Fira Mediterrània Manresa-Catalonia forges new links with Algeria, Portugal and France

Fira Mediterrània participates in a joint project with Foundation Royaumont, and other festivals including those in Avignon and Aix-en-Provence

In the Catalan Countries, Fira launches a partnership with TROVAM - the only music fair in Valencia

Txarango will enter the Portuguese market for the first time through Fira Mediterrània

To give both the Catalan culture and Catalan artists new horizons - this is the overriding objective of the Fira Mediterrània Manresa-Catalonia’s Spanish and International Action Plan 2014. The plan is deeply committed to working via networks, comprising twenty-two strategic action points. This has led Fira to renew important partnership agreements, established over recent years, and expand its scope to include Algeria, Portugal and France, and other countries.

Fira’s involvement in the export of artists and Catalan culture has been a natural process that has taken on increasingly greater significance as Fira has created international alliances with festivals, trade fairs, institutions and artists over the years. Currently, access to new markets is a must-seize opportunity, particularly for the performing arts and music industry which has traditionally been one of the key exporters of Catalan culture.

The twenty-two action points to be implemented in 2014 include notable, progressive partnership agreements with the prestigious Foundation Royaumont, the French lobby of world musicians Zone Franche, the Portuguese circuit OuTonalidades, and the start-up of relations with Algeria.

New International Partnerships

The Foundation Royaumont, a prestigious French institution that commemorates its 50th anniversary this year, has a powerful artistic creation residency programme orientated towards dance, classical music, old music and world music. The institution has signed an agreement with Fira Mediterrània that focuses on two areas: Firstly, Fira will coproduce WASL, a project by the Palestinian singer Kamilya Jubran (due to go on stage at Fira Mediterrània in 2015). The project will be included in the Cinq Chants cycle at the Avignon Festival this year from 20 to 24 July. This cycle, headed by the Foundation Royaumont, is co-produced by Avignon Festival, Aix-en-Provence Festival, Villes des Musiques du monde Festival, Fira Mediterrània Manresa-Catalonia, Hangar 23 (Rouen) and Ville de Gonesse. Secondly, Foundation Royaumont will host a Catalan artist, proposed by Fira Mediterrània, at a creative residence in 2016, at the spectacular abbey run by the foundation at Asnieres-sur-Oise (Île-le-France).

Fira Mediterrània has sealed a partnership deal with the powerful lobby of world musicians Zone Franche which will see important agents from the French music market attend Fira Manresa. This has been made possible through the involvement of the Institut Ramon Llull and funding from Spanish Cultural Action.

This year, Fira has also closed a deal with the Portuguese live music circuit OuTonalidades, to be held in the autumn. As a result of this partnership, the Catalan band Txarango will be launched on the Portuguese market for the first time with a mini concert tour in December. As part of this partnership agreement, a Portuguese band will play at Fira Mediterrània and the coordinator of OuTonalidades, Luís Fernandes, will take part in the Business Area’s speed dating from 9 to 11 October.

With the aim of strengthening relations with North Africa, this year marks the start of a relationship with the Cultural Influence Algerian Agency (AARC). The partnership project will see the mutual invitation of an artist, as well as participation by an official delegation representative at the Fira Mediterrània’s Business Area.

TROVAM! - New partnership with the Catalan Countries

As regards the Catalan Countries, Fira has signed a partnership agreement with the only music market in Valencia, Trovam. This music fair began in Castelló last year and aims to promote music from the Valencia scene, consolidate itself as a hub for music industry debate and analysis, and help strengthen connections within the Valencia music industry. Another key aim of the market is to become a gateway for projects from Catalonia, and promote a Mediterranean corridor of industry professionals and cultural projects in Catalan.

Trovam! is a project by the Valencian Music Association (VAM!), comprising the LaCasaCalba association, Mésdemil, Metrònom, Pro21 and Suport Produccions. The partnerships launched with Fira Mediterrània will see the two fairs exchange bands in their respective programmes, as well as other initiatives involving communication and professional involvement in the two markets. Trovam will also run one of the speed dating sessions as part of the Fira Business Area.

Partnership Consolidation

At the same time, to consolidate projects launched over previous years, Fira has renewed its partnership with the Italian region Puglia, which enables a Catalan band to perform at Medimex – Music Innovation Expo, the biggest musical market in Italy, currently in its fifth year. Fira has also renewed its partnership agreement with Internationale Kulturbörse Freiburg, one of the biggest performing arts fairs in Germany; with the Mirabilia Festival, the benchmark festival of circus and street art in Italy; and with Estivada, the interregional festival of the Occitan culture (France) - the flagship of Occitan artistic festivals. With this final partnership, Fira also aims to promote the internationalisation of Catalan artists and facilitate the launch of Occitan cultural projects on the Catalan market.

Other partnership agreements within Spain and an EU project

As regards the rest of Spain, Fira has also signed a partnership agreement with the Basque Government / Etxepare Basque Institute and has renewed partnership agreements with the Segovia Folk Festival, the Huesca International Theatre and Dance Showcase and Zaragoza City Council for the ‘Off de Calle’ competition.

As for projects funded by the European Union, this year Fira hosts a concert by ten young artists from five different countries (Catalonia, Portugal, Greece, Estonia and Italy) who took part in the European programme Folk music in MusEUms – Young Musicians / Old Stories.  Catalonia was represented by two musicians: Pau Figueres, guitarist, and Manu Sabaté, dulzainas, shawm and clarinets. The show has already gone to stage in Estonia, Italy and Portugal, and has been recorded in a Studio in Greece. It is due to come to Fira this year, showcasing a joint project that unites young musicians, old instruments and traditional repertoires from Europe.

Lluís Puig (General Director of Cultura Popular, Associacionisme i Acció Cultural),
David Ibáñez (Artistic Director of Fira Mediterrània) and Joan Gregori Maria (Secretary of VAM!).

SUMMARY OF NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ACTION PLAN - 2014

1. Artistic partnerships

• Internationale Kulturbörse Freiburg (Germany)

• International Circus and Street Performing Festival – MIRABILIA (Italy)

• ‘Off de calle’ from Zaragoza  – Street theatre (Aragon)

• Foundation Royaumont (France)

• OuTonalidades (Portugal)

• Trovam (Valencia)

• AARC (Algeria)

• Folk music in Museums – Young Musicians / Old Stories (European Union Project)

• Interregional Festival of the Occitan Cultures – ESTIVADA (France)

• Puglia Sounds – Medimex (Italy)

• Folk Segovia Festival

• Partnership agreement with the Basque Government / Etxepare Basque Institute

2. Professional industry-based partnerships

• Zone Franche (France)

• Trovam (Valencia)

• Interregional Festival of the Occitan Culture – ESTIVADA (France)

• Puglia Sounds – Medimex (Italy)

• Huesca International Theatre and Dance Showcase  (Aragon)

• AARC (Algeria)

3. Communication-based partnerships

• Trovam
• Womex
• Babel Med Music
• Puglia Sounds - Medimex

Fira Mediterrània Manresa-Catalonia is a member of the following organisations:

• International network for contemporary performing arts (IETM)
• European Forum of Worldwide Music Festivals (EFWMF)
• The Spanish Government’s Performing Arts Fair Coordinator  (COFAE)
• ANNA LINDH Foundation - Network