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Something for everyone as Formentera’s Sant Jordi Day celebrations go virtual

cartell 2020 st jordiThe island’s Department of Culture, libraries and Language Advisory Service have come up with a virtual activities programme to celebrate Sant Jordi Day (St George’s Day) on Thursday 23 April. The programme can be seen on the Sant Francesc library’s new Facebook page, “Biblioteca Marià Villangómez”, which launches today, Monday 20 April, marking the holiday when people offer books and roses as gifts. Details about the programme will be posted on 23 April to the “Formentera es queda a casa” page on Facebook, which will also contain content shared as the week progresses on the library’s new social media page.

As education and culture consellera Susana Labrador put it, “for a special day like this one, we knew it was worth doing a confinement-friendly version”, directing islanders to social media to find “loads of all-ages activities about reading, books and fantasy”. Labrador said the idea behind this year’s catchphrase, “Llegeix i viatjaràs” (Read and you’ll travel), was to remind people that “when we read we can travel without leaving the house—a proposition that’s likely to appeal to an increasingly wide audience these days”.

Monday
The programme kicks off at 12 noon, when organisers are planning to take to Facebook to launch a daily game of literature-themed questions called “Superlectors” (Superreaders). Each day that follows will come with the answer to the previous day’s query as well as a new question. At 3pm from Monday to Friday, a reading recommendation will be posted as well.

At 5.00pm Xènia Fuertes will serve up her own thoughts and recommendations for Sant Jordi, while two hours later, writer Josep Rubio, who is best known to formenterencs as the presenter of the island’s daily radio broadcast, Ràdio Illa’s De Far a Far, will dish on his book “Formentera: Una mirada enrere”.

Tuesday
At 5.00pm artist Maristela Campana will guide children through a creative workshop to make Sant Jordi roses. Two hours later, writer and Eivissa native Nora Albert will browse through the newest edition of her book “Mots i brases” as well as other publications as she curates a Sant Jordi Day recommendation of her own.

Wednesday
At 5.00pm artist Célia Ruiz will share with Formentera youngsters a clip of a made-for-kids clown show, and at 7.00pm, Lluís Ferrer will discuss the comics he created with illustrator Jaume Escandell.

Thursday, Sant Jordi Day
Formentera’s Language Advisory Service has signed on to “Per Sant Jordi, una paraula” (For Sant Jordi, a word)—the regional government’s initiative to encourage youth in the island’s to think about their favourite word in Catalan and share it. Like the sound of tomata? How about atzavara? Fonoll is a good one. Or maybe you’d pick robapàgines. Decide which Catalan word makes your ears tingle and on 23 April, post it on social media under the hashtag #parauladesantjordi. You can share thoughts on the word, a text containing it, an explanation of why you chose it... You be the judge of how to customise your contribution: write it, record a video, take a picture... Mull it over, pin down a word and share it. And remember to include “#parauladesantjordi”!

At 12 noon, a group from the local chapter of Obra Cultural formed by poets Maria Teresa Ferrer, Esteve Portas, Mireia Bernabeu and Neus Costa will offer up their own tailor-made and filmed-at-home poetry recital.

At 5.00pm, specialist Maira Vila will lead participants through a Sant Jordi-themed online mini clinic on lettering.

And what would the day be without the Sant Jordi dragon? At 6.00pm, artist and storyteller Xènia Fuertes will perform “El Drac refredat”, sharing with youngsters one of the most important parts of Sant Jordi: the magic of storytelling.

At 7.00pm, Eivissa author-turned-Formentera resident Carles Torres will close out the programme with a presentation of his novel “Els Cossos elèctics”.

Friday
Last up, Friday will see a 5.00pm post with snapshots of the Sant Jordi roses made at Tuesday’s workshop, followed by a literary recommendation from Ramon Mayol at 7.00pm.

The wide-ranging Sant Jordi Day programme marks the launch of the library’s Facebook page, which, for the duration of confinement, will serve as a showcase for weekly reading recommendations and questions put to readers. At the end of confinement, the page will promote and disseminate details about local libraries’ monthly lineups of activities.


20 April 2020
Department of Communications
Consell de Formentera

Book launches, kids’ workshops and writers’ huddle figure among March events at libraries

cartell iii2020 biblio3The Formentera Department of Culture unveiled the activities in store this March at local libraries. At 5.00pm this Wednesday at Sant Ferran’s Punt de Lectura, Xènia Fuertes will lead children ages seven and up in a creative workshop called “Dona Llum” where participants will learn about the body in motion, writing, narrating, collages, textures, music, drawing and plastic arts—“plus lots of magic”, adds Fuertes.

