The Formentera Office of Culture is pleased to report that from 31 January to 5 February the Sala d'Exposicions "Ajuntament Vell" will host a exhibition of work from first and second year art students in non-compulsory secondary studies at IES Marc Ferrer. The batxillerat programme has been offered in art since 2020.

This year, five students will show some twenty pieces from the first quarter of Artistic Drawing and Techniques of Graphic and Plastic Expression. The pieces were fashioned on an array of media, such as canvas, wood, cardboard and paper. Students employed techniques in painting, mixed media and more, and incorporated collage, frottage, transfers, charcoal and engraving.

An assortment of themes are touched on in the exhibition, which stems from students' work on natural and artificial forms and represents their interpretation of local architectural heritage with varying degrees of iconocity.

The exhibition will open on Monday 31 January at 6.00pm. The exhibition will be on view at Sala d'Exposicions "Ajuntament Vell" from Tuesday to Saturday, 11.00am to 2.00pm and 6.00pm to 8.00pm.

27 January 2022
Communications Office
Consell de Formentera

The Formentera Office of Seniors is pleased to report that from 4 February the Open University for Seniors (Universitat Oberta per a Majors, UOM) returns to Formentera with a seven-part lecture series scheduled to run until 13 May. Ana Juan, President of the Consell and Councillor of the Elderly, encouraged islanders 50 and up to come out for the lectures, hosted in various local venues and in accordance with health and safety measures. "The talks will see prominent speakers taking on a wide variety of topics ranging from episodes in local history to everyday subjects of interest", explained Juan.

President Juan will attend the first instalment along with UOM Director Antoni Gamundí.

The talks will take place at 5.00pm and take place at the Sant Francesc retirees and pensioners club, Sant Ferran social centre for the elderly and La Mola's Casa del Poble. Lectures will start at 5.00pm.

Programme:

4 February (Club de Jubilats, Sant Francesc)
'Sleep Well, Live Well', by Dr Mourad Akaârir, professor of physiology at the Universitat de les Illes Balears

18 February (Centre Social de Majors, Sant Ferran)
'The Formentera Penitentiary (1940-42). An Overview and Assorted Contributions', by Dr Antoni Ferrer Abárzuza, Historian and Researcher

4 March (Casa del Poble, La Mola)
'La Mola: Notes From Modern and Contemporary Times', by Felip Cirer, Professor of Catalan Language and Literature

18 March (Sant Francesc)
'Sustainable Development Goals: 17 Tools to Change the World', by Fina Darder, Coordinator of the Fons Pitiús de Cooperació

1 April (Sant Ferran)
'Principal Pests Affecting Formentera's Crops', by Antònia Blanes, Agri-Food Production Technician of the Cooperativa del Camp de Formentera

29 April (Sant Francesc)
'Historical Notes on Bread, Wine and Meat on Formentera', by Dr Santiago Colomar, Professor at IES Marc Ferrer

13 May (Sant Ferran)
'Surnames of Formentera. History and Linguistic Curiosities', by Joan Albert Ribas, Philologist

25 January 2022
Communications Office
Consell de Formentera

The Formentera Office of Culture is pleased to present the "L'Illa a Escena" programme of performing arts and music for the coming months of February and March. Susana Labrador, Councillor of Culture and Education, described a lineup of seven dance, music and theatre performances for adults and children that "we are sure the people of Formentera will enjoy". The aim of the initiative is to "promote and encourage cultural programming on the island, support local creations and expand entertainment options for audiences of all stripes", added Councillor Labrador.

February

-On Saturday 5 February islanders can enjoy Catalan group Brams' concert Baula Rere Baula.
In 1992 Brams released their first album, Amb el rock en la faixa; this year's tour marks the 30th anniversary of that release with a journey across three decades of music, history and collective commitment, complete with very special guests representing three generations of Catalan music.

Tomorrow 22 January the festival kicks off in Barcelona. The Formentera concert is the second instalment of the group's special six-date tour for the Barnasants festival of independent music.

The concert starts at 8.30pm in the Sala de Cultura (Cinema).

-The second show is Fils Roulants' Aión. Creator/director Valeria Del Vecchio is joined on stage by Pablo Arias, with, in the background, original sounds from Diego León Arias, for a dance show that presents movement a basic essential. In Aión, which takes place before the advent of kronos, audiences experience a timeless setting in which there is a multitude of possibilities, experimentations, games and fluctuations.

