The president of the Albacete Provincial Council and the Albacete Cultural Consortium, Santi Cabañero, has participated this Tuesday in the presentation of the spring program of the Cuatro Estaciones Magazine, within the framework of the commemoration of the 40th anniversary of said Consortium, “a history of success at the service of the cultural development of this province”.
During the act, which was also attended by the mayor of the city, Emilio Sáez; the Councilor for Culture of the capital, Vicente Casañ; the provincial delegate of the JCCM, Pedro Antonio Ruiz; and the manager of Cultural Albacete, Ricardo Beléndez, have announced the details and news of these cultural proposals for the coming months, highlighting the ‘Festival XXV Years of the Teatro de la Paz’, which will commemorate the creation of this space, dependent on the provincial institution, in June 1983.
“This event is very important for the Provincial Council and for Cultural Albacete, because this Theater is created as the headquarters of the Consortium itself and, in fact, it was for a time until it moved to the Teatro Circo”, explained Cabañero, praising the role that this venue has had and still has in the province, “another great cultural coliseum converted, on its own merits, into one of the great stages of our territory”.
A space where school performing arts campaigns promoted by the institution itself coexist, “which some 6,000 students have been able to enjoy this 2022”, with many other initiatives, among which, the provincial head of state, has highlighted the solidarity shows for which this scenario is given.
In addition, he has detailed that the celebration of this anniversary is going to be divided into two parts (with the aim of not coinciding in time with the Chinchilla Classic Theater Festival that is traditionally held in June), and the first of which will take place in April, with four major first-rate theatrical performances (‘Bad times for poetry’; ‘To be or not to be’ directed by Juan Echanove; ‘El Brujo. Cómico’; and ‘El viento es salvaje’, which received in 2020 the Max Best New Show Award). Postponing the second until September.
Cabañero points out that the 40th anniversary of Cultural Albacete comes at the best moment for the Consortium
In fact, Cabañero has pointed out that the Diputación works to “celebrate culture with more culture”, with new and original proposals, but always with nods to our idiosyncrasies, and, of course, betting on “the highest quality”, in allusion to this and other innovative proposals included in the spring program to also commemorate the 40th anniversary of Cultural Albacete.
A date that, how could it be otherwise, is permeating the cultural offer of this 2023 and that, as the president of the Provincial Council has pointed out, comes at the best moment for the Consortium, “when it is already an entire institution in the province”, affirming that it has more than met its objectives and solvency, while ensuring that this celebration is going to be a party in capital letters on the path of what these four decades have been hand in hand with initiatives such as the Four Seasons Magazine.
Cabañero values ”collaboration and coordination” between administrations
Congratulating Ricardo Beléndez and the entire Cultural Albacete team for the great work they do to make each new program a success, Cabañero also highlighted “the collaboration and coordination” between the Provincial Council itself, the JCCM and the City Council of the capital, as well as the rest of the Albacete Town Halls, making it clear that the sum of efforts generates a “multiplier effect” of quality cultural offerings and an “optimizer” of public resources.
In this sense, he has also thanked the confidence that the Government of Spain places, through the Ministry of Culture, in this programming, as evidenced by the great support (through the Platea program) that makes it possible for many of the productions that incorporates this Magazine.
The National Dance Company, Concerts at the C-LM Botanical Garden or film screenings at the Teatro Circo
In total, this edition of Cuatro Estaciones has more than 50 shows. Among which the provincial head of state has highlighted the performance, on April 28 and 29, of the National Dance Company, “which joins the anniversary of the Consortium and will celebrate International Dance Day from our province”, at the same time that it has been remembered that The National Orchestra will star, on February 25, in the central act of this commemoration.
Likewise, Cabañero has advanced that, in coordination with the C-LM Botanical Garden, seven concerts have been organized in its greenhouse on different days in February, March and April (with free admission) by the Royal Professional Conservatory of Music and Dance of the Provincial Council of Albacete and the Professional Conservatory of Music ‘Tomás de Torrejón y Velasco’, dependent on the JCCM. An initiative with which the work carried out from each of these areas is made known and valued.
Similarly, and also coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the reopening of the Teatro Circo, this coliseum will once again be a cinema during the month of May with ‘The Greatest Hits Screen’, which includes the projection of 5 films selected by the journalist and film writer José Fidel López in collaboration with the Filmoteca de Albacete: ‘Gone with the wind’; ‘Thieves are honest people’; ‘The Godfather’; ‘ET’; and ‘5 and action’.
More than 50 dance, theater, humor, music or circus shows
Along with these proposals, others have been announced, among which the dance project ‘Estamos a tiempo’ stands out, which became the first total production of Cultural Albacete and starring dancers with disabilities and people sheltered in the city . A unique show, distinguished with the ‘Special Recognition for the C-LM Social Initiative’ Award, which can be enjoyed at the Teatro Circo on April 10, but which will also tour the province with stops in 12 locations.
Appointments to which others join, such as the zarzuela of ‘Don Giovani (June 15 and 16) that will have the participation of artists linked, in one way or another, with Albacete (for example, selected in the National Singing Contest ‘City of Albacete’); a Lyric Gala with the opera ‘La Traviata’ by Verdi (April 15); the show ‘Rhapsody of Queen’ (April 23); a Flamenco cycle at the Pepe Isbert Hall (March 17, April 21 and May 13); concerts by the C-LM Conservatory of Music (May 16 and 23); or a performance under the title ‘Alma de mujer’, by its Symphonic Band in homage to women (March 13).
In addition, this program includes the proposals that traditionally give life to the spring of the Teatro Circo, such as Gacha`s Comedy (March 15 to 31); the Festival of Sacred Music of Albacete (March 24 to 30); the Ciclo Poesía Viva (from April 24 to May 29); or the Juegos Florales Albacete siglo XXI (May 30), as well as attractive theater performances (‘Cigarreras’ on March 3; ‘Adictos’ with Lola Herrera on March 6; or ‘Ladies football club’, on April 22). ; dance shows (such as ‘Querencia’, on March 2) and circus shows (‘Sopla’, on April 21) or musicals (‘El Gualdaespaldas’, from March 9 to 12).
The Teatrillo del Teatro Circo has hosted this presentation, “when we are getting closer, after the visit of the Spanish ambassador to UNESCO, to the possibility of its recognition as Material Heritage of Humanity”, as Cabañero has pointed out, who has concluded his speech reiterating the commitment of the Provincial Council in this direction, as well as with culture in capital letters, making it clear that the Government Team that he heads will continue working to guarantee access to it for all people in our territory, wherever they live and have the purchasing power they have.