From next summer, Barcelona will expand its cultural arts performance with an investment of €300,000

The deputy mayor of Culture, Jaume Collboni, has announced that, from August 2017, the Greek Amphitheatre is expected to be opened with an “artistic quality programming”, funded through a budgetary contribution of €300,000 from the Fund for the Promotion of Tourism of the Generalitat.

Collboni has mentioned that the aim for this event is to gather tourists and the locals who are staying in august into this symbolic place and spectate art performances that are “rich of culture”; such as music and dancing as well as many other types of performing arts.

Currently, the Generalitat collects approximately €43.5 million from tourist taxes, of which €22.2 is gained from Barcelona.

Public contest

Increasing number of tourist visiting Barcelona

Increasing number of tourist visiting Barcelona

Collboni stated that it is “incomprehensible” how, for so many years, the Catalan capital never planned a cultural event in August to match with other activities that are happening in other European cities. For this reason, the city is very committed to this project.

“From the tourist taxes collected by the Generalitat- he continued- The City Council is able to allocate certain parts to what it thinks is most convenient. Currently, rather than investing on tourism promotions, the council decided to invest more on transforming the city’s spaces and services, increasing the cultural offer of this city”. For this project, €300,000 will be invested for the Greek Amphitheatre, situated nearby Montjuïc. Known as the epicentre of the Greek festival -which is celebrated in July- the Amphitheatre will re-open on the 1st of August till the 3rd of September with new performing arts events planned for the public such as theatre, music and dance performances. The managers of the event will hold a public contest where private companies needs to compete in order to succeed the Amphitheatre. The successful bidder can be an organization or a group of companies, so long as they are able to “guarantee the unit of programming and management“.

The deputy mayor has also recognised that, rather than spending money on mainly heritage sites to present tradition in Barcelona,  it would be necessary to use the money to “invest more in content than in continents“.

While waiting to know who won the competition, Collboni has made it clear that, though the local talents have always been promoted in the city, it is important to also analyze and take into account the “international key”. He believes that the funds should help to carry out “a set of programs that would give the Catalan culture the prominence it deserves in regards to Barcelona’s evolution of Tourism.

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Source: lavanguardia.com
Photocredit: biorama.eu
Photocredit: stylishlyme.com