IV Festival Surpas: Funeral Party

Festival Surpas was a festival of free and popular culture.

The word “free” we understood as in free culture, or simply as a possibility of direct human expression; the word “culture” as an exchange of ideas in a public place with a variety of means of expression.

After three editions since 2008, this festival that has offered music, performances, cinema, theatre, photography, street art, sculpture, workshops for children … etc., is currently in a state of agony. As we couldn’t fit the concept of culture in the terms of economical productivity – the so called “cultural industries” – we found ourselves in an impasse with the current cultural policies in Spain (which is not, of course, the only case in Europe): The Catalan Cultural Council announced they were reclaiming us the support they conceded for the festival in 2010 (i.e. 6900 euros with 10% of interests, which is actually worse than a bank loan).

The reason for this is that last year’s budget for the festival was not high enough to fit the institution’s criteria – although the income equaled the expenses, and despite the fact that the fesival’s quality was maintained or even improved, thanks to the numerous collaborations in kind, volunteer workers, logistic support and artists, who mainly came just for the cause, to participate in a collective effort of setting up a public event.

But this doesn’t count. Of course, we could have done false accounting, as it is a habit in this country, but … come on, we are not politicians nor are we running big businesses. Let us try to resist measuring culture merely by numbers. If we don’t, who will?

It is for these reasons we invite you to collaborate with us and our cause. Festival Surpas celebrated its own funeral on June 2011. But unlike people, cultural manifestations can be brought back to life.

Viva Quijote!

DONATIONS:
Associació Cultural OKNO
IBAN: ES45 2013 0421 54 0201 0837 08
BIC: CESCESBBXXX

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