Grec 2023 presentation

As with jazz improvisations, in order to build up their solo, each performer needs to listen carefully to the rhythm set by the ensemble as a whole. This is the image described by philosopher and writer Eulàlia Bosch, when she saying that the singular is born of the plural. An observation that offers a neat way of describing this year's Grec, which revolves around the idea of collectivity, of how group awareness underscores and enriches individual qualities. The programme focuses on the creation of synergies between various performing arts disciplines, with the notable presence of circus arts and choral groups, choirs with a multitude of approaches that offer a mix of different voices. In fact the word cor in Catalan (choir, core, heart) has both a plural and a singular meaning.

Unlike in previous years, we won’t be talking about continents but rather about connections created within a global environment, about humanity. We’ll be offering an extensive international programme for talking about today’s world, about a present that forces us to share a constant concern for the conservation of nature, women's voices, the consequences of war, the importance of giving a voice to those at risk of exclusion, and the growing role of artificial intelligence. That said, this will be a joyful, visual Grec, a project full of impact, emotion and surprises; one that that we’ve created built around singular spaces where place has a marked impact on the performance.

For all these reasons, this year you’ll see shows from artists who through their firm commitment to their projects will be offering us a glimpse of the creative future of the performing arts. This is also a festival designed to stimulate the local performing arts scene, with lots of initiatives aimed at fostering creativity without losing sight of the fact that the future is something that must necessarily be imagined collectively. Because, as Virginia Wolf said in her novel The Waves: “We suffered terribly as we became separate bodies”.

Francesc Casadesús
Director
GREC Festival de Barcelona