Jordi Fosas will continue as artistic director of the Fira Mediterrània de Manresa

The native of Olot has been selected by the assessment committee for the tender organised by the Fundació Mediterrània to remain in the position for three years, with the possibility of a further two-year extension.

This morning, the Board of Trustees of the Fundació Mediterrània, Fira d’espectacles d’Arrel tradicional, reappointed Jordi Fosas as the artistic director of the Fira Mediterrània de Manresa. The Olot native, who finished his term as artistic director of the Fira at the end of December after five years in the role, re-applied for the new call for applications to fill the position at the beginning of June. After reviewing his application, the assessment committee decided to pass on the proposal for his appointment to the Board of Trustees, which approved it today.

Duties of the artistic director

At the beginning of January 2024, Jordi Fosas will sign an artistic director contract for a period of three years, which will be renewable for a further two years.

As artistic director, his duties will be to design, implement and monitor the Fira’s artistic project, ensuring its standards of quality and interdisciplinary nature, as well as to contribute to designing the lines of professional activity. His aim must be to maintain and strengthen the circuit of shows as a benchmