Boes e Merdules. Photo by Boa Campbell.
The FiraMediterrània Manresa is an interdisciplinary event which combines a professional conference with a performing arts fair designed to highlight Mediterranean artistic and cultural traditions. This year the 22nd edition begins on October 10th and runs through October 13th. Though the daytime program consists of roundtable discussions and presentations primarily geared toward entertainment industry attendees, the evening performances—music, theater, circus, dance and storytelling showcases—are separate ticketed events in venues throughout the city and are open to the public.
While one of the purposes of the Fira is to promote Catalan culture, the showcases also include numerous artists from other regions of Spain, as well as France, Italy, Macedonia and more. The concerts and shows range from large-scale spectacles to street performances, and from established performers such as award-winning Italian contemporary dancer Alessandro Sciarroni, to up-and-coming young artists such as acrobat Júlia Farrero.
Flowk, Photo courtesy of FiraMediterrània Manresa.
Jordi Fosas is the new artistic director of the FiraMediterrània de Manresa this year. His official statement regarding this year’s festival says that he has made it a priority not only to showcase artists whose work represents the cultural legacy and traditions of the Catalan region and Mediterranean world, but also those whose work makes a connection with modern-day shifts in sociopolitical culture. One example is the award-winning dance piece La Oscilante, performed by Pol Jiménez and choreographed by Juan Carlos Lérida, which explores the traditionally binary nature of Spanish dance, and proposes a nonbinary, genderless alternative.
The FiraMediterrània will also host a World Cuisine Market with outdoor dining areas just outside the Taverna Cervesa Guineu (Passeig del Riu 12, Manresa), as well as a marketplace on the promenade of Passeig Pere III. More information, tickets, and the full schedule are available online.