The show starts at 8.30pm on Saturday 12 February in the Sala de Cultura (Cinema).

-Next up is Moskitas Muertas' Ella balla, a piece of musical theatre by composer Xénia Fuertes and choreographer Mireia Sobrevela for ages six and up. In a play that is based on the childhood of choreographer Gillian Lyne, the protagonist, Tea, feels misunderstood by everyone, but soon discovers that inside her hides a great gift: dance! The show invites children and adults to be who they really are.

The show starts at 6.00pm on Saturday 19 February in the Sala de Cultura (Cinema).

-Closing out the calendar in February is Alma en Cuba a Formentera, a jazz concert by Iván "Melón" Lewis (piano) and Ariel Brínguez (saxophone). Two of the most outstanding representatives of music today, Lewis and Brínguez work in symbiosis and offer their personal vision, organically intertwining popular music and chamber music with Cuban accents. Ivan "Melon" Lewis won the 2021 Latin Grammy Awards' Best Latin Jazz Album for Voyager. This concert is presented with the collaboration of Trampolí Mecànic.

The show starts at 8.30pm on Friday 25 February in the Sala de Cultura (Cinema).

March

-In celebration of International Women's Day,  the 8M Concert happens Saturday 5 March. This concert is hosted in collaboration with the Formentera Office of Equality.

On stage will be Marina, from Ojos de Brujo, La Mari from Chambao and Anita Kuruba from Canteca de Macao. These three vocalists represent a generation, they are women with their own voice, they are composers, lyricists and performers. Band leaders for more than a decade, they are part of three well-known groups from the mestizaje ('mixed heritage') music scene.

The concert starts at 8.30pm Saturday 5 March in the Sala de Cultura (Cinema).

-The second show in March is a Teatro Pedro Cañestro production written by Bernat Joan i Marí to celebrate Balearic Islands Day.
Balada de la garsa vella is a comic play featuring a former contortionist, an ageing cabaret singer, a retired actress, a retired amateur actor who lives on his earnings from rental properties, a former successful actor, an enigmatic clown and a pianist. The seven characters gather at a party organised by the guest of honour himself, (former successful actor) Romeu. Everyone will try to give his/her best on stage, and the play serves up a celebration of life through the performing arts.

The show starts at 8.30pm on Saturday 12 March in the Sala de Cultura (Cinema).

-The conclusion of L'Illa a Escena comes Saturday 26 March with Tian Gombau-L'home dibuixat's Sabates noves, an object theater piece and winner of the 2020 Max Award for Best Children's and Family Show.
Penned by Jordi Palet, the play recounts a boy's adventure with his new shoes. As he discovers the world through the landscapes, people and animals around him, the shoes accumulate experience, and the boy grows. This family-friendly play is for viewers three and up.

The show starts at 6.00pm Saturday 26 March in the Sala de Cultura (Cinema).

Admission and tickets

Shows for the general public are priced at €4 while shows for adults cost €7. Unemployed people and under-employed freelancers, retirees, under25s, single-parent families and large families get half off the ticket price. "This Consell de Formentera initiative is about putting cultural events within the reach of all islanders regardless of their financial or family situation", added Councillor Labrador.

Tickets are available at www.entradesformentera.cat starting the Friday before each function. Shows will be held in accordance with health and safety protocols and in compliance with rules in force at the time.



21 January 2022
Communications Office
Consell de Formentera

1018

9.21

Dance, music, theatre and children's shows aplenty with L'Illa a Escena

The Formentera Office of Culture is pleased to present the "L'Illa a Escena" programme of performing arts and music for the coming months of February and March. Susana Labrador, Councillor of Culture and Education, described a lineup of seven dance, music and theatre performances for adults and children that "we are sure the people of Formentera will enjoy". The aim of the initiative is to "promote and encourage cultural programming on the island, support local creations and expand entertainment options for audiences of all stripes", added Councillor Labrador.

February

-On Saturday 5 February islanders can enjoy Catalan group Brams' concert Baula rere baula.

In 1992 Brams released their first album, Amb el rock en la faixa; this year's tour marks the 30^th anniversary of that release with a journey across three decades of music, history and collective commitment, complete with very special guests representing three generations of Catalan music.

