News

New defibrillators at sports facilities and Casa del Poble de la Mola

Saturday, 17 July 2021 11:38

foto 2021 desfibril ladors The Formentera Department of Sport has launched an effort to give clubs and athletes access to training and install new defibrillators in sports facilities on the island. Defibrillators have also been installed in local seniors’ clubs, the first at Casa del Poble de la Mola. FDS chair Paula Ferrer said the initiative was about “making sport safer and building awareness among athletes, clubs and fans about the importance of safeguards and responsible conduct”.

This July new defibrillators have been installed at the Nautical Sports Centre (Centre d’Esports Nàutics de Formentera, CENF), tennis and paddle tennis courts and the Antoni Blanc Sports Centre. In addition, defibrillators at municipal facilities like the football pitch and swimming pool have been upgraded, and a new device will soon be installed in the Marc Ferrer Secondary School gym.

Last Saturday, athletes, club members and Consell staff took part in a new training session (the first happened in May) to learn how to use semi-automatic defibrillators. The programme was led by Emergency Staff.

Defibrillators in old persons’ clubs
By request, a defibrillator was also installed in Casa del Poble de la Mola and staff there were trained in emergency response. Chief of the seniors department, Ana Juan, said local government was committed to making all of Formentera’s elderly clubs heart-healthy spaces with defibrillators.

With basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automated external defibrillators, non-health workers can offer early and vital assistance in cases of cardiorespiratory arrest.

17 July 2021
Communications Department
Consell de Formentera

26 July–15 September, new hours at ITV

Friday, 16 July 2021 12:19

The Formentera Department of Inspection Services reports that from Monday 26 July until 15 September the island’s roadworthiness test site (Inspección Técnica de Vehículos, ITV) will open Monday to Friday between 7.30am and 2.30pm and will close Thursday afternoons. The morning timetable has been extended by half an hour from 2.00pm to accommodate all the weekly appointments. Staff estimate the change will mean they can offer 30 additional appointments per week. Opening Thursday afternoons allowed the service to accommodate just 18 additional appointments.

An overabundance of slots still available this July meant motorists with August appointments were contacted via SMS in case they wished to move them forward. Appointments for roadworthiness tests can be made by calling 971 32 31 30 or emailing itv@conselldeformentera.cat.

The Formentera ITV closed out 2020 with a waiting list of zero and nearly 6,000 vehicles inspected.

16 July 2021
Communications Department
Consell de Formentera

Local league of information professionals gets Formentera’s gold medal

Thursday, 15 July 2021 18:17

foto 2021 distincionsA As Formentera gears up for its local holiday, or diada, decision-makers gathered today for a one-off plenary session to vet proposed candidates for the island’s honorary distinctions, the Sant Jaume Awards, in 2021.

Assembly members unanimously backed giving the Medalla d’Or (Gold Medal) to the island’s information professionals. As President Alejandra Ferrer put it, “by delivering news and insight about local goings-on to islanders, [these individuals] guarantee one of the most basic human rights, the right to information – an indisputable pillar of the freest and most independent thinking”. The poignance of the award is underscored by the pandemic-era efforts of news outlet staff on the island.

The three Sant Jaume awards will go to:

Three Kings of Formentera
In recognition of the momentum and social commitment surrounding Three Kings cavalcades, the Yuletide Mitjana Festa, charity activities and cultural and popular festivals as expressions of local identity and popular culture on Formentera.

Fonda Pepe
An iconic local establishment whose history extends from the fifties to present day, Fonda Pepe has been the undisputed fulcrum of Formentera’s unflagging multiculturalism since opening and remains key source of identity and uniqueness today.

Teixits J. Marí Serra
Since the mid-20th century, when Teixits J. Marí Serra opened as a family business trading in fabrics and textiles, they have become one of Formentera’s flagship establishments.

Adoptive daughter
Assembly members also agreed to name Remedios Castillo Cañas (Granada, 1940 - Formentera, 2021) the island’s adoptive daughter. Beyond Castillo’s work in ceramics, the award highlights her passioned, thirty-plus-year career as exponent of the discipline. Castillo shaped the imagination and creativity of so many Formentera residents, and maintained a deep commitment to peaceful coexistence, participation and equality.

President Ferrer congratulated honorees on behalf of the local cabinet and invited them to an 8.00pm awards ceremony on Saturday 24 July in the courtyard of the La Mola lighthouse. Attendees should arrive 30 minutes early to ensure orderly seating. The event will be aired on the YouTube channel of the Consell de Formentera and TEF.

15 July 2021
Communications Department
Consell de Formentera

Francisca Ferrer’s collection of tapestries on view at Centre Antoni Tur ‘Gabrielet’

Friday, 16 July 2021 09:52

cartell 2021 francisca ferrer Sant Ferran resident Francisca Ferrer Ferrer will be showing her tapestry collection at the Centre Antoni Tur ‘Gabrielet’ from Monday 19 July.

Born on Formentera, Francisca developed her interest in fabrics while running a clothing and accessories shop on the island from 1994 to 2017. Shortly before entering lockdown, she began to machine- and hand-sew nature-themed tapestries, slowly incorporating more general themes like landscapes and traditional local architecture.

The exhibition will be on display 19–25 July from 11.00am to 2.00pm and 7.00pm to 10.00pm.

16 July 2021
Communications Department
Consell de Formentera

Clara Peya to perform for Sant Jaume

Thursday, 15 July 2021 12:29

cartell 2021 clara peya The Formentera Department of Culture is pleased to report that Sunday 25 July, Clara Peya will offer a unique concert to islanders in support of her eleventh album, Perifèria. The performance is part of the Formentera Diada celebrations for Sant Jaume (St James).

Clara Peya is considered one of the most prolific and transgressive pianists in Spain. She has also been described as energy and feeling in their purest form. With the piano her unfailing centre of gravity for composing songs, onlookers describe her artistic personality contagious and torrential. In concerts, she strips herself bare, transforming herself and holding the audience in rapt attention.

A tireless activist and fighter, she received the 2019 National Culture Award for her musical career and social commitment. Peya’s CV is as impressive as her music is unclassifiable. Restless, visceral and transcendent, she eschews clichés and believes in the power of art as a tool for social change.

In 2007 Peya completed undergraduate studies in classical piano at the Catalonia College of Music (Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya, ESMUC) before studying jazz and modern music at Barcelona’s Taller de Músics. At 32, she has released eight albums under her own name and collaborated with celebrated musicians. She is also the co-founder of Les Impuxibles, a theatre, dance and live music company, and has composed several pieces of music for theatre and dance performances.

The free, limited-seating concert starts at 10.00pm on St James’ Day (Sunday 25 July) in the courtyard of Sa Senieta. Tickets are available at www.entradesformentera.cat.