In November ‘21, artists Franch and Jover were profoundly moved when they stumbled on an anonymous poem in an anthology published more than a century ago. Inspired to discover the author, after exhaustive research they finally came upon troubadour, mystic and scientist Berenguera de Vilamur, who was born in the 13th century in Vilamur, in the county of Girona.
The show Berenguera is, therefore, a staging of the work and life of this very special character using a range of coded languages such as song, dance or poetry. The creators also use the story to question the credibility of the language with which they can explain history.
And, to quote Vilamur, “Adissiu mai, a profunda abistança”.
Maria and Gerard met in 2018 at the 34th edition of the San Miniato Prima de Teatro, at the Body Politic workshop, which evolved into two more European residencies and an eventual premiere within the Focus Jeune Théâtre Européen festival in Chalon-sur-Saône. They have continued to work together since that moment. Graduated in acting from ESAD in Barcelona, these two artists combine their own experience with great complicity and theatrical knowledge. Each has an extensive career in performance, going from musical training through numerous collective and personal creations to a variety of European projects.
The eighth edition of KONVENT A L’ANTIC: a once-a-year chance to see, in Barcelona, the creations of resident artists at Konvent de Cal Rosal, a former convent of the late 19th century converted into a multidisciplinary and selfmanaged artistic centre.
For the 2023 season, Konvent provided residencies to creators from specific fields working on specific themes, with the aim of delving deeper into the subjects, disciplines and contexts we believe require special attention in the times we’re living in.
So, for this year’s edition of Konvent a l’Antic we have selected proposals that move us personally and that represent the diversity that exists within artistic creation and our society, highlighting both historically sidelined collectives and currently relevant themes.
Just like Antic Teatre, Konvent is a cultural agitator: a space for the arts and, at the same time, a way of practicing and understanding local culture. The continuous tracking and observation of the artistic environment, empowerment and providing visibility are some of the self-imposed duties of both establishments. The Antic Teatre-Konvent combo has produced many wide-ranging projects, such as Rebota rebota y en tu cara explota, by Agnés Mateus and Quim Tarrida, which won the Premio de la Crítica Nuevas Tendencias 2017, Premio FAD Sebastià Gasch Aplauso 2018 and Premio Butaca 2018 Nuevas Aportaciones Escénicas.
