The Formentera Council's culture department unveiled its calendar of activities today for the Diada de Sant Jordi (St George's Day, to English-speaking readers). “Open a book, open your wings!” is the tagline of the programme, which comes with a total 15 activities for adults, teens and younger children of all sizes. In the words of department head Susana Labrador, the day is about “having fun and connecting people with culture”. Things kick off at 8.00pm on Friday April 5 with a look at Maria Escalas's book Sara i els silencis in Marià Villangómez library.

Activities for children and teens
The youth programme takes off at 6.00pm on Saturday April with Ella Balla from Las Moskitas Muertas. The live show combines music, movement and words all while finessing a sense of fresh and fun on-stage ambiance. Based on the childhood of choreographer and ballerina Gillian Lyne, the story traces young Gillian's discovery of her gift (dancing) thanks to her struggles (holding still and keeping quiet). The story offers young and old alike an outstretched hand, inviting us to be true to our real selves. The show happens at jardí de ses Eres.

On Friday April 12, the Casal de Joves hosts the second edition of a marriage of styles: traditional glosa poetry and rap. Veteran glosadors lined up to participate are Vicent de Jeroni and Pep de Can Andreu, plus rappers Victoria Jiménez (alias Kelevra), Juan Camilo Puerta (El Puerta), Christian Elian Encinas (Elian C) and Ricki Rap. The evening gets started at 6.00pm.

Tuesday April 23 youngsters are invited to a Sant Jordi Roses workshop at the Casal de Joves.

Book talks
Ibizan editor Ramon Mayol will on hand Monday April 8 to present his latest book, Ibiza estrellada, published by Ibiza Editions. The encounter is scheduled for 8.00pm at Biblioteca Marià Villangómez and will be moderated by David Valls.

More literature is in store on Tuesday April 16 when poet Maria Teresa Ferrer presents  L'espera de la letargia. Masterfully edited by Eivissa publishing house Finis Africae, the collection of poetry by Ferrer comes with illustrations by Maribel Escandell. The event starts at 8.00pm (Tuesday April 16) at Biblioteca Marià Villangómez.

Next day at the same time and same place, the Formentera chapter of Obra Cultural Balear is inviting islanders to come have a look at Vicent des Racó's 100 gloses de Vicent Jeroni i unes més de regateig.

And lastly, Tuesday April 30, Santi Colomar will host a talk on the port of la Savina called “History of a scam and a miracle (19th to 20th centuries)”. The event will get going at 8.00pm in the Marià Villangómez library.

Concerts
Music lovers, Saturday April 13 is for you. Giorgio Conte and Joan Isaac, two of the singer-songwriting world's long-standing titans  are brought together by the sea that permeates their songs. Dues cultures, un sol mar is part of the BARNASANTS cultural initiative.

On Sunday, OCB Formentera presents a performance by Manresa duet Jo Jet and Maria Ribot. The show starts at 8.00pm in Centre “Gabrielet”.

Book stands
All morning long on Sant Jordi day (Monday April 23), stands will be set up in Constitució square where islanders can swap or buy books and get them signed by Vicent Jeroni des Racó and Maria Teresa Ferrer.

Maria José Cardona will perform music from 11.00am to 1.00pm.

Literature and bookmark contest
From 5.30pm on Wednesday April 17, the cinema (Sala de Cultura) will be the scene of  awards ceremonies for the 19th year of two contests for local youth: the Antoni Tur “Gabrielet” Bookmark and Robert Lewis Baldon Youth Writing Contest. This year as part of the European Year of Cultural Heritage, contestants will write about life without plastic.

The awards ceremony is emceed by Àngels Martínez.

Exhibits and screenings
At 7.00pm on Monday April 15, the Sala de Cultura (Cinema) will host a screening of Eva Parey and Pep Martínez's documentary Arrels fondes.

Also included on the Sant Jordi programme is the OCB-sponsored opening of El Petit Príncep, by Jordi Riera and Maite Ferrer. The event kicks off at 8.00pm in the Sala d'Exposicions (Ajuntament Vell).