At 8.00pm on Friday 13 March the Marià Villangómez library will play host to a close-up of Miren Jaurne’s book La Venus que rompió el espejo. Jaurne, also known on social media as MimiXXL, is a youtuber whose current book lets readers in on some of her darkest moments, and deals with the futility of judging ourselves based on physical appearance, or handing others the same power. We have nothing to be ashamed of, and a “no” early on can save us from a downward spiral of self-destruction. Today Jaurne isn’t just a woman who has overcome her fears; she has joined the fight to stop bullying and the “body positive” movement. Lilian Heinrichs will emcee the all-ages event.

Rondalles
At 5.30pm next Tuesday 17 March at the Sant Ferran Punt de Lectura, the Formentera chapter of Obra Cultural Balear will host a reading of Rondalles de Formentera. The event is a way for islanders to discover the homespun fables known as rondalles, not to mention expand their Catalan expertise and promote reading among youth.

Another OCB-sponsored event happens in the library at 8.30pm on Friday 20 March. Billed as an “inter-island gathering of writers”, the event will see the participation of Mario Riera, Carles Fabregat, Fina Torres, Esteve Portas, Neus Costa, Mireia Bernabeu and Joan Ferrer, not to mention that of presenters Nora Albert and Maria Teresa Ferrer.

At 8.00pm on Friday 27 March, patrons of the library can look foward to another book launch, this time hosted by Vicent Ferrer Mayans and centred on Isidor Marí’s Poesia, llengua, país: Una mirada des d’Eivissa [Poetry, language, country: A view from Eivissa]. Describing the diversity and the distinct sense of unity that the lands in question share, Marí confides that as he selected texts for the volume and mulled over the order in which they’d appear, the triad of language, poetic/literary creation and a country’s cultural/political consolidation struck him as a fitting synthesis of what had been at the centre of his reflections. “I’d like to think my texts have helped us on this collective path, along with so many others more distinguished and more prevalent than mine. Above all”, says Marí, “I want to believe that our poetry, our language and our country will one day achieve the plenitude they so long for and deserve”. The event is put together by the Formentera Department of Heritage.

At 6.00pm on Monday 30 March the library will play host to Contes en OFF, a storytime for kids by Minorcan troupe No Som Tres enlisting humour, plus a bit of clownery and on-stage antics, to encourage reading.

At 8.00pm on Tuesday 31 March, bookworms rendezvous at the library for another gathering of the book club Llegeix i Gaudeix. As every first Tuesday of the month, the group Contes per parlar amb la lluna [Tales to discuss with the moon] convened on Tuesday 3 March.

9 March 2020
Department of Communication
Consell de Formentera

Beni Trutmann photo contest turns 18

foto 2020 BTrutmannThe Formentera Department of Culture announces that, now through 14 April, submissions will be accepted for the Beni Trutmann photography contest. In 2020, the marquee event on the local photography calendar celebrates its 18th year.

The contest is a tribute to the distinguished Swiss photographer who called Formentera home for 44 years and left a library of over 30,000 prints illuminating his love for the island and for its natural beauty. For that very reason and in the spirit of Trutmann’s commitment to the environment, nature in all its forms, from flora and fauna to landscapes and humans’ place in the outdoors, commands the contest’s starring role.

Colour / Black & White
In the Colour and Black & White categories, participants can submit up to three prints (analog or digital) in square, digital, classic and panorama format. Contestants must also state which prize—first, second or third, with cash prizes of €500, €300 and €200, respectively—they wish to compete for.

Political engagement
Although a relatively recent addition, the Fotodenúncia category —for photography that is political in nature, seeking to denounce injustices, demand change or encourage reflection on a particular environmental issue— has established itself as a key part of the Beni Trutmann contest. Cash prizes for the first-, second- and third-place winners are €500, €300 and €200, respectively.

Submissions to the Colour, Black & White and Fotodenúncia categories can be made in person at the Citizen’s Information Office (OAC) or by certified mail until 14 April 2020.

Smart shots
Tuned for youth aged 12 to 18, another category that has become wildly popular is for photographs taken with smartphones. These submissions must be sent before the end of the day on 14 April 2020 to concursfoto@conselldeformentera.cat. Contestants are asked to include no more than three photos taken with their smartphone.

Jury
A panel of judges will be made up of a spokesperson from the local chapter of the Balearic Association for Ornithology and the Defence of Nature (GOB); a representative of the local chapter of Obra Cultural Balear; three individuals renowned for their work in the visual arts; plus a chairperson and secretary.

