What's happening in FiraTàrrega?

Tàrrega, 22^nd June 2015 - From 10^th to 13^th September Tàrrega will become the centre of scenic arts. 56 companies, 800 professionals and a careful selection of theatre, movement and circus shows from all over the world will gather at the capital of the Urgell region. This year's fair focuses on the codes of visual arts.

The Fair is also a platform that champions street art in Catalonia from a panoramic point of view with three main pillars: the Days of FiraTàrrega fair (exhibitions and a market), the Creativity Support Programme (creation labs, residencies and transnational co-productions) and the master's degree in Street Art Creation (FiraTàrrega i UdL). FiraTàrrega is now a 360 degree / 365 day project that combines exhibition and market with production and training.

The unmissable elements of FiraTàrrega 2015

This year, thanks to companies like Insectotròpics, experts in combining plastic arts, theatre and video in order to create live multidisciplinary cinema performances, the Fair focuses on shows which incorporate visual arts in their message.  Architect Xevi Bayona will present the installation El bosc de Van Der Graff, a space of contemplation amongst forestial fruit trees, where objects hang from poles to which create an environment of light, colour and sound. We also would like to highlight the work exhibited by Quim Moya, Deriva Mussol, Nacho Vilar Producciones and Abast Elàstic.

One of the novelties of 2015 is the three grand shows of the opening day. At midday the Mexican group Vaca 35, will present their work Cuando todos pensaban que habíamos desaparecido (When everyone thought that we had disapeared). In the early evening, the Sant Josep pavilion will welcome Sifonòfor, from Animal Religion and later the official opening will be celebrated with Compra'm (Buy me) from Insectotròpics.

Among this year's highlights will be new work from the company Vero Cendoya, Íntims Produccions and Balearic artists Auments. We should also highlight the Catalan group Leandre which will be presenting the clown show Iceberg; the artists of En diciembre with their oneiric show Purpus, a universe filled with imbalance, games and poetic twists. And Marga Socias, who will present the show The Hole&Corner Travel Agency, a travelling exhibition that approaches the city from a collective, sensorial, fantastic and festive perspective.  

From beyond our borders we will have the North American group Dorrance Dance and their visual tap-dancing work E.T.M: The Initial Approach; the British duo Chameleon Company, who, following an excellent reception of their previous two street-dance choreographies, will present Hands Down; the Argentinian duo of contemporary dance Cortez-Fontán with Los cuerpos; the Piano Suite from Italian group Teatro Necessario, a show that combines clowning with acrobatics, vertical dance and live music; and the Mexican company Teatro Línea de Sombra and their scenic installation Durango 66.

Among the participants in URBAN NATION 2015, the space allocated to urban dance, we highlight Ousmane Wiles and Ephrat Asherie, from the United States, Spanish company Dani Pannullo Dancetheatre Co, and Catalan artist Quim Moya. 

The sections of the programme

OFFICIAL SECTION: A collection of mature international pieces, unknown in Spain and whose objective is to enrich the local outlook on the scenic reality.  

PLATFORM: the section R+D+I of the FiraTàrrega Fair also includes shows that have come through the Creativity Support Programme or other co-production experience.

ONDARA PARK: The events linked to parties and entertainment.

PEN PROGRAMME: An area open to the participation of the private sector. 

TRAINING PROGRAMME: Showcases the results produced by educational practices related to street arts, including the workshop of the master's course offered by FiraTàrrega. 

The success of last year's itineraries, a tool designed to help guests find their personal route through the events included in the programme, has prompted the artistic management to put forward the idea again this year.    

FiraTàrrega PRO

FRESH STREET. European Seminar for the Development of Street Art

Fresh Street #1, organised as a joint venture between FiraTàrrega and the Circostrada network with the support of the Catalan Government's Department of Culture, the Ramon Llull Institut and the Spanish Cultural Action Organisation (Acción Cultural Española). From 9^th to 11^th September, the event will be held in Tàrrega, where over 200 cultural key players (professionals, artists, cultural policy managers, press and critics) are expected to gather to sketch a general outlook of the genre in Europe today. The seminar will include debates, round-table discussions and an artistic programme, with the aim of encouraging discussion and an exchange of knowledge among participants.

CASA. Circus Arts and Street Arts Circuit

The Circus Arts and Street Arts Circuit project is led by MiramirO vzw (Bèlgica) together with FiraTàrrega, Circusinfo Finland (Finland), Upplev Botkyrka AB/Subtopia (Sweden), Zahrada and O.P.S. (Czech Republic). This project of cooperation will take place during 1^st May 2015 and 30^th April 2017, with the aim of giving support to a selection of circus and street art professionals. The programme hopes to open up new professional opportunities to promote the development of skills and abilities, access to knowledge from different cultural contexts, and the markets of the partner countries of the project.

Other special collaborations

FiraTàrrega has become a partner of the Euro-regional programme CARRER (STREET), and next September we will see two co-productions from this union: Room Josef K, by Balearic artists AuMents, and Free Watt, by 1 Watt from France. For 2015 the Fair has also initiated two important partnerships for the co-programming and promotion of new circuits that will allow an exchange of artists with Italy (CULT network) and the United States (SummerStage de NYC). Also this year, a close relationship with l'Antic Teatre has been instigated. Two of the companies that partake in the Creativity Support Programme have been chosen by l'Antic Teatre to be part of their new programme for accompanying artists and show production. 

The collaboration with Emerging IT (Institut del Teatre, Festival Grec and Temporada Alta Festival) Greenwich & Docklands International Festival (Great Britain), Festival Cratère Surfaces (France), El Graner (Centre de Creació del Cos i el Moviment - Centre for the Creation of the body and the Mind),  Escorxador from Lleida, Fira Trapezi from Reus, TNT from Terrassa, the Xarxa Alcover, the Pilar fiestas from Saragossa, the Basque government and the Balearic Islands government, continues to be an essential part of the project. Their presence is related to the travel and promotion of artists, as well as the encouragement of relationships between artists, markets and institutions. 

Lunch meeting

This year sees the 10^th Lunch Meeting, the well-known professional meet-up at FiraTàrrega, which takes place on the afternoon of Friday 11^th September. This event is organised by the Markets Department of the Institut Català de les Empreses Culturals (ICEC) - Catalan Institute for Cultural Companies at the Catalan Government (Generalitat de Catalunya), together with FiraTàrrega. The lunch unites Catalan companies opening shows in Tàrrega and registered international programmers. 

Training: Master's Degree in Street Arts Creation from FiraTàrrega

During the Fair, students from the master's degree in Street Arts Creation run by FiraTàrrega and the University of Lleida, will present Astillas, a collective show which was a result of a creative practice led by the German director and playwright Sigrun Fritsch, from the company Pan·Optikum. This proposal develops the concept of participation and team work, highlighting the importance of voices within a group. Currently being offered for the second year, the master's course is an innovative training programme focusing on street art with students of over 11 different nationalities.