airbnb, hotels, casas particulares, etc.)
• Visa problems, travel permissions, immigration issues, or passport validity issues
• Travel restrictions, government decisions, border changes, or political developments
• Personal emergencies or participant travel interruptions

Important Notice
If the festival programme continues to operate as planned, individual travel disruptions do not constitute festival cancellation.

Participant travel difficulties, accommodation problems, airline cancellations, visa issues, or changes in international travel regulations do not create an obligation for festival refunds.

We strongly recommend purchasing comprehensive travel insurance that covers:

Flight cancellation or delays
Accommodation disruption
Medical emergencies
Travel interruption
Personal emergencies
Unexpected travel changes

7. Personal Belongings, Safety & Personal Responsibility
Many festival activities take place in shared public spaces, including streets, theatres, cultural venues, restaurants, rehearsal spaces, courtyards, live performances, community environments, and public cultural experiences.

While we always do our best to support and guide participants, personal belongings remain the sole responsibility of each participant at all times.

We kindly ask all participants to exercise awareness and reasonable care with valuables, including:

• Mobile phones
• Cameras and filming equipment
• Bags and backpacks
• Wallets, passports, jewellery, and personal belongings

Please remain attentive when using phones, cameras, or valuables in busy public spaces, cultural areas, during excursions, social activities, or street experiences.

The Afro-Cuban Dance Festival Havana, organisers, staff, teachers, guides, assistants, or affiliated partners cannot accept responsibility for lost, stolen, damaged, or misplaced personal belongings, including personal electronics or valuables.

Participants attend public cultural outings and community experiences at their own discretion and responsibility.

8. Responsibility Outside Festival Activities
The festival is responsible only for activities officially included within the festival programme, designated festival spaces, and organised festival timetable.

Any activities, nightlife, independent travel, accommodation matters, excursions, transport arrangements, or personal activities taking place outside official festival hours, designated festival spaces, or scheduled festival activities remain the sole responsibility of the participant.

We encourage everyone to enjoy Havana with joy, awareness, curiosity, and common sense while taking appropriate care of themselves and their belongings.

9. Ticket Transfers, Credits & Cancellation Policy
Due to the nature of international festival planning, artist bookings, venue commitments, production costs, staffing, accommodation coordination, logistics, and operational expenses in Cuba, participant payments support commitments made well in advance of the festival.

Ticket Transfers
If you are unable to attend, you may transfer your place to another participant.

Please contact Luanda Pau directly in advance to arrange this.

Deposits
All deposits are non-refundable.

However, under approved circumstances, deposits may be transferred to another participant or considered toward festival credit.

Participant Cancellation Policy More than 90 days before festival start date
Participants may request:

• Transfer to another participant
• Festival credit toward a future edition (preferred option)
• Refund minus administration/payment processing fees (where applicable)

31–89 days before festival start date
Payments become non-refundable; however, participants may request:

• Transfer to another participant
• Festival credit toward a future edition (subject to approval and circumstances)

1–30 days before festival start date
All payments are strictly non-refundable.

Participants may still transfer their place to another participant if suitable arrangements can be made.

Exceptional Circumstances
In cases of documented serious illness or exceptional emergency circumstances, festival credit may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Please note that exceptional circumstances do not guarantee refunds.

10. Festival Cancellation
In the unlikely event that the Afro-Cuban Dance Festival Havana cancels the programme, participants will receive a full refund of festival payments made directly to the organisation.

Please note that flights, accommodation, visas, travel costs, insurance claims, and third-party services cannot be reimbursed by the festival.

11. Our Mission
Our aim is to provide a deep, authentic, joyful, and transformative Afro-Cuban cultural experience.

Our objectives are to:

• Help participants grow through intensive training with highly experienced Cuban artists and teachers
• Deepen understanding of Afro-Cuban music, dance, singing, rhythm, history, and culture
• Celebrate and preserve Afro-Cuban traditions and living heritage
• Strengthen cultural exchange internationally
• Support Cuban artists, musicians, teachers, and production teams through meaningful work opportunities.

12. Force Majeure / Circumstances Beyond Our Control

The Afro-Cuban Dance Festival Havana shall not be held liable for delays, schedule changes, interruptions, modifications, postponements, or partial programme adjustments resulting from circumstances beyond our reasonable control.

This may include, but is not limited to:

• Severe weather conditions or natural events
• Government decisions, travel restrictions, or institutional requirements
• Public health situations or emergencies
• Transportation disruption or unforeseen operational difficulties
• Power interruptions, venue limitations, or local infrastructure challenges
• Artistic, institutional, or logistical circumstances affecting programming

Where possible, the festival team will always make reasonable efforts to adapt, reorganise, or offer suitable alternatives in order to maintain the highest quality participant experience.

Please note that such circumstances do not constitute festival cancellation where the festival programme continues to operate in an adapted or modified format.

13. Contact Information
For questions, concerns, support, or ideas:

Luanda Pau
+44 7848816208
[email protected]

Simon Atkinson
+44 7779031273
[email protected]

Thank you for your trust and understanding.

We look forward to welcoming you to Havana.

Directed by Luanda Pau & Simon Atkinson

By registering, I confirm that I have read, understood, and agree to these festival terms and participant guidelines.