'Caminada popular'
On Saturday April 28, Sant Jordi celebrations come to a close with an OCB-sponsored community walk with Andreu Ferrer and Santi Colomar. The start is at 10.00am in Sant Francesc's plaça de la Constitució.

The preceding activities are organised by the CiF culture department, local libraries and the island's youth drop-in centre, el Casal de Joves. Formentera's early-learning and primary schools are also closely involved, as well as other groups like the OCB's Formentera branch, BARNASANTS, Ràdio Illa and the Institut d'Estudis Baleàrics. Their support is greatly appreciated.

2 d’abril de 2019
Àrea de Comunicació
Consell de Formentera

At 11.00am this morning in the Formentera Council's Sala d'Actes, CiF social welfare councillor Vanessa Parellada met with the organiser of the Festa Intercultural, Maribel Jiménez Tur, and Adan Gimena, who chairs the organising group, to unveil details about Formentera's 17th Festa Intercultural, an event scheduled for April 7 in es Pujols' plaça d'Europa.

The yearly gathering encompasses a diverse array of countries and Spanish autonomous communities represented on the island (twelve and six, respectively). Chile, Bolivia, Dominican Republic, Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela, Indonesia, Brazil, Italy, Ecuador, Morocco, Paraguay, plus Andalusia, Galicia, Valencia, Catalunya, Asturias, Castilla la Mancha, Andalusia and Formentera, are some of the twenty nations and peoples whose cuisines and cultures will be represented at the event.

Games for children
Activities from 1.00pm to 6.00pm will include mural painting, a pint-size field day or “gymkhana” and games from around the world. Children at the Festa Intercultural will also be able to enjoy inflatable bouncy toys and take part in other kid-friendly activities.

World cuisine
From 2.00pm to 3.30pm, attendees will be treated to an assortment of fine-dining flavours from the event's various stands. Among the signature world dishes expected to make appearances are Moroccan couscous, Argentinian roast meat (asado) and an Indonesian dish, not to mention more traditional fare like Valencian paella and arròs negre.

Musical performances
Music, including a selection from participating countries and regions, is on the programme from 2.00pm to 7.00pm. Islanders will enjoy a sonada pagesa (a local signature), Brazilian dance, Argentinian folklore, merengue from the Dominican Republic and more. Paco Romero together with Claudio Sabor and Gabriel Guitar will be there with more music later, and La 22 will help wrap things up with a closing concert.

Admission
Four-euro adult tickets permit their holder to enjoy five sample dishes, while admission for children under 12 is €2 and includes three sample dishes. Islanders are asked to do their part for the environment by bringing their own plates and cutlery. Those who can't will be provided biodegradable utensils with everything they need. The 2019 Festa Intercultural is, for the first time ever, 100 per cent plastics-free. The officials also took the opportunity to applaud hard work of this year's 100-person team of volunteers.

Formentera Council
Àrea de Comunicació
March 26, 2019

The Formentera Council's culture office reports that Tuesday April 2 and Wednesday April 3, Biblioteca Marià Villangómez will host day-long learning events about pregnancy, newborns and families.

The sessions are divided into three parts: pregnancy, a newborn's first months and parents. Instruction will be given by Marta Català Toran.

Taking place Tuesday April 2 at 6.00pm, the first session is for pregnant women and partners who are ready for the chance to use music to start building a bond with their child.

The second session, on Wednesday April 3 at 11.00, is a workshop for parents of babies up to six months old. It is envisioned as a space to breathe and stock up on musical tools to share with their children.

Space is limited at both events and all those interested in participating are asked to register in advance via email at biblioteca@conselldeformentera.cat.

Marta Català got her education and professional training at Fundació Esplai, where she directed cooperation projects —always firmly rooted in education— with Bosnia and Guinea Bissau. Her passion for communication and education propelled her to storytelling with storyteller Numancia Rojas. With that experience under her belt, and nurturing a love of music, Català took up two-tone accordion and traditional song, a pivot which has shaped a more than ten year trajectory performing stories, romances and songs for newborns, children and adults.

