TThe Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC) is a social organization with advisory status in the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Its members are Cuban writers and artists who join voluntarily and are selected on the basis of their artistic careers.

It was founded on August 22, 1961, by national poet Nicolás Guillén, with the objective of preserving the social justice and national independence for which so many generations of Cubans have dreamed and striven. At the present time, there are 5,558 members of UNEAC.

Since its creation, it has been headed by renowned artists in all aspects of the aesthetic and philosophical arts, among them Alejo Carpentier, José Lezama Lima and René Portocarrero.

The national associations within UNEAC are:

Writers' Association: with sections for writers of literature for children and young people, detective stories, history, literary translation, narrative, poetry, drama and criticism.
Visual Artists' Association: with sections for painters, ceramicists, sculptors, humorists, graphic designers, environmental designers, photographers, graphic artists, researchers and critics.
Musicians' Association: with sections for musicologists, songwriters, popular music performers, composers of concert music, and performers of concert music.
Film, Radio and Television Artists' Association: with sections for editors; music and sound editors; cameramen; lighting designers and directors of photography; makeup artists, hairdressers and stage designers; animators; writers, directors and advisers for radio, television and cinema; and announcers.
Performing Artists' Association: with sections for actors, dancers, critics, circus and varieties performers, show performers, mimes, performers of programs for children and young people, directors and scene design.
Through its various associations, UNEAC organizes important events every year. The Writers' Association sponsors the UNEAC Literature Prize and the David Prize for unpublished writers. Its international events include the Literary Translation Encounter, The Beatles in Cuba, and the South Cultural Project, where diverse artistic manifestations are intertwined.

The music sector organizes annual international events such as the Golden Boleros Festival and the Havana Festival, and two symposia dedicated to the bolero and contemporary music. Every year prizes are awarded to the best classical and popular music composers and musical composition, interpretation and musicology competitions are held.

In the visual arts, UNEAC sponsors the Multiple Imprint, an annual engraving event, and another competition every two years that coincides with the Contemporary Art Salon.

The Film, Radio and Television Artists' Association sponsors the Caracol Festival annually, as well as organizing creative workshops in various specialties and media. There are permanent workshops on culture, gender and creative diversity. It is one of the secondary venues of the International Festival of New Latin American Cinema.

In the performing arts, there is the Caricato Prize covering theater, radio and television performance, as well as the Oral Performance Biennial.

UNEAC also has the Hurón Azul documental studios and a library specializing in literature, art and music and a periodicals library.

The prestigious institution possesses the Ediciones Unión publishing house, dedicated to Cuban authors, and publishes the magazines La Gazeta de Cuba, UNION and Literatura Cubana.

UNEAC Presidency:

President: Carlos Martí, poet, writer
First vice president: José Loyola Fernández, musicology, composer
Vice presidents:

Miguel Barnet, ethnologist, writer
Octavio Cortazar, film director
Roberto Fabelo, painter
Enrique Núñez Rodríguez, writer
Graziella Pogolotti, essayist, art critic

(Taken from: Cubasí)