The FIET, the Fira de Teatre Infantil i Juvenil de les Illes Balears, closed its twenty-second edition with over 21,000 attendees. From Thursday, October 17 to Sunday, October 20, 2024, the Fair took place in Vilafranca, driven by Sa Xerxa de Teatre. To start, the inaugural performance was held on Thursday at 9 PM: this year it was Qwerin, a Welsh dance piece by Osian Meilir. The programming of the Fair offered shows for schools, puppetry, circus, international works, parades, etc. A whole range of different ways to experience children’s and youth theatre to entertain the little ones and give programmers in the sector the opportunity to view theatrical productions that they will later invite to their venues.
On one hand, more than 2,000 students attended the FIET thanks to the program “L’escola s’acosta a la Fira” This year, 16 educational centers from all over Mallorca participated in this program. Additionally, three performances premiered at the FIET on Saturday, October 19: Aluzina, a proposal of object theater by Nacho Diago Producciones en la luna; Sense destí, a clown, magic, and circus show by Clownómadas; and Terra de fuga, a solo dance performance by Paula Ramis that took place in the church. This was the world premiere of this proposal where Ramis explores what a landscape is and the relationship between landscapes and people’s identities, all through a journey of body movement, voice, and music. Also noteworthy is the first edition of FIET FEST!, organized on Saturday evening in collaboration with the 2003 quintos of Vilafranca and featuring performances by Trull Nohara, Som Vinils, and Anto & M. Alba.
During the weekend of the Fair, children were also able to enjoy spaces to play. First, Lîla jocs reciclats i circ, scheduled for Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday on carrer dels Rocabertí. On the other hand, Hàbitat and Natiu, la ludoteca de jardí that took place on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of the FIET at parc Josep Maria Llompart. The closing performance of 2024 was Quan torni la primavera, by Kika Garcelán, a circus piece that combines acrobatics and humor through resilience and human emotions, which took place on Sunday at 7:30 PM in the town’s sports hall.
Among these productions and the other performances scheduled in the various venues in Vilafranca, the FIET has brought together pieces from 37 companies, including 16 from the Balearic Islands (with participants from all four islands), 1 from Italy, 1 from Brazil, and 1 from Wales, who joined the delegation of international programmers from countries such as China, Pakistan, and Denmark, among others. In fact, this edition has achieved an important milestone towards the internationalization of the event thanks to their presence. This year, around 150 professionals from the performing arts sector attended the Fair, who not only had the opportunity to attend performances but also participated in professional days on Thursday and Friday. Nevertheless, FIET 2024 was made possible thanks to the involvement of the people of Vilafranca, with more than 60 volunteers and 42 families hosting artists and programmers. Similarly, this year, the Fair received support from the following institutions and companies: Institut d’Estudis Baleàrics, Consell de Mallorca, INAEM, Ajuntament de Vilafranca de Bonany, Fundació Baleària, Fundació La Caixa, Melchor Mascaró, Inturotel, Conecta Balear, TIB, IB3, RTVE and Tot Pla. It also has support from local businesses, restaurants, and associations in Vilafranca such as Es Cruce, Mallorca Verda, Forn can Toni, Ca n’Amer, Ca Na Molineta, S’Estanc Vell, Pub Es Glop and Futbol Club Vilafranca, among others.
FIET 2025
After closing the previous edition, the countdown for FIET 2025 has already begun, which will take place this year from October 16 to 19. Sa Xerxa de Teatre has already opened the submission period for performance proposals to be part of the programming for the twenty-third edition of FIET. Proposals can be sent to the email address artistica@saxerxa.org until january 16.