A special 6.00pm storytime for newborns (zero to six months old) will crown the educational sessions on Wednesday April 3. In «Bosquim Boscam», Català's accordion will provide the melodies for a stroll (or crawl) reviewing the assorted musical adventures of the previous days.

Formentera Council
Àrea de Comunicació
March 25, 2019

The Formentera Council's office of culture reports that from May 16 to 19, islanders can see short films, documentaries and video art as part of the sixth Formentera Film Festival. Festival screenings, which are free to attend, kick off at 8.30pm on Thursday May 16 in la Mola's plaça del Pilar and continue the next three days in Constitució square in Sant Francesc.

Fiction, animation and documentaries from around the world, Spain and the Balearic Islands
Sixty-six shorts have been submitted to this year's contest, with 26 competing in the official international contest, 21 in the children's category and 19 in a special selection of films presented in collaboration with the City of Soria's International Contest of Short Films and tailored to primary and secondary school students of the island.

Music
Playing funk and soul, Hot Hissi's Paul Powell will be on hand to get the party going from 8.00pm on May 17 and 18. The Balearic Islands symphonic orchestra will take over on Sunday and perform “Palma Brass Movie Themes”, a selection of featured songs from film soundtracks to open the awards ceremony and film screenings.

Formentera Film welcomes directors, producers, distributors and heads of other festivals. The panel of jurors includes Belén E. Rodríguez, Francesca Carol Rolla, Juanjo Giménenez and Pascual Fernández Palermo. Local artists Enric Majoral, Lorenzo Pepe, Sol Courreges Boné and Andrés Rodríguez have been brought in to come up with prizes. Winning short films will be announced at Italy's Lago Film Fest in July 2019. Formentera Film Festival's presenters are Xènia Fuertes and Viviana Carlet.

Extra Fest
On May 19 islanders will have a chance to see this year's off-festival material: two short films shot on the island as part of the first two Collective Signatures (a local cultural initiative commissioned by Francesca Carol Rolla), Arturo Bandinelli's Walls of Limerick and, written and directed by Gonçalo Almeida, Thursday Night.

Independent productions
An Italian collective made up Alessandro Grespanm, Stefano De Marco and Niccolò Falsetti, ZERO are back on the island fresh from their praise from 48 Hour Film Project (USA). After Clichè, which the team produced as part of last year's festival, they are ready for their latest challenge: write, shoot and edit a short film in 48 hours...and screen it in plaça de la Constitució the closing night.

Exhibit and workshop
From May 13 to 19, the Sala d'Exposicions will host Pilar Aldea's Semblen Cordes, a selection of Aldea's photography from 2010 to 2018. Then, on Thursday May 16, a video fashioned as part of workshops with the children of la Mola's primary school will be screened in la Mola's el Pilar plaza.

This year's poster was concocted by young Italian illustrator Marta Pantaleo. Pantaleo's work finds her collaborating with big-name magazines and publishing houses and during the festival she will mastermind a live production that, when complete, will remain on the island.

Festa Formentera Film
The festival's signature party—this year a tribute to Fritz Lang's Metropolis, will take place in plaça de la Constitució on Saturday May 18. Kicking things off is a blend of electronic music and video images from Alterphase (aka Formentera native León Convalia), followed by Ibizan DJ Ángeles Blanes Noguera (Lost Angeles) and Toni Planells (Untaltoni Dj set).

CiF support
Formentera Film Festival, a project of FormenteraArt (a nonprofit formed by Silvio Bandinelli, Monica Timperi, Viviana Carlet and Carlo Migotto), is supported by the Formentera Council and receives additional assistance from the Govern balear's Institut d'Estudis Baleàrics and local business owners.

For up-to-date information on the festival, visit: http://www.formenterafilm.com/eng/

Àrea de comunicació
Formentera Council
March 21, 2019