Barcelona's Eixample is one of the districts with the most inhabitants. Thousands of people walk its streets every day, among emblematic buildings such as the Sagrada Família. These days, the frantic pace of these streets will slow down thanks to the Tangent Festival, a free event that fills some of the district's most surprising intersections and courtyards with performing arts and music.
The program began yesterday, June 30, and runs until July 23. The civic centers involved are Golferichs, Cotxeres Borrell, Ateneu Fort Pienc, Centre Cultural Casa Elizalde, Centre Cívic Sagrada Família and Centre Cívic Urgell.
Carles Ruiz is a technician from the Eixample's People and Territory Attention service and comments that one of the festival's main objectives is "to guarantee cultural rights" by making performing arts more accessible than ever: "You don't even need to come to the civic center as such, because there are things that happen on the street, so neighbors often find it without expecting it."
For her part, Adriana Fuentes, technical secretary of the Eixample and coordinator of Tangent, reviews some of the festival's most acclaimed stages, such as the one on Consell de Cent street with Viladomat, the one in Plaça del Fort Pienc, the Sant Antoni Market, the one in the Interior d'Illa de les Treballadores de la Numax or the one in Plaça de la Sagrada Família. About the latter, she says it is "very magical." Each stage has its reference civic center in charge of the programming for that day.
"Fresh and dynamic" programming
Thus, for sixteen evenings, the festival invites to discover proposals of music, dance, theater and circus that, with a contemporary and innovative look, connect with the body, memory and identity, in dialogue with the district's spaces.
Two years ago, Pepa Pérez, the previous head of the Tangent Festival and who, in fact, saw it born, explained to AMIC Cultura, that the event arose to maintain "the idiosyncrasy of the civic centers." Fuentes now adds that the festival was born, and still does, "from the need to coordinate all the summer programming of these facilities in the Eixample, which is fresh and dynamic."
The programmers, a key figure
The various stages of Tangent have seen artists who are now big names in the Catalan scene, such as singers The Sey Sisters or dancer Sol Picó, pass through over ten years. "This year Renaldo i Clara, who were at Primavera Sound four days ago, are performing," they proudly add.
In this sense, the role of the programmer for each venue is crucial, as they act as "talent scouts," as the technicians comment. Every January, the programmers meet and, each specializing in a different discipline, review which shows have been best received and propose them.
This year there were about thirty proposals to evaluate, all sharing a theme: roots. The opening show, Aleta, for example, is one such example. Performed by the Marc Fernández company, Aleta combines dance and tradition to delve into the roots and territory of Catalonia. The show is organized by the Ateneu Fort Pienc Civic Center and takes place in the square in front of the venue. Also exploring roots is singer Laaza, who will perform on Friday, July 10, at 11 PM on Consell de Cent street, between Viladomat and Comte Borrell. Coordinated by the Casa Golferichs Civic Center. In this show, the artist connects with her roots and sings to her two worlds, the countryside and the city, which are for her both past and present.
Check the rest of the program and schedules here.
