Main content
Press releases
The Princess of Asturias Foundation hosts and jointly organizes a meeting between Europe's major cultural foundations
Maria Pagés, joint 2022 Princess of Asturias Laureate for the Arts, will close the event with the flamenco performance entitled "Paraíso de los negros".
The programme of activities, sponsored by the Foundation and Philea, will take place on 19th and 20th October in Oviedo and Avilés.
![The Princess of Asturias Foundation hosts and jointly organizes a meeting between Europe's major cultural foundations](/resources/img/portal/2024/02/22/reimagine-the-future.webp)
The Princess of Asturias Foundation is to host the meeting to be held in Asturias between the major Spanish and European cultural foundations, as well as those forming part of the Art and Culture Thematic Network of Philea (Philanthropy Europe Association), a leading philanthropic association in Europe. The activities will take place on 19th October at the La Vega Arms Factory, in Oviedo, and on 20th October at the Niemeyer Centre, in Avilés.
María Pagés, joint 2022 Princess of Asturias Laureate for the Arts, will close the event on 20th October with the flamenco performance entitled “Paraíso de los Negros”, produced by the María Pagés Choreography Centre, based on the essence of Federico García Lorca’s Poet in New York and the novel of the same name by Carl Van Vechten. This event will also open the activities of “Awards Week”, which will last until 29th October.
Meeting
Under the title “Reimagine the Future through Arts and Culture: Bold storytelling, social change and the environment”, the meeting will reflect on the role of foundations in social change, exploring how practices from a local level in the fields of art and culture can provide creative answers to complex challenges.
The central themes of the meeting are the contribution of new formats and technological materials (Fab Labs) to the circular economy, innovation in technological designs, the exploration of new formats, and the relationship between artistic experiences and social inclusion. Some practical activities will also take place that deal with the monitoring of plants to analyse their surrounding environment and the potential use of recycled materials to create new musical instruments.
Speakers include Maya Adams, Art, Culture and Learning Programme coordinator at the foundation created by Ellen MacArthur (granted the 2022 Princess of Asturias Award for International Cooperation) and El Arbi El Harti, playwright and director of the María Pagés Choreography Centre (jointly granted the 2022 Princess of Asturias Award for the Arts together with Carmen Linares).
About ninety professionals from this sphere of activity will participate in the meeting through workshops, talks and round tables. A number of philanthropic institutions will likewise be present, such as the Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary Foundation (TBA21), the “la Caixa” Foundation and the Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian. Moreover, artist Rodrigo Cuevas will present the crowdfunding campaign to turn the former La Benéfica Theatre, in Infiesto, Asturias, into a cultural space.
Philea
Philea (Philanthropy Europe Association) brings together approximately 10 000 foundations, including the Princess of Asturias Foundation. It was founded in 2021, resulting from the merger of Dafne and EFC. Its network includes philanthropic institutions from more than 30 countries that seek to improve the lives of people and communities. According to the association’s estimates, there are more than 147 000 philanthropic organizations in Europe which receive cumulative annual donations amounting to almost €60 billion, and whose combined assets exceed €511 billion.
INFORMATION OF INTEREST:
Admission is restricted to members of the invited foundations; consequently, the event will not be open to the general public.
APPENDIX:
Programme of events (subject to change).
Programme of events
All events are to take place at the La Vega Arms Factory (Oviedo).
The meeting will take place at the Niemeyer Centre (Avilés).
End of main content