Culture

The Ramon Llull's co-ordinator for education tells the CNA why budget cuts have forced the institution to re-evaluate its language partnerships

CNA talks to some of the most important figures from the Catalan cinema industry to discuss the main challenges for the future after 2010 was described as “the best year” to date for movies filmed and produced at home

True to its principles, Nathalie Stutzmann is the guest artist in the 31st edition of the Torroella de Montgri Music Festival. The French contralto will offer two concerts during the latest edition of the festival, which despite the crisis, is still an impressive showcase for classical music.

Toni Strubell brings together 35 interviews with some of the best known Catalan politicians –including two former presidents-, academics, sportsmen and authors of the country to explain Catalonia “to the world”. The book has been edited by Liz Castro and includes pictures by Lluís Brunet

The 49th edition of the Porta Ferrada Festival is a "preamble to the fiftieth and is as competitive a program as always. Hopefully, it is the gateway to an edition that will reach a much larger audience this year", said Festival director Albert Mallol.

This year’s festival is dedicated to the Catalan rumba with the legend Peret and the band Sabor de Gràcia. Other artists, coming from 10 different countries, are: Irish accordionist Sharon Shannon, Algerian singer Neila Benbey, Blue, Nácara or 17 Hippies. The festival hopes to congregate 35,000 visitors between July 15th and 17th.

Famous poems and quotes from the Catalan painter will be coupled with songs in two exceptional concerts in Dalí’s hometown Figueres. Twelve groups will perform in the celebration of the artist, including Manel, Love of Lesbian, Antònia Font or Lax’n’Busto. The show will commemorate the tenth anniversary of the Acústiva Festival

Directed by Andrés G. Schaer and featuring popular actors Pere Ponce and Elsa Pataky, the film hopes to reach an international audience. It combines 3D animated features with real images. The movie pictures Snowflake, the popular albino gorilla that lived in Barcelona’s zoo.

The European Museum of Art houses 20th and 21st Century figurative paintings and sculptures from all over the world. It is located in Barcelona’s Palau Gomis, next to the Picasso Museum. The MEAM belongs to a private institution and aims at becoming a reference within European figurative art’s landscape.

Catalonia’s National Museum of Art (MNAC) hosts the most important collection of Romanesque art in the world. It displays works from the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries, and some mural painting ensembles that are unique. After half a year of intense renovation, the Romanesque collection is on show again, with a new narrative.

Late spring and summertime bring a myriad of music festivals throughout Catalonia. Some of them have only lasted a few editions, but others have become true milestones at international level, such as the Sónar or the Primavera Sound.

This year’s the ‘Festival Grec’ pays special attention to French theatre and dance, both large productions and smaller innovative shows. It brings together both international and local productions, and includes theatre, dance, music and other stage arts. The festival begun on June 17th and will last until the end of July.

The Catalan capital is these days the electronic music world’s capital city. The 18th edition of the International Festival of Advanced Music and Multimedia Art Sónar kicks off in Barcelona. It the annual meeting place for electronic music fans and will take place from June 16th to 18th. This year it will have a parallel festival happening in A Coruña, Sónar Galicia. Barcelona’s Sónar Festival will also have a twin festival in Sao Paulo. Sónar Barcelona has also a programme for children called Sónar Kids and for professional called Sónar Pro.

The Japanese writer was awarded the 23rd Premi Internacional Catalunya in Barcelona. Haruki Murakami announced during the ceremony he will give the prize money to the Tsunami and Fukushima victims, after delivering an anti nuclear power speech. In a later interview with CNA, Murakami explained he will take many ideas with him from his Barcelona trip. He will store these “into one of the drawers” of his mind and later will use them in upcoming books, as he always does.

The new art museum will focus on Catalan painting and will display parts of the Thyssen-Bornemisza collection. The city council approved the excutive project to build the Thyssen Museum. The project will cost 15 million euros (3 less than initially planned) and will restore an old cork factory.