edition 2022: silence – sant jeroni de la murtra
badalona (barcelona)
from 25 august to 3 september
15m2 international festival of itinerant microdance
15m2 is a microdance festival that takes place in singular and unconventional spaces around a thematic axis and a specific locality. It is a way of linking stage creation with the fields of knowledge and the cultural fabric of the territory.
An itinerant and emerging cultural project, where each edition is a construction in itself, an exploration of a theme in a different locality each time. The festival has a programme of professional microdance exhibitions and complementary activities of Knowledge and territory. On the other hand, it also has various activities and actions that, outside the dates of the festival, give continuity to the objectives of the project, under the name of 15m2 en xarxa.
edition 2022
silence - sant jeroni de la murtra (badalona)
from 25 august to 3 september
The 2022 edition will be held from 25 august to 3 september on the theme of Silence, in the monastery of Sant Jeroni de la Murtra, in Badalona (Barcelona).
Sant Jeroni de la Murtra is an old Gothic monastery located in the Valle de Belén, in the Marina mountain range and close to the city of Badalona. It belonged to the order of the Hieronymites and was founded in 1416 by the Barcelona merchant Bertran Nicolau on the site of the old house of Ça Murtra. The monks lived there until 1835, when it was partially burnt down. Affected by the disentailment of Mendizábal, the monastery was auctioned off and became a holiday camp for many years. In 1947, Mrs. Francesca Güell López bought the main part of the monastery to turn it into a place of solitude and silence, and also to restore it.
The festival aims to vindicate the historical and artistic value of the monastery and, in particular, the will of Francesca Güell, with the aim of promoting and enhancing the value of silence and reflection in contemporary society.
Information of interest:
edition 2022
silence - sant jeroni de la murtra (badalona)
from 25 august to 3 september
The 2022 edition will be held from 25 august to 3 september on the theme of Silence, in the monastery of Sant Jeroni de la Murtra, in Badalona (Barcelona).
Sant Jeroni de la Murtra is an old Gothic monastery located in the Valle de Belén, in the Marina mountain range and close to the city of Badalona. It belonged to the order of the Hieronymites and was founded in 1416 by the Barcelona merchant Bertran Nicolau on the site of the old house of Ça Murtra. The monks lived there until 1835, when it was partially burnt down. Affected by the disentailment of Mendizábal, the monastery was auctioned off and became a holiday camp for many years. In 1947, Mrs. Francesca Güell López bought the main part of the monastery to turn it into a place of solitude and silence, and also to restore it.
The festival aims to vindicate the historical and artistic value of the monastery and, in particular, the will of Francesca Güell, with the aim of promoting and enhancing the value of silence and reflection in contemporary society.
Information of interest:
the festival
thematic and itinerant character
The festival is structured around a thematic axis, with a theme and a specific locality to highlight the value of the territory and the fields of knowledge.
The thematic axis is related to current affairs and to artistic, cultural, traditional, historical, scientific or natural knowledge, in order to highlight the uniqueness of the territory. Thus, for example, the themes of future editions will be of a very diverse nature, both themes related to the plastic arts, such as the literary work of a poet, the plastic work of a sculptor or that of a photographer, and those linked to cultural, historical, archaeological or natural heritage, or related to knowledge of customs and beliefs, crafts, rural art or Romanesque art.
And also current issues and social criticism such as the problem of plastic waste, depopulation, ageing and dependence of the elderly or liquid modernity.
unconventional spaces
The microdance creations will be performed on 15m2 stages, referring to the name of the festival, located in unique or unconventional spaces, both indoors and outdoors, of interest for the theme and location where it takes place. The stage will be square with sides of 3.90 m in length. Depending on the spaces, and on some stages, a rectangular steel structure with the same dimensions will be set up for the exhibitions.
The 15m2 festival aims to vindicate small-format culture and highlight the value of microdance: short pieces in small, singular and unconventional spaces, designed for small, intimate audiences. Close creations, worked from the detail, where the audience almost shares the space with the performer. And the dimensions and singularity of the stages build a space of involvement and proximity with the spectator.
microdance
10 dance companies (national and international)
8 companies: public call for aplications
2 invited companies: support for creation
minimum 2 local creations
20-30 performances
between 5 and 10 stages
The microdance creations will be short pieces, between 15 and 20 minutes, which will be inspired by the theme of the festival. Movement and the body will be the main focus of the proposals, although other artistic disciplines will be welcome. With the aim of encouraging scenographic creation in movement works, the festival will value the creation of scenographic proposals with elements and materials related to the thematic axis in the public call for entries.
