Newsfeed Fira B!
FIRA B! OF PERFORMING ARTS SELECTS 27 SHOWS FROM AMONG THE 300 PROPOSALS PRESENTED IN THE OPEN CALL FOR ENTRIES
Published 06/09/2023You can consult the complete programme
Fira B! is the Balearic Islands' music and performing arts fair organised by the Institute of Balearic Studies, an organisation that depends on the Government of the Balearic Islands and is dedicated to promoting the language and culture of the Balearic Islands. Its main purpose is to publicise the most representative recent creations of artists from the islands, as well as to encourage exchange networks between professionals in this sector, both within and outside the autonomous community at a national and international level.
This year, for the first time, the disciplines of music and performing arts are separated. The performing arts programme will take place on 9, 10, 11 and 12 October, and the music programme from 2 to 5 November. As for the performing arts, the complete programme is available.This year, we have a total of 27 theatre, circus, dance, new formats and street performances. These pieces have been selected from among the 300 proposals submitted through the open call that closed at the beginning of the year. The selection has been made by a committee of experts formed by:
- Joan Negrié, director of FITT (International Theatre Festival of Tarragona) and Sala Trueno.
- Catalina Caldentey, president of ATAPIB - Association of Public Theatres and Auditoriums of the Balearic Islands.
- Maria Novell, technical Culture Island Council Formentera.
- Joan Matamales, director of the Theatre of Artà and member of ATAPIB (Association of Public Theatres and Auditoriums of the Balearic Islands).
- Pere Cortada, Theatre of Capdepera and member of ATAPIB (Association of Theatres and Public Auditoriums of the Balearic Islands)
- Teresa Carranza, coordinator of the creation area of the Ramon Llull Institute.
The fair combines programming and Professional Conferences, i.e. activities aimed at the professional sector attending. Registration for the professional sessions of Feria B! performing arts is now open. Among these activities we can highlight the talk 'Lazos con latinoamérica', with the aim of promoting the creation of bridges between representatives of Latin American festivals; the short presentation sessions of different creation centres; the meeting of different playwrights' associations, as well as the round table on the Statute of the Artist.
As for the programme, the opening play, on 9 October, will be performed by Sueño Producciones with "Les preposicions", and the closing play, on 12 October, will be "A Beginning_expanded version" by the company of Aurora Bauzá and Pere Jou, winner of a grant for creation from the Instituto de Estudis Baleàrics. The most international point will be added by the Chilean company La Re-sentida with "La posibilidad de la ternura" and its reflection on virile toughness and the practice of tenderness. A novelty this year is that the fair will feature "La distància, càpsules de memòria", a multidisciplinary project that mixes relational theatre, live arts, artistic installation and technology. This show will have 6 performances distributed in the mornings of the 9th, 10th and 11th in one of the halls of the Teatre Mar i Tierra. Another novelty this year is the introduction of the "Tast" format, a 5 to 10 minute showcase of different companies, in order to accommodate as many shows as possible.
In order to make the most of the fair, the shows have been distributed over different days, taking into account the disciplines. Thus, the first two days - 9th and 10th October - will focus mainly on text-based plays.
So, on Monday 9 October, we will enjoy the Cata Textual with the companies Les Pinyes, Interdram and Moskitas Muertas. We will also enjoy the freshness of "CR#SH (tothom pot caure)", as well as the inaugural play "Les preposicions" and "La posibilidad de la ternura".
Tuesday 10 October, there will be a performance of "Divine Cyborg #17 - dancing with the ghosts" by the multidisciplinary artist Karla Kracht. In the afternoon, text theatre will continue with "Primavera de bèsties", where we will be able to experience the social drama in which the protagonist of the play, a teacher, finds herself. The comedy part of the day will come from Produccions de Ferro and "El jorn del judici", their particular vision of the end of the world. Finally, Tshock Cultura Emocional will close the text programme with its thriller "Pell de Sargantana".
