Tarragona, Capital of Catalan Culture 2012

Tarragona (ACN).– Tarragona’s new status as Capital of Catalan Culture 2012 has triggered this year’s local artistic activity with a vast cultural agenda accessible to all citizens, as well as an unrecorded public transformation of the city’s cultural facilities. Thousands of activities have been programmed, starting in February with the first Congress of Catalan Booksellers. Initiatives like the inauguration of the Tarragona Theatre, the Historical Archive, the new Center of Contemporary Art and the Banc de la Cultura are some of the novelties expected to take place at the city this year. Other events scheduled in the following weeks include exhibitions by local talents such as “Artist”, by Miguel Ángel Gaüeca, at the gallery Espai Rosselló Tarraco. A documentary made with pictures and documents provided by citizens on Dalí's visit to Tarragona in 1973 will also be showcased this March.

“We want to honor and acknowledge the important testimony of traditional and popular culture that we have in this city”, Tarragon’s Councilwoman for Culture, Carme Crespo, told ACN. According to Crespo, one of the most important challenges is the new model of cultural management that is being implemented for the first time in Tarragona. “If it works well, public administrations would stop being the promoters of all events held within the city, and become an intermediary”, she explained. For the Councilwoman, the brainstorming activity of the Banc de la Cultura will be a great contribution to the cultural resources of all Catalan towns. 

Thousands of activities scheduled

As of today, there are more than a thousand activities programmed, with some surprising acts, such as an opera prepared by many amateur theater groups and a music school. Crespo explained that there will be novelties all year long. “We want a lot of people to contribute and most of all that those that have never been able to watch a show in their own city can make the most of this moment”. Tarragona's star attractions are also included in the plans, such as the roman festival Tarraco Viva or the ‘castellers’ contest (the Catalan traditional ‘human towers) that will go on for two days.

The Councilwoman for Culture also said she was satisfied with the new cultural infrastructure at the city this year, a reform that “hadn't happened for years”, she pointed out. Crespo explained that the new Tarragona Theatre and its 3,000 seats will be ready for use after this summer. The new Historical Archive, which will also act as an image interpretation center, and the new Center of Contemporary Art are some of the other new facilities expected to start working at the city this year.

“We are very excited, it is an opportunity to boost local artists, and at the same time to innovate and show people the culture Tarragona has to offer”. The new website for Tarragona as the capital of Catalan Culture 2012 started running, and, according to the Councilwoman, it is fully integrated with 2.0 tools and social media, “to make people more aware than ever of all that is done in Tarragona”.