The creations will have to be adapted to the festival’s exhibition spaces, with few technical requirements, without special lighting needs and with a set-up and dismantling time of no more than 10 minutes respectively.
The festival will host 10 microdance creations. There will be a public call for proposals and the festival will propose one or two guest creations. The proposals will be chosen according to the artistic criteria of the festival and the criteria of territorial scope. On the one hand, the aim is to promote local creations that are close to the festival’s locality, and on the other hand, to welcome creations from outside Spain in order to internationalise the festival.
The festival wants to generate a microdance circuit in the Catalan territory to decentralize and expand the scenic creation and cultural programs outside the big cities..
recognition of awards
With the aim of recognising the work and giving value to the efforts of the creators and the projects presented, the festival will organise an awards ceremony with 4 categories:
– Interpretation Award
With the aim of valuing small-format stage creation as a complete and quality product. The distinctive elements of microdance will be valued (reduced space, brevity and proximity to the audience) and the degree of quality in the interpretation of the proposal as a whole (presence, relationship with the space, between the performers and/or with the scenographic elements, body work, voice, etc.).
– Scenographic Creation Award
With the aim of encouraging the use of scenography or scenographic elements in movement proposals. The degree of singularity and quality of the scenographic elements will be valued, especially those that have been created expressly for the proposal and are inspired by the theme of the festival.
– Arrel i Memòria Award
The aim is to recognise the beauty of the experience, both personal and collective, and in the proposals elaborated with skill. The degree of coherence, robustness and experience of the proposal as a whole (interpretation, scenography, costumes, texts and/or other elements) will be assessed, valuing simplicity and honesty as transversal elements of the proposal and the link with traditional knowledge.
– Public Award
With the aim of seeking the complicity and involvement of the audience, this award aims to offer the possibility of assessing, at the personal discretion of each person, the proposal that has been most liked.
The jury will be made up of representatives of the locality and the territory, professionals from the sector and a critic specialising in contemporary dance.
knowledge and territory
Under the name of Knowledge and territory, the actions of community participation and the promotion of new audiences are materialised. These actions are, in turn, an exploration of the subject matter and a desire to contribute depth and richness to the cultural project and stage creation.
It takes the form of a programme of activities complementary to the stage shows, such as: practical workshops, round tables, conferences, various exhibitions, guided tours, plastic installations, community artistic actions, creation laboratories, creation and publication of contents, etc., carried out within the framework of the festival and open to everyone. Different activities in each edition, depending on the characteristics of each locality and the possibilities offered by each theme.
One of the final objectives of the festival will be the construction of literary or visual works based on the thematic axis of reflection, both from an artistic, scientific and documentary point of view. Thus, for example, depending on the areas of knowledge of the theme, a group of experts or a participatory process will produce a final document as a synthesis of the festival.
citizen participation and new publics
social involvement (non-public)
territorial partnerships
commercial fabric and local economy
fields of knowledge
creation of physical, literary or visual works
volunteering 15m2
knowledge and territory
Under the name of Knowledge and territory, the actions of community participation and the promotion of new audiences are materialised. These actions are, in turn, an exploration of the subject matter and a desire to contribute depth and richness to the cultural project and stage creation.
It takes the form of a programme of activities complementary to the stage shows, such as: practical workshops, round tables, conferences, various exhibitions, guided tours, plastic installations, community artistic actions, creation laboratories, creation and publication of contents, etc., carried out within the framework of the festival and open to everyone. Different activities in each edition, depending on the characteristics of each locality and the possibilities offered by each theme.
One of the final objectives of the festival will be the construction of literary or visual works based on the thematic axis of reflection, both from an artistic, scientific and documentary point of view. Thus, for example, depending on the areas of knowledge of the theme, a group of experts or a participatory process will produce a final document as a synthesis of the festival.
citizen participation and new publics
social involvement (non-public)
territorial partnerships
commercial fabric and local economy
fields of knowledge
creation of physical, literary or visual works
volunteering 15m2
15m2 en xarxa
The activity of the 15m2 festival extends beyond the days of the programme in each town where it is held. In this sense, 15m2 en xarxa is born, a space to develop all the actions that give continuity to the main axes of the festival: the scenic creation (microdance) and the activities of Knowledge and territory. Also as a result of the desire to establish synergies with other projects and groups, it represents a constant research in the form of interventions, workshops, talks, exhibitions, cycles, installations, community participation actions, etc., which integrate and nourish the links and the cultural fabric of the whole territory.