On Wednesday 11 October we will be focusing on movement and dance performances. The day will begin with Tast de Movimient, formed by the companies of Esther Esteban, Maya Triay and Marilén Ribot. In the afternoon, the programme will open with "El fin de las cosas", by Ibizan artist Inés Sarmiento; the UNAIUNA troupe will follow with "Todo esto era campo"; the Valencian dance troupe Jacob Gómez and his show "Meohadim"; and the DAUS troupe, which will present "Oficis oblidats" (Forgotten trades), combining dance, painting and music. In Palma's Plaça Major we can enjoy "Rojos", by the Miquel Barcelona troupe. Finally, the circus and street theatre troupe Moviments will add a touch of colour to the day with "Zoom", a journey into thought through circus, theatre and painting.
On Thursday 12 October, dance continues to be the protagonist, with the Baal company and the piece "Alek & Sophie"; we will continue with the dance-clown show "H₂O"; the Güilis collective and its vindication of public space with "Anava amb bicicleta i em van dir terrorista"; Circ Bover will continue with "BIBLIOS", a show that vindicates the importance of the imagination and libraries. Afterwards, you can enjoy the Foco Canario, a format similar to the tastings, thanks to which we will discover the Canarian companies Daniel Abreu, WETTRIBUTE and AYYA.
As can be seen in the programme, at Fira B! 2023 there will be numerous exchanges. On a national level, we will have, on the one hand, the Foco Canario through the Festival Canarios Dentro y Fuera, in which we find Daniel Abreu's company (which has two members who have received the National Dance Award). On the other hand, we find the Valencian company Jacob Gómez, through DansaValència. On an international level, there will be two Chilean companies (Interdram and La re-sentida). Also, for 9 years Feria B! has been a member of COFAE, the Coordinadora de Ferias d'Artes Escénicas de l'Estado español. COFAE's mission is to collaborate in the concept of the performing arts market and to disseminate it; it also wants to promote the fairs as a meeting point for professionals in the sector and as a space for reflection and training. COFAE is also a member of IETM (International Network for Contemporary Performing Arts).
The music programme will take place between 2 and 4 November, with professional conferences focusing on the theme of periphery and non-mainstream music.
As far as the artistic selection is concerned, from a total of 580 proposals, we can announce the first confirmed artists. They are the following: Ana Lua Caiano (Portugal), Ars Nueva Napoli (Italy), Bratri (Czech Republic), Caesaria (France), Corvo (Portugal), Do Natural, Èlia Bastida, Eva Fernández, Harina de otro costal, Forastero, Glymur, Jose Carra, K12, El Arannà, Laura Sam y Juan Escribano, Lecuona, el colour de Cuba, Lia Kali, Manel Fortià Trío, Mantra, MDMAR, Moisés P. Sánchez, Nani (Netherlands/Israel), Ovella Negra, Paula Peso, PELIGRO! Pepe Rivero and Ángela Cervantes - Olas y Arenas, Reïna, Rudymentari, Superkoloritas (Lithuania), Tamar Su (France/Israel) and Tupé - Travel Fusion. You can check the details on the website. We will be adding many more proposals in the coming weeks.
This year, exchanges have taken place with the following fairs and festivals: Mastering the Music Business (Romania), Napoli World (Italy), Mercado de Música Viva de Vic (Catalonia), TROVAM (Valencian Community), Festival Boreal (Canary Islands Community), Jazz Y Am (Catalonia), MIL Lisbon (Portugal) and InJazz (Netherlands). A group from Portugal (Corvo) and another from the Czech Republic (Bratri) have also been invited to make the presence of professionals from Portugal visible, through their export agency (Why Portugal/AMAEI), and from the Czech Republic, through Music Managers Forum Czech Republic.
The fair always takes place in emblematic spaces and venues in the city of Palma, giving it an added interest for attendees from outside the islands, who have the chance to get to know not only artists and proposals, but also centres of creation, residencies and exhibitions in order to establish new networks and open up new contacts. The venues for the 2023 edition will be the municipal theatres Mar i Terra and Xesc Forteza; the Teatre Principal de Palma, the Museu d'Art Contemporani Es Baluard, Espai El Tub, the Plaçs Mayor, the plaça Miquel Maura (in front of the Teatre Xesc Forteza) and the Rambla (outside the Teatre Principal de Palma).
