The Formentera Council's Office of Culture has chosen today to unveil this season's programme of performing arts at the municipal cinema (Sala de Cultura). According to CiF culture councillor Susana Labrador, the calendar of musical and stage productions comes on the back of the positive response received by last year's programme dubbed l'Illa a Escena (“the island on stage”). This year's shows get under way in October, Labrador explained, with brand new proposals aimed at raising the cultural bar for all audiences. L'Illa a Escena 2016, she said, contains “elements of every style and artistic expression” and includes works of opera, theatre, children's shows and musicals.
October
In October, the Titzina Teatro company will share with Formentera audiences its most recent work, Distancia siete minutos, an emotional work of dramatic writing and stage interpretation by Pako Merino and Diego Lorca. The critically-acclaimed production can be seen Saturday October 1 in the Sala de Cultura, Formentera's municipal cinema, and then in the Palau de Congressos in Sant Eulària des Riu the following day. The production comes to the island under the aegis of the Ministry of Culture's Platea programme.
Formentera Viu l'Òpera is a performing arts series that brings opera —in the case ofÂÂ El cas dels 3 porquets, Mozart arias— to children. With three singers and musical accompaniment by keyboards, El cas dels 3 porquets is a part-opera, part-fable production sung and spoken in Catalan. It also provides young ones in the audience a chance to actively participate. Part of the Institut d'Estudis Baleàrics's Talent IB push, the show will be presented October 9 at 6.00pm.
November
The Formentera Viu l'Òpera programme continues in November with a screening of Los Tres Tenores. Luciano Pavarotti, Plácido Domingo and Josep Carreras star in this magical musical production set in the Roman hot springs of Caracalla. Los Tres Tenores can be seen Saturday November 5 at 8.00pm in the municipal cinema (Sala de Cultura).
Formentera Viu l'Òpera, created to get the word out about this particular branch of the performing arts, draws from an extremely representative selection of opera and projects them in high-definition before audiences at the municipal cinema (Sala de Cultura).
On Universal Children's Day one of the most celebrated clowns from the Catalan stage brings his latest production, La gran A...ventura [història d'un Pallasso], to Formentera audiences. With a professional career that spans more than thirty years, Marcel Gros never fails to snag smiles from viewers of this “multicomical and minimedia” production, tailor-made precisely for absolutely all audiences. It can be seen Saturday November 12 at 5.30pm in the Sala de Cultura and Sunday November 13 in Santa Eulària des Riu's Palau de Congressos. La gran A...ventura comes to Formentera as part of the Platea programme.
Back on Formentera on November 19 is Cap·pela's new musical, Feel'N'Soul Vint anys de veus. Golden soul hits from Stevie Wonder, Jackson Five, Ray Charles, Nina Simone, Van Morrison and more are recast here by one of the world's great vocal groups. Tenderness, elegance and a healthy dose of groove is in the air on this production, completely and entirely a cappella.
December
On December 10, as part of the Institut d'Estudis Baleàrics's Talent IB run, the Sala de Cultura welcomes Gran Buffet, a production by Diabéticas acelerades. This show, the latest by the Majorcan theatre group, tells the story of triplet sisters who, getting on in years, run one of Palma's most blue-collar bars. The old Palma neighbourhood is a symbol of the pluralistic and globalised society we inhabit today, where people of all castes, races, languages and colours are brought together. A musical comedy for all audiences, races, sexual identities and religions.
La Mostra d'espectacles Infantils is an effort, jointly organised with Sa Xerxa, to bring performing arts productions to local children. On Sunday December, kids will be treated to the Mariantonia Oliver dance company's presentation of Volen Volen. The show, which blends dance, circus arts and teatro de objetos, is conceived for audiences three and up.
On December 28 the Minorcans of Dosnoudosmil will arrive on the island ready to present Formentera theatregoers with Quina pescada, a fun-loving show in which keen attention to detail permeates the story, stage design and lighting.
Promoting culture
L'Illa a Escena receives support from Talent IB, a programme of the Institut d'Estudis Baleàrics, and from Platea, an initiative of Spain's Ministry of Culture which focuses on promoting the performing arts.
This kind of cultural programming is made possible thanks to Fundació Baleària, which, under a deal signed this year with the CiF, collaborates actively in putting together Formentera's cultural agenda.
Today, Thursday September 22, the Formentera Council's Office of Mobility organised a bike ride across the island's network of nature trails, the rutes verdes. After a 9.30am rendezvous at plaça de la Constitució, a forty-strong group of participants set out for Cala Saona prepared to put three of the 32 routes to the test. Rafael González fronted the event together with tourism councillor Alejandra Ferrer, who jumped on the chance to celebrate the Council's tourist-appreciation day the most sustainable way possible, and sports councillor Jordi Vidal.
This morning in Sant Francesc's plaça de la Constitució, the Formentera Council (CiF) staged an exhibition of zero-emission vehicles. Local firms Cooltra, Es Brolls, Novelec and Proauto displayed their selection of e-vehicles and recharge units and the Council exhibited part of its electric fleet as well.
This morning, Thursday September 22, as part of the island's tourist-appreciation day, Dia del Turista, the Formentera Council made a special salute to Federico and Gisela Schmidt, celebrating 50 years of Formentera visits. The couple took their first trip to the island in 1966. For many years the two spent their time on Formentera in a house in es Ca Marí, which they later sold. Since that time, they have spent their visits to the island lodging at their daughter's house in Venda des Pi des Català. Despite a recent spill at home, Federico made it out to the island to celebrate his 93rd birthday. “Every fibre of me loves Formentera. All I wanted was to be here today”, he said. Molts anys i bons!
The Formentera Council has announced its autumn-winter catalogue of courses and workshops for adults. The aim is to offer a wide range of options to meet the local demand for educational and leisure courses.