Last November, from Sa Xerxa de Teatre, we were able to attend Titirijai, the International Puppet Festival of Tolosa, held from November 23 to December 1. With 42 years of history, it remains one of the most important and oldest festivals in Spain dedicated to the art of puppetry. In this edition, 39 performances by 18 different companies were offered, consisting mainly of multidisciplinary performances aimed at an audience of all ages. The central themes of the festival are programming, training, and the promotion of puppetry; therefore, Toulouse was filled for 9 days with professional companies – both national and international – performing on the streets and in venues. Nevertheless, there was also room for young creators with opportunities for emerging Basque companies.
The 2024 Titirijai featured international pieces, such as Piuma by the Italian company Di Filippo. The show is designed to be viewed up close, allowing audiences to enjoy the details of movement and the interactions between the different sizes of the puppet Piuma and the puppeteer Remo. This edition also included premieres; for example, Verne by the company Onírica Mecánica from Murcia. From Catalonia, four pieces were performed: Soy una ciclopeta by Pea Green Boat; Cera 500 horas de vuelo by Cal Teatre; Melodama o la Venganza de una Huérfana Rusa by La Puntual; and Ma Solitud by Guillem Albà. The Titirijai also provided space for professional workshops with a diverse program. On one hand, the books TITIRITARI by Malen Amenabar and Miren Amuriza, and Los secretos del titiritero and La extraordinaria vida de Polichinela by Paco Paricio were presented.
Attendees could also witness the twinning of the three puppet houses: TOPIC in Toulouse, La Puntual in Barcelona, and La Casa de los Títeres in Abizanda, Huesca. Finally, the 15th anniversary of TOPIC was celebrated along with a tribute to L’Estaquirot Teatre.
This November, specifically on the 25th and 26th, we also attended the COFAE conference in Madrid: Acercando miradas, compartiendo preocupaciones. The coordinator promotes these training and reflection days annually with the intention of creating meeting spaces for professionals and entities in the performing arts sector. Thus, in addition to holding the Ordinary General Assembly of COFAE (on November 25 at 10 a.m.), the event was used to carry out a series of activities to rethink the fair system and analyze the conditions and situation of the collective.
The first activity after the General Assembly (AGO) was a meeting with three representatives from the National Institute of Performing Arts and Music (INAEM): Miriam Gómez Martínez, Deputy General Director of Theatre; Patxi Larrañaga, head of PLATEA; and María del Carmen Fernández Pico, advisor to the Support Unit for Management. In the afternoon of November 25, two round tables took place with different specialists from the sector. In the first discussion, Ana Velasco, president of FEAGC; Silvia Pereira, board member of ADGAE; and Gonzalo Moreno, representing ASSITEJ, participated. The speakers in the second conversation were Oscar Castaño “Garbitxu,” president of PATEA; Marisol Rico; Carlos Such, representative of CIRCORED; Ana Isabel Gallego, as a member of TE VEO; and Claudia Morgana, on behalf of FECED. The programming began on Tuesday, November 26, with a group work dynamic related to the topics discussed in the round tables the previous day. Afterwards, the sessions concluded with a third talk, a meeting with members of the Board of Directors and Management of La Red Española de Teatros, Auditorios, Circuitos y Festivales de Titularidad Pública. Juan Herrero, president of the Network; Francisco Flor, board member; and Elvira Gutiérrez, managing director, participated.
Thus, we remain convinced of the necessity for Sa Xerxa es mou. That is, to travel to other activities in the sector, whether they are professional meetings or fairs in other locations, to analyze ourselves, reflect, advance our organization, and above all, learn. The coordinator of state fairs, COFAE, always promotes the best activities to listen to the opinions of our professional colleagues and provides us with spaces where we can meet and converse with one another. On the other hand, attending Titirijai helps us to understand another way of working, incorporate its strengths into our mechanism, and maintain contact with the world of puppetry, which ultimately is one of the passions of young children at all the fairs and festivals that we promote as Sa Xerxa in the Balearic Islands.
