The Formentera Council's culture office presents the twelfth annual Mostra d'Espectacles Infantils (“Children's Theatre Festival”), a selection of shows set to arrive Friday January 18 with a musical production for children under three. Formentera's own Xènia Fuertes will put on Engrunes musicals from 6.00pm at the island's cinema (Sala de Cultura, €3, reservations via email: cultura@conselldeformentera.cat).

More entertainment options are in store at the weekend. On Saturday January 19, the Zum-Zum company presents Formentera audiences with La gallina dels ous d'or, a fable-ish production in which two farmers will see how what starts as a stroke of luck finding the hen that lays golden eggs turns into misfortune. Admission for the show, which begins at 6.00pm and is for children four and up, is €3.

Storytime
The Mostra d'Espectacles Infantils' final act hits Monday January 21 with David and Monma's Nous contes de Conta'm el Món, a show full of laughs, music and slapstick theatre that takes us on a journey around the globe, where we'll discover the universal values of traditional lore. The free storytime session starts at 6.00pm at Sant Francesc's Biblioteca Marià Villangómez.

On Monday David and Monma will take their storytelling down the road to the seniors and assorted users of the dependent care facility (Centre de Dia).

Mostra d'Espectacles Infantils
Culture councillor Susana Labrador said Mostra events are about “promoting our local offering of kid-focused cultural fare, and transmitting universal values that children can learn while having fun”.

The Mostra is organised jointly by Sa Xerxa, a youth theatre group based in the Balearics, and the Formentera Council, with additional support from the Spanish ministry of education and culture, Trasmapi, Obra Cultura La Caixa and Balèaria.

Now in its twelfth year, the current series of children's programming began December 29 with Minúcia Teatre's Tatanka and Campi Qui Pugui's Rats!, which offered extra entertainment for crowds awaiting the arrival of the Three Kings on January 5.

The Formentera Council's department of new technologies reports that as of December 26, residents in the centre of Sant Ferran have had the option to request connection to the fibre optic network. Likewise, neighbours across most of la Savina's urban centre have been able to request the operation since early December.

The two changes represent the latest advances in the rollout of Formentera's fibre optic network, a project first launched in 2017 and overseen by private firms Telefónica and Teleco with support from the Formentera Council. In April 2018 Sant Francesc became the first urban area on the island to undergo the upgrades, with downtown es Pujols and the industrial park's connections coming later. Other parts of the island near urban areas have also been hooked up to the network.

The rollout continues
Similar operations in the works in ses Bardetes, es Caló, la Mola and es Ca Marí mean every one of the island's urban hubs will soon boast fibre optic connections. Other spots included in the plans are the vicinity of the hospital and some of es Cap de Barbaria.

“Operations are set to continue for two years”, explained department head Rafael González, who noted “the Council's goal is to have connections everywhere traditional phone lines have been available till now”. González said the plan “is about responding to longstanding calls to put Formentera in the lead as far as telecom is concerned”.

To find out if fibre optic connections are available at their homes, islanders can telephone 1004.