Tomorrow 22 January the festival kicks off in Barcelona. The Formentera concert is the second instalment of the group's special six-date tour for the Barnasantsfestival of independent music.

The concert starts at 8.30pmin the Sala de Cultura (Cinema).

-The second show is Aión, a dance production from Fils Roulants. Creator/director Valeria Del Vecchio is joined on stage by Pablo Arias, with, in the background, original sounds from Diego León Arias, for a show that presents movement a basic essential. In Aión, which takes place before the advent of kronos (time), audiences experience a timeless setting in which there is a multitude of possibilities, experimentations, games and fluctuations.

The show starts at 8.30pm on Saturday 12 February in the Sala de Cultura (Cinema).

-Next up is Moskitas Muertas' Ella balla, a piece of musical theatre by composer Xénia Fuertes and choreographer Mireia Sobrevela for ages six and up. In a play that is based on the childhood of choreographer Gillian Lyne, the protagonist, Tea, feels misunderstood by everyone, but soon discovers that inside her hides a great gift: dance! The show invites children and adults to be who they really are.

The show starts at 6.00pm on Saturday 19 February in the Sala de Cultura (Cinema).

-Closing out the calendar in February is Alma en Cuba a Formentera, a jazz concert by Iván "Melón" Lewis (piano) and Ariel Brínguez (saxophone). Two of the most outstanding representatives of music today, Lewis and Brínguez work in symbiosis and offer their personal vision, organically intertwining popular music and chamber music with Cuban accents. Ivan "Melon" Lewis won the 2021 Latin Grammy Awards' Best Latin Jazz Album for Voyager. This concert is presented in association with Trampolí Mecànic.

The show starts at 8.30pm on Friday 25 February in the Sala de Cultura (Cinema).

March

-In celebration of International Women's Day,  the 8M Concert happens Saturday 5 March. This concert is hosted in collaboration with the Formentera Office of Equality.

On stage will be Marina, from Ojos de Brujo, La Mari from Chambao and Anita Kuruba from Canteca de Macao. These three vocalists represent a generation, they are women with their own voice, they are composers, lyricists and performers. Band leaders for more than a decade, they are part of three well-known groups in the mestizaje ('mixed heritage') music scene.

The concert starts at 8.30pm Saturday 5 March  in the Sala de Cultura (Cinema).

-The second show in March is a play from Teatro Pedro Cañestro, written by Bernat Joan i Marí for Balearic Islands Day.

 Balada de la garsa vella is a comic play featuring a former contortionist, an ageing cabaret singer, a retired actress, a retired amateur actor who lives on his earnings from rental properties, a former successful actor, an enigmatic clown and a pianist. The seven characters gather at a party organised by the guest of honour himself, (former successful actor) Romeu. Everyone will try to give his/her best on stage, and the play offers a celebration of life through the performing arts.

The show starts at 8.30pm on Saturday 12 March in the Sala de Cultura (Cinema).

-The conclusion of L'Illa a Escena comes Saturday 26 March with Tian Gombau-L'home dibuixat's Sabates noves, an object theater piece and winner of the 2020 Max Award for Best Children's and Family Show.

Penned by Jordi Palet, the play recounts a boy's adventure with his new shoes. As he discovers the world through the landscapes, people and animals around him, the shoes accumulate experience, and the boy grows. This family-friendly play is for viewers three and up.

The show starts at 6.00pm Saturday 26 March in the Sala de Cultura (Cinema).

Admission and tickets

Shows for the general public are priced at €4 while shows for adults cost €7. Unemployed people and under-employed freelancers, retirees, under25s, single-parent families and large families get half off the ticket price. "This Consell de Formentera initiative is about putting cultural events within the reach of all islanders regardless of their financial or family situation", added the Councillor.

Tickets are available at www.entradesformentera.cat starting the Friday before each function. Shows will be held in accordance with health and safety protocols and in compliance with rules in force at the time.

21 January 2022

Communications Office

Consell de Formentera

Today the Formentera Office of Culture presented the fifteenth Festival of Children's Entertainment (Mostra d'Espectàcles Infantils). Organised by Sa Xerxa Children's and Youth Theatre in the Balearic Islands and the Consell de Formentera, the programme will bring four shows to Formentera between 14 and 16 January.