Winning submissions will be included in the Formentera Image and Sound Archive, the AISF, and become property of the Council, which reserves the right to reproduce them as it deems fit (on posters, signs, internet-based campaigns, etc), though not for profit.

History
Councillor of Education and Culture Susana Labrador encouraged islanders to thumb through their personal photo collections and make a submission. “Beni Trutmann isn’t just for photo pros, it’s for anyone with even a passing interest in the field. The only real condition is the desire to use photography to bring some part of the island to life”, she said. In its 18 years, the competition has amassed a valuable archive of roughly 2,000 photos from 700 participants. No better proof of the contest's growth can be found than the participation of photographers from as far away as mainland Spain and other countries in Europe.

Exhibition and awards ceremony
To crown the contest's sixteenth edition, from Monday, 4 May, a selection of some fifty photos will be displayed in the municipal gallery, the Sala d'Exposicions, and during a special ceremony selected photographers will receive their prizes. The exhibition will continue through 16 May. For more information and to see submission conditions, visit the Consell de Formentera website:

http://www.consellinsulardeformentera.cat/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6822%3Aconcurs-de-fotografia-beni-trutmann-del-consell-insular-de-formentera-2020&catid=351%3Aeducacio-cultura-i-patrimoni&Itemid=437&lang=ca

5 March 2020
Department of Communications
Consell de Formentera

This Saturday at cinema, Les Kol·lontai perform free show for International Women’s Day revellers

LES KOLLONTAIJThe Formentera Office of Culture reports that at 8.30pm this Saturday, the Sala de Cultura (Cinema) will be the scene of a free concert for International Women’s Day. The trio of Catalan singer-songwriters made up of Sílvia Comes, Meritxell Gené and Ivette Nadal form a united behind feminist songs about freedom and equality (the group’s name, Les Kol·lontai, is a nod to the Soviet feminist and politician Alessandra Kol·lontai). The band has played to Catalan-speaking crowds since 2017 to promote their album Cançons Violeta.

Les Kol·lontai’s 90-minute performance on 7 March is the second of two very special Barnasants concerts scheduled to take place on Formentera this year. The first was Marina Rossell — the unmistakable, saccharine voice of the new popular Catalan musical tradition whose emotion-heavy performance brought down the packed cinema on 1 February in Sant Francesc.

For 25 years, Barnasants has made eclectically-sourced cultural initiatives its stock in trade, building a reputation across the European continent for top-quality independent music. After a renewal of a collaborative agreement between festival organisers and the island government, 2020 marks the festival’s second year bringing concerts to the island.

Cultural exchange
The pact between Barnasants and the Consell de Formentera extends beyond Barnasants concerts on Formentera to invest in promoting local Formentera acts off the island. A case in point were thirty-year music scene veterans, Aires formenterencs, who plugged their latest record to a crowd of Barnasants festivalgoers at Barcelona’s Centre Artesà Tradicionàrius (CAT) on Sunday 16 February performing. And, hometown singer-songwriter Maria José Cardona, will follow up her 2019 Barnasants date at the Harlem Jazz Club with two performances this weekend on Menorca. She’ll be at Ciutadella’s Espai Sant Josep at 7.30pm on Friday 6 March and Saturday at Es Nou Bar from 10.30pm. Both shows are free.

Workshop at the school of music
Les Kol·lontai’s Ivette Nadal will be at the Formentera Escola de Música Friday afternoon for a clinic on the voice as an instrument of music. Culture chief Susana Labrador acknowledged she was “just as thrilled about seeing indy Catalan music’s crème de la crème back on the island as I am about sharing our hometown sounds with the rest of the islands and other corners of the country. It’s a great way to promote this aspect of our culture.”

4 March 2020
Department of Communications
Consell de Formentera

Women’s Day exhibition: ‘Women working for women’

foto 2020 Expo dia de la donaLast night, the municipal art gallery Sala d’Exposicions ‘Ajuntament Vell’ hosted the opening of an exhibition turning the spotlight on the struggle of women, past and present. Titled “Mujeres trabajando por mujeres” [Women working for women], the show is by María María Acha-Kutscher, a Peru-born feminist and visual artist living in Spain. Her work will be on display from 11.00am to 2.00pm and 6.00pm to 8.00pm, Monday through Saturday until 14 March. The gallery is closed Sundays and Monday mornings.

3 March 2020
Department of Communications
Consell de Formentera

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