Press note: Invitation to the press conference on Tuesday 16th of January at 12:00 at the Antic Teatre.
2024: THE ANTIC PROJECT MUST GO ON!
You’re invited to the press conference taking place on Tuesday, January 16 at 12 noon.
We’ll be talking about Antic Teatre’s current administrative situation in relation to its transformation from a Grassroots Culture venue to a House of Culture.
We will also present our programme for the next six months and the new mediation project. Some of the companies featuring in the upcoming programme will attend, such as PORNOTOPIAcollective, Sara Manubens, Marina Guiu and Marc Caellas.
THE PROMISE
It’s been a year since the historic press conference celebrating Antic Teatre’s 20th anniversary, where the former mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau (Barcelona en Comú) announced that Barcelona City Council would guarantee Antic Teatre’s future by making it a publicly-owned facility, the fourth in the city to become part of the Houses of Culture network.
This action guaranteed the continuation of the social and cultural project housed at Verdaguer i Callís 12, and warded off the threatening situation it has found itself in ever since late 2019, when the landlord of the building housing the project announced a 500% increase in rent as a condition for renewing the contract: a condition that the Antic Teatre is financially in no position to meet.
THE DEED
The announcement that Antic Teatre was to transform from a Grassroots Culture venue into a city-run House of Culture had to be followed up administratively over 2023. And so it was: on April 28, the plenary session of the Municipal Council provisionally approved (by a majority) the qualification as such of the ground and first floors of the building, the areas where the cultural activities take place, and in so doing established them as a public venue (Reference 22PL16961). Final approval was granted on December 20, 2023 by the Subcommittee of Urban Planning of Barcelona, which comes under the Generalitat de Catalunya.
So far, we’ve received ratifications and guarantees for our continuity and of Antic Teatre’s transformation into a project belonging to the city. Nevertheless, we’re still waiting to advance in our integration to the Houses of Culture network. The City Council has initiated a new political cycle, during which we have received no communications as to how the political commitment given to date will be carried out in order to make Antic Teatre into a city-owned project. We wonder what stages are to be included in the roadmap and whether the expropriation of the building in which the activities take place is being included in the City Council’s budget for 2024.
ANTIC TEATRE: CULTURAL MEDIATION AND CONTEMPORARY CUTTING-EDGE ART
2024 is a year of renovation for Antic Teatre, with structural changes in the management team and a project plan strengthening ties with the neighbourhood and the city.
Antic Teatre’s philosophy sees the performance experience as the communal space from which to weave relations, as well as a way to guarantee cultural access and participation. This is why this season we’re aiming to accentuate our ties with local communities and audiences: we’ve reinforced our artistic mediation and cultural programmes with concurrent activities, we’ll be running matinees for schools in collaboration with educational communities and sessions of the Feedback Method developed by DAS Theatre; we’ll recover our April anniversary celebration, which coincides with OFF Sant Jordi, as well as the castanyada party we throw for our neighbours and local community each autumn, and, as we’ve been doing for more than 10 years, we’ll continue to provide support to our +65 Community Arts project, better known as “the Antic Grannies”.
Between January and June 2024, 18 different companies will be collaborating with the theatre to present their particular visions of contemporary dramaturgy. In addition, this year we will once again be providing production support for two shows: Cosa by Macarena Recuerda Shepherd and Masha by cia. Palimsesta, which premieres on May 10 at Mercat de les Flors.
Our programming gives first billing to flag bearing creations in contemporary performance – Jorge Dutor and Guillem Mont de Palol–, launches emerging companies – Estel Boada–, provides space for minority, hybrid performance –Rubén Ramos–, circus –Lucha Emilia–, dance –Jesús Bravo i Kike García– and Catalan-authored shows, and invites national –Paloma Calle– and international –Luqui Lagomarsino– companies to share their live arts experiences with residents of Barcelona.
Some of the contemporary debates running through our programming are: colonialism –Joâo Lima–; gender fluidity –PORNOTOPIAcollective and Sara Manubens–; violence and abuse against women –Marina Guiu–; individualism and capitalism in relation to new technologies –David Fernàndez–; mental health – Marc Caellas i David G. Torres– and ageist stereotyping – Adolescènics Laboratori 12@17 and our project with the “Antic Grannies” coordinated by Marta Galán and Montse Iranzo.
Like every year, we also feature two monthly cycles, hosted by Roger Pelàez and Víctor Guerrero respectively, and, thanks to our links with flag bearing institutions in Barcelona, we will once again be present at Festival Dansa Metropolitana, Festival Sâlmon and for Antic at Barcelona GREC Festival.
LINKS AND FURTHER INFORMATION
In-person Press Conference
Tuesday, January 16, at 12 o’clock noon at Antic Teatre
Dossier de programació gener-juny / català
Dosier de programación enero-junio / castellano
Confirm attendance here: comunicacio@anticteatre.com
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