Tàrrega’s Theatre and Arts Fair will offer 261 performances, from which 54 with Latin American culture as a theme

Tàrrega (ACN).- Tàrrega, near Lleida, in Western Catalonia, will become the capital of the performing arts festival from the 8^th to the 11^th September, during which time the public can enjoy 261 performances. The fair is a mixture of a street festival and professional fair. Of the 54 shows planned, 16 are premieres and two of them (Gravity and Zoolar) will be a collaboration of several companies. The opening show, Entròpic, is a production by Los Galindos. The festival will showcase Latin American culture and accordingly, three Latin American companies have been invited to represent this theme. 33 shows have been selected to participate in an initiative to involve performing arts, whilst remaining isolated from the official bid.

The focus of the program, which this year suffered a 10% budget reduction, is 'Street Arts'. At 24 of the shows you can find circus performers, clowns, music, art and theatre production which all encourage audience participation and interaction with the artists. Zoolar, a collaborative effort from the performance companies Katakrak, Itinerària and Tombs Creatius will be aimed at families providing a space for children's games.

Fifteen performances will take place in different venues that the city has provided for the theatre companies. These will include spectacles of circus shows and music concerts such as 'Call me María' and 'Enfila't' from the clown Marcel Tomàs as well as '15è Circ d'Hivern' and a variety of tragic comedies such as 'Soy la otra (La Diva)'. Catalan actress Rosa Maria Sardà will revive the work of Josep Maria De Sagarra and Inés Boza examining human fragility. The 'Divine' showcase will recreate the songs that kept up the hopes of those who suffered the 2nd World War.

International presence

As for the international presence at the Tarrega’s Fair, delegations from Korea, the United States and Eastern Europe will also participate. In the Latin American culture section, companies will be presenting a drama called 'Niño Proletario', a theatre production on the emotional value we attach to clothes in 'Íntimo Teatro Itinerante' and a music concert, 'Patriótico Interesante', to highlight the social discourse in Bolivia surrounding the reality of children of war.

Jordi Duran, the artistic director, hopes that La Fira will be a useful stepping stone for Catalan companies in finding their place in the market. We want to be "a public service that works closely with the creators and optimizes the resources of the city."

The mayor of Tàrrega, Rosa Maria Perelló, said that the festivals 30 years legacy has served to consolidate theatre as the hallmark of the city whilst going further in supporting the creation of new talents.
 
Precisely because Tàrrega’s Performing Arts Fair supports creative renewal, it has designed its programme to encourage the development of young artists. The program is divided into four areas: training, creative laboratories, seven creative residence halls and trans-national productions. This initiative will include six companies, putting on productions including, Gravity and La bola d'or by Planeta 15.

The Catalan Minister for Culture, Ferran Mascarell, described the event as being "a lucid and interesting" project. He praised "the desire to stimulate local creations" and "welcomed the creation and consolidation of international foreign developers," which is, in his view, "useful" because "the world is our market."