A Spanish school in Wandsworth is spreading Latin culture beyond language lessons with film nights, live music and dance and, soon, cookery tuition.
Battersea Spanish opened near Clapham Junction three years ago with just four students and has grown to over 500.
But since winning the Latin UK Award for Best Spanish School in 2013, founder Sara Caba has been inspired to broaden its reach.
She said: “I had a dream of creating a vibrant and fresh place where only good things related to such a lively part of the world would happen. I wanted language, food, travel, dance, film, culture.”
As well as language courses for adults and children, Battersea Spanish now runs monthly film nights at The Bedford in Balham on the first Sunday of every month, which are attended by more than 100 people.
On April 3, the film is Woody Allen’s Vicky Cristina Barcelona while on May 1 it is the multi-award winning Venezuelan movie Pelo Malo.
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There are Dance and Live Music events at Battersea Barge – teaching Salsa, Flamenco and Tango – three Thursdays a month and courses of dance lessons at the Royal Academy of Dance and Katherine Low Settlement beginning again in April and May.
With more than 200,000 Spanish and Latin American people in London – and lots more interested in the culture – the events have been well received.
Now Sara is planning to expand further, with Spanish and Latin Cooking Classes launching in the Autumn and a Creative Spanish School for kids.
Sara said: “People see the quality and love we put into everything we do, and I think this has become contagious.
“They come to one event, one course, and then more, and then they bring their friends, both local but also from all over London, which is creating a wonderful pollinisation around Spanish in the area.”
Find out more at batterseaspanish.com
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