Barcelona artists find community through experimental theater

Artists in Barcelona all define the underground or experimental theater scene differently. 

Nico Baixas, a multimedia artist working in the scene for 25 years, doesn't believe there is a full underground scene, rather that the experimental is everywhere in the city. It consists of "people who get together and try to do something modern, something different."

Jaume Clotet, another multimedia artist who has been a part of the scene for 10 years, sees his approach as separate from "classic dramaturgy," instead focusing on a combination of visual art and performing arts. 

Semolina Tomic, an artist and the founder of Antic Teatre, a space for artists to experiment and create works, views experimental works as a mixture of "performance, theater, dance, circus" and "education" with an emphasis on the audience's feeling. 

But their opinions on the scene do align in some places – namely, in the fight to protect their tight-knit community. 

The experimental scene is in a constant state of resistance: against what's deemed commercial, and against a city they feel is increasingly designed for tourists and against rising rents.

Against commercial appeal

Each of these artists rejects the notion of being called an actor, as they all experiment with different mediums within their works.

These works directly contradict the traditional theater scene. Barcelona's experimental theater rejects established works, and celebrates new creators, no matter how much they go against the grain. Antic Teatre's philosophy is to only present living works; "No dead people," as Tomic puts it. 

At Sala Beckett, a theater in Barcelona that prioritizes collaboration and experimentation, focused primarily on Catalan artists, new voices are also central to their mission. 

"We like to encourage young or not so young playwrights from here to write, to start their career," says Laura Farrés, the artistic coordinator at Sala Beckett. 

Clotet's most recent show, titled 'Alusinasions,' cannot be considered traditional theater in the slightest. A performance of an album created by Clotet himself, the show evolves through continuous alcohol consumption and encourages the audience to join in on the intoxicating experience.

The piece shatters the fourth wall established in traditional spaces, inviting the audience to become a part of the experience. 

"I don't mind looking at people or giving them things or interacting with them," Clotet tells Catalan News. "I already see the space, the platform I'm creating, and I already consider that there are people there."

Clotet defines his work as not quite art or entertainment, but always in-between. 

"Sometimes theaters tend to become a little bit specialized and only very good people can go into [traditional] theater and I don't believe in this," says Baixas, whose work has included hardcore contemporary dance, video work and projections. "I believe in openness, in sharing."

Theater that doesn't experiment with the medium is much easier to fund, and to program. The tension between traditional and experimental approaches creates ongoing challenges for artists in the scene. These unique artists can work for years and never achieve commercial success. As Clotet puts it: "There is never a ceiling to hit."

"Obviously, classic theater is important, and thank God we have it," Farrés says. "But also, obviously, it's important to encourage new playwrights to create. I think it's good to have a dialogue between the classical theater and the very contemporary scene."

Against gentrification

Baixas remembers when Barcelona's scene used to be full of poetry and performance, and the artists were all connected.

Now, it’s a different story.

"Tourism has taken over the whole center of the city," Baixas tells Catalan News. "So people moved out and the connection was lost."

A city with around 12 million visitors annually, Barcelona has faced a lot of gentrification stemming from tourism, including increases in rent.

"It's like a fight door to door now in the city," says Tomic. "Project by project."

Tomic added that artists living in the city work three to five jobs to just stay afloat. Every day survival and work becomes exhausting.

"Just staying active for ten years is already a success here I think," Clotet says. 

But Barcelona's performers are able to find positives in the size of the community. Clotet says he wasn't completely aware of the community's impact on the scene, but after a few years, has become "more and more aware of how important it is."

The strength of Barcelona's underground theater scene comes from its collaborative spirit and creative energy. 

"I think we do have a pretty, like a very good community of actors and artists in general here in Barcelona because it's not like a super huge city," Farrés says. "But we still have a lot going on artistically."

Performance spaces like Antic Teater and Sala Beckett prioritize collaboration between artists, creating networks for community even as external pressures grow. 

As Barcelona continues to change, the theater community faces uncertainty, but they are dedicated to creating a space for experimentation and resistance.