Susana Labrador, Councillor of Culture, described the Festival's focus as "continuing to offer local children and families quality theatre and culture, while supporting the industries of theatre and culture."

The kick-off comes Friday 14 January with two storytelling sessions: Contes per volar ben amunt and El vaixell vermell. Both sessions are the handiwork of Lletra encantada, and co-creator Raquel de Manuel Mur leads each one. Contes per volar ben amunt showcases oral and corporal narration to tell ancient and reinvented stories and songs. Individuals at Formentera's adult day centre can enjoy the approximately 45-minute performance from 11.00am.

El vaixell vermell takes audiences on a journey across an ocean to a magical island. It is a workshop of co-creation, a bonfire around which songs, stories, laughs and illustrated albums are shared. The session features a captain and a group of sailors who boarded a ship and set sail in search of new shores. This all-ages show is free and starts at 5.00pm in the Sant Ferran library connection (Punt de Lectura), with a duration of 45 minutes.

The Festival will continue Saturday 15 January with L'Estaquirot Teatre's L'aventura d'avorrir-se. This puppet show stars Rita, a little girl who, in spite of her many toys, is eternally bored and does not know how to play alone. But one day at grandma's house, with a simple rubber duck, Rita embarks on an adventure over the course of which her imagination will take her to the world of colours, and she will discover surprising characters... Recommended for all audiences, the 50-minute performance will take place at the Sala de Cultura (Cinema) from 6.00pm.

The Festival ends Sunday 16 January with Volen Volen, the breakout dance and circus show by the company Mariantònia Oliver. Dance and circus merge to create a language without words, based on the manipulation of objects and movement. A warm choreographic game that stirs children's emotions and enhances their creativity with balloons evoking the most important moments of childhood. The 35-minute show is recommended for ages three and up, and can be seen at the Sala de Cultura (Cinema) from 6.00pm.

Tickets

Saturday and Sunday performances are priced at 4 €. Tickets can be purchased on entradesformentera.cat where information will be available from Friday 7 January.
 
Due to the exceptional situation stemming from the COVID-19 crisis, admission to the 2022 Festival will be free for unemployed individuals and under-employed freelancers.

The shows will be carried out in accordance with safety protocols and in compliance with current regulations, and functions may be postponed based on the epidemiological situation.

Sa Xerxa

"Culture is an essential human right". This idea has pervaded Sa Xerxa for nearly twenty years and is the chief motivator behind every activity the non-profit promotes.

A volunteer-powered organisation that works to deliver culturally dynamic on-stage offerings and boost children and young people's involvement in culture through the performing arts. Sa Xerxa specialises in all-ages theatre, disseminating quality shows in every corner of the Balearic Islands and, at the same time, strengthening the cultural industry and fomenting programming and family theatre festivals across the region.

2022 theatre troupes

Lletra encantada
Lletra encantada are co-creators of stories and spells, of new paths and adventures. They conduct workshops for children from aged zero to twelve. Founders Raquel de Manuel Mur and Helena Maba shape workshops and performances around stories and books. De Manuel leads reading and theatre activities with children and youth on Menorca, with more than 13-plus years of storytelling experience there and in Catalonia.

L'Estaquirot Teatre
L'Estaquirot Teatre, founded in 1973, specialise in family shows in which actors' lighthearted and expressive language fuses with the magic and spontaneity of the language of puppets. Forty-one productions have provided the troupe with the basis for constant and ongoing research of puppetry techniques. In 1981 the company created the Itinerant Puppet Theatre (Teatre Ambulant de Titelles) and put puppetry at the centre of "The Puppet Kitchen" ("La cocina de los títeres"), a 13-episode TV series in collaboration with TV3.

Mariantònia Oliver
Since the theatre troupe's inception in 1989, Mariantònia Oliver have developed a huge body of educational and creative projects in schools and social initiatives. In 2000, they settled on Mallorca and put a strong social commitment at the heart of their work. Since 2016 they have piloted EiMa, a festival in rural areas of Europe, and overseen educational projects at the Centre for the Creation of Performing Arts in Maria de la Salut (Mallorca). Mariantònia Oliver is director and choreographer for the theatre troupe that bears her name, not to mention professor at the Conservatory of Music of the Balearic Islands.

7 January 2022
Communications Office
Consell de Formentera