We begin this eleventh edition of Dau Barcelona with the hope of maintaining and continuing to expand the festival; with the efforts and desire of everyone who actively takes part, it has become one of the most important festivals of its kind in Europe. Barcelona is once again showing that the city is committed to the cultural reality formed and represented by board games.

The world we enter when we pass through the doors of the Fabra i Coats is much bigger than the site hosting the event. In Barcelona, we don't just enjoy games in private. With the initiative of organisations, associations and local commerce, people play games in public spaces, and everyone has the chance to enjoy the fun and cultural transmission involved in this phenomenon. We can proudly say that the City Council promotes game-related initiatives all year round, not only during this festival.

Dau Barcelona means games, but it is also about presentations, prototypes, author signings, awards and championships. It is a meeting point where people can enjoy themselves together, with their families or friends. To discover new things and rediscover things they already know. Creating a community and sharing interests.

Each time we play a board game, it provides entertainment, fun, education... and none of that would be possible without all the professionals involved in creating and promoting this cultural phenomenon. Therefore, at Dau Barcelona, we aim to showcase not only the work of the game creators, but also that of the illustrators, who inject each project with personality and soul, and all of those who strive to ensure that the games reach as many people as possible.

And naturally, we must highlight the role of schools, who introduce games into the classroom, as a learning tool of incalculable value. And teachers, who make an enormous and undeniable effort to expand the ways in which children and young people of all ages learn. The work done by associations, community centres and neighbourhood centres is also of great value for introducing games and making them part of everyday life. We must make special mention of 42, Barcelona's Fantasy Genres Festival. The 42 and the Dau continue to work hand in hand, joining forces to enrich each other.

Stuart Brown wrote: “What makes the human species exceptional is that we are designed to play throughout our lives.” We are opening the eleventh edition of Dau Barcelona with the responsibility of maintaining a legacy of incalculable value, but also with the intention of continuing to open and increase the number of doors into this great little world of ours. Games are learning, culture, tradition, innovation, communication, imagination... Games are the place where we meet to share moments and happiness. Enjoy the game, enjoy Dau Barcelona.

Oriol Crespo

 

Dau Barcelona is curated by Oriol Crespo, and produced by Tempus Fugit.