Mentre mengem carquinyolis
Stage installation
15m2 – Última vèrtebra
Espais Vius d’Art, l’Espluga de Francolí (Tarragona)
Two sublime elements, the carquinyoli of l’Espluga de Francolí and you. No more is needed for the dance of proximity. “Mentre mengem carquinyolis” is a device of encounter through a scenic installation based on the carquinyoli, how craftsmanship and dance are related from everyday life. A reflection from the street, in a space of intimacy and comfort. Watch and let yourself be watched while we waltz.
With the participation of Espluga FM Ràdio and Espluga Audiovisual.
El blat es transforma en farina
Community participation project
15m2 – Última vèrtebra
Santa Coloma de Farners (Girona)
“El blat es transforma en farina” is a community participation project with women recently arrived from the La Selva Adult Education Centre in Santa Coloma de Farners in dialogue with the work of the painter Josep Beulas and Sant Jordi’s Day. This artistic project has been investigated in different stages of work, with painting and writing as the axes of action and transformation. Among them, an installation has been constructed in the form of a mosaic of bookmarks inspired by Beulas’ painting in a delocalised and neuralgic context of the local life of the municipality, such as the Plaça Farners.
With the collaboration of the La Selva Adult Education Centre in Santa Coloma de Farners.
Píndoles - 15m2
Collaboration between festivals
Montjuïc Castle in Barcelona (Barcelona)
Collaboration with the Píndoles Festival – Short theatre in living spaces in the framework of working with other festivals in the territory of non-conventional scenarios to create dialogue and new relationship links. 15m2 collaborates with the selection of dance projects to be premiered at the Píndoles 2022 Festival and initiates a framework of exchange of artistic proposals between festivals: “EME – Fugaz de la memoria” by José David Cerda and Julie Tartaglia from the 2021 edition 15m2 is part of the artistic programme of the Píndoles 2022 Festival at the Montjuïc Castle in Barcelona.
The Píndoles Festival takes place on 13 and 14 May in Sant Feliu de Guíxols and on 10, 11 and 12 June at Montjuïc Castle in Barcelona. The essence of the festival remains the same in its eighth edition: to give value and visualisation to the short performing arts, to use unique spaces as stages, to design a programme with emerging talent and to bring culture closer to all segments of the population. In the case of the city of Barcelona, there will be 15 premieres selected through an open call and 3 guest performances.
In addition, Píndoles is a territorial project, which continues to tour throughout the year in towns, theatres and institutes all over the world, generating tailor-made proposals and bringing culture closer to the whole population.
organization
The 15m2 festival is organised by Ùltima vértebra, a platform for research, creation and promotion of art and culture, with movement and the body as the backbone of its activities. It is a space for linking different artistic forms with knowledge, territory and stage creation, through different projects that articulate these elements and facilitate processes of participation, reflection and community debate.
support and collaboration
2022 edition; silenci – sant jeroni de la murtra (badalona, barcelona)
With the support of the Departament de Cultura de la Generalitat de Catalunya.
With the collaboration of the monastery of San Jerónim de la Murtra, the Francesca Güell religious and cultural rest area, the Catalonia-America Foundation, Red de Murtras, the organic vegetable garden Conreu Sereny Cooperativa, La Sargantana Cooperativa, the vineyard Vall de Betlem, SapsQue Cultural Agenda of Badalona, Anís del Mono, Area Space for Dance and Creation, Festival Píndoles and the Fundació Catalunya Cultura.
15m2 en xarxa
With the collaboration of the Diputació de Girona, the Centre de Formació d’Adults La Selva, the town council of l’Espluga de Francolí, Espais Vius d’Art, Espluga FM Radio Conca de Barberà, the Pindoles Festival, the Grand Tour, the Nau Côclea Contemporary Creation Centre, the Can Bonamic Creation Centre, the town council of Riudellots de la Selva and the school dance Dansa Elena.
2021 edition; horizon – josep beulas (santa coloma de farners, girona)
With the support of the City Council of Santa Coloma de Farners, the Diputació de Girona, the Associació de Professionals de la Dansa de Catalunya (APdC), selected by the project Carretera i Dansa: Beques de Dansa Aplicada 2021 of the APdC and the productions of Última vértebra of the Horizonte-Beulas project: ENTRE (prep.) and Retorn, from the Department of Culture of the Generalitat de Catalunya.
With the collaboration of l’Any Beulas, the Casa de la Paraula, the Joan Vinyoli Library, the CDAN (Art and Nature Centre, Beulas and Huesca Foundation), the University of Barcelona, the Centre de dansa d’Art, nunArt Creacions, the pastisseria Tuyarro, Trias Galetes SA, Font d’Or water and the monastery of Sant Jeroni de la Murtra.
