More than 600 amateur actors to participate in Girona’s 2014 International Festival of Amateur Theatre

Girona (ACN.) – In the last week of August, over 600 amateur actors from across the world will be descending on Girona for one of the liveliest dramatic art summer festivals, the International Festival of Amateur Theatre (FITAG). In the 14th edition of the festival, taking place from the 26-30 August, 33 performances will be staged over just five days, at various venues in the Girona capital and surrounding towns such as Figueres, Lloret de Mar, Palamós, Palafrugell Maçanet Selva and La Jonquera. Fifteen of the participating theatre groups are local companies from Girona; a further five are from the rest of Spain and eleven are international.  The aim of this year’s festival is to bring together the culture and theatre from different immigrant communities and strengthen international exchanges.  

From 26 to 30 August this year, Girona will become a focus of amateur theatre. The FITAG is celebrating its 14th year and will host more than 600 aspiring thespians from fifteen companies and theatre groups in Girona, as well as five companies from the rest of the Spain and eleven from overseas.

Originally known as “El Pati” when it began in 1998, FITAG has developed a reputation as one of the best showcases of amateur artistic creations, celebrating both local talent and cultural and linguistic diversity.  

The regional capital will host 33 performances in across some eight stages; the Museum of Cinema, the Planet Hall, the new Barri Vell-Mercadal Civic Centre, the Municipal Theatre of Girona, the new La Mercè Cultural Centre, the House of Culture courtyard, the Magnolia courtyard and the stage of FITAG Nights. In total, more than 8,000 tickets will be on sale, half of which will be free and the rest just €5. There are also several performances scheduled outside of Girona, in towns that comprise the FITAG network such as Figueres, Lloret de Mar, Palamos, Palafrugell Maçanet Selva and La Junquera.

The official presentation of the upcoming edition of the festival was held on Wednesday. During the presentation, the organizers stressed that one of the most important objectives of this year’s festival is to boost international exchange. The idea is to get to the celebration of the 15th edition of FITAG embracing a new era based on the culture of 'glocalization', in which local and international knowledge and resources are exchanged.

This edition of the festival is envisioned to be an instrument for the promotion of community culture. Therefore, the theme chosen for this year has been working in the area of ​​integration, cooperation and multiculturalism. "The FITAG approach to immigration and disadvantaged groups is to send the message that the theatre and the culture of our country is for everyone," declared the festival's Director, Martí Peraferrer.

Thus, the opening show will star the collective Afrogironins theatre, which, with the special collaboration of Cor Àkan, will debut 'The Caress of Stones and Water.' It is a work created specially for the occasion and is intended to foster greater cultural integration.

Other aspects of the festival

FITAG also incorporates towns and productions done outside of the dates of the festival, which come under the banner of Off-FITAG. Specifically, there are two coproductions from Girona-based companies being performed outside of the dates of the festival, in collaboration with two extraneous theatre groups (one Russian and one from Madrid). There is a third coproduction (with Argentina), but this can only be seen in the official program of FITAG 2014.

The festival also consolidates municipal theatre spaces of Girona, which are known as Microtheatre. Groups of amateur actors in Girona will spend their mornings presenting short works (of 10 minutes) written by renowned authors, at the Cinema Museum, under the stage direction of Ramon Perera and musical director Rafael Vega, both of Seville.

Last year the festival debuted the ‘Petit FITAG’, earmarked for development. For three mornings, from 28 to 30 August, the House of Culture of Girona offered children’s theatre created by amateur actors. In addition, in the Auditorium, pupils of the El Galliner theatre school also displayed their work. In the evenings, the same Josep Viader Auditorium  will continue to host the already popular FITAG Nights, a small, festive and fun cabaret, which is also open to all.