FIRA MEDITERRÀNIA of MANRESA is brought forward to the second weekend in October and will focus attention on socially-based popular culture and world music

MEETING OF THE FIRA MEDITERRÀNIA OF MANRESA BOARD The Board renews David Ibáñez at the helm of the next three Fira events

MEETING OF THE FIRA MEDITERRÀNIA OF MANRESA BOARD

The Board renews David Ibáñez at the helm of the next three Fira events

Manresa, 9 January 2014. For 16 years, Fira Mediterrània of Manresa has been the meeting point for professional delegates and the general public around the theme of traditional and popular culture, World Music and for folk artistic genres and experiences. The event has reached organisational maturity and is now widely regarded as a leader in its specific field and purpose by professionals both at home and abroad. Fira also has a stronger social base at this stage in its history. Now, the time is right for taking a further step forward. At the plenary meeting of the Fira Mediterrània Foundation Board held today in Barcelona, approval was given for a series of major organisational, structural and programming changes intended to reinforce Fira’s role on the country’s fairs and festivals scene and strengthen its profile as a marketplace for projects and ideas.

From the 2014 event onwards, Fira Mediterrània will be focusing its content and professional activities on two main areas: Popular Culture and World Music. The emphasis will be on Popular Culture in its strictest sense, appealing to a broad social base. Popular Culture encourages people to participate and promotes social integration, linking intangible heritage with social relations. From video games to folklore, social theatre, street arts, community dance and educational projects. Popular Culture is an extremely powerful educational, transformational and socialising tool that contributes to personal and community development, and Fira Mediterrània aims to be an epicentre of projects and ideas.

Over the last few years, Fira Mediterrània has become a European point of reference on the World Music scene, with a strong emphasis on the Mediterranean region. In addition to being one of the biggest showcase events on the national folk music scene, Fira is also setting itself new goals: to consolidate its position as market leader for World Music in the Spanish State and to strengthen its ability to export Catalan artists and culture.

New dates

Another issue that arose during Fira’s early years centred on the dates when the event was held. For both energy saving and weather reasons, today’s Board meeting in Barcelona approved bringing the Fira date forward to the second weekend in October, one month after the Mercat de Música Viva de Vic and FiraTàrrega, and two weeks before the great World Music marketplace event of Womex. Better weather, before the clocks go back for winter and the absence of competition from other similar events should make these new dates a fantastic opportunity for Fira to schedule many more street performances and shows.

Renewal

Today’s plenary Board meeting also unanimously approved the renewal of David Ibáñez as director of Fira Mediterrània for a further three-year period, thereby giving him enough time to put the new focus into practice.

In the coming weeks, Fira Mediterrània plans to hold a press conference to outline the new Fira Mediterrània of Manresa project over the next few years, coinciding with the call for artistic proposals for this year’s event.

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David Ibáñez