A preview of the programme for Grec 2013

The thirty-seventh edition of the Grec festival will be held from the 1st to the 31st of July. With a long-standing tradition as an integral part of the cultural life of the city, and with the objective of presenting the performing arts to the widest possible audience, the festival will once again become the principle summer attraction in the city of Barcelona. As usual, the theatres of Montjuïc will be the main centre of attraction, though the programme also includes other city venues.
 

The festival will kick off with the renowned Australian circus group, Circa, who will be presenting Opus, with live music by Shostakovich performed by the Quatuor Debussy. The programme includes more than 60 events and advance confirmation has been received for theatre performances 100Femmes by Collective Lyon.05 and Fuegos, directed by Josep M. Pou and based on texts by Marguerite Yourcenar. The dance show L’ADN de l’ànima will be performing its own blend of hip-hop and flamenco, while the Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui project, Puz/zle, will be demonstrating the more creative facets of contemporary dance. The music section will include local artists such as Diego el Cigala, Buika, Jorge Pardo, Kiko Veneno, Bandalismes (Lloll Bertran with the municipal orchestra) as well as international proposals such as the 25th anniversary celebration of the Jazz at Lincoln Centre Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis or Una Noche de Tango.
 

One of the highlights of the festival this year is Mini Grec, which will be presented for the first time. This is a new series for all audiences that will take place outside the customary venues in seven theatres throughout the city. The extensive programme of 16 performances will include Grec co-productions such as Perduts a la Viquipèdia as well as works such as Simplicissimus, El petit Dalí, El petit circ or The Punch and Judy Show, among others. The series will commence on the 28th of June with a family festival in the gardens of the Teatre Grec.
 

The specific aspect of El Grec that deals with promoting creativity will be consolidated in the International Performing Arts Meeting, from the 9th to the 12th of July, in which international promoters and producers will gather together with the aim of creating projects for future production and performance. There will also be a meeting of children’s and junior theatre promoters, the Annual Congress of the IFTR (International Federation for Theatre Research), as well as the Barcelona International Dance Exchange (BIDE) platform for choreographers, dancers and performers. For the eighth time, the Obrador d’Estiu, of the Sala Beckett, will be opening its doors to playwrights, and on this occasion the sessions will be focussing on rage.
 

The general public may also take part in the Spectator’s Workshop (Taller d'Espectadors), an activity that allows participants to discover the world of performing arts from the inside and converse with the creators in person. Libraries will also be offering Converses, in which artists involved in some of the festival’s performances will be chatting to the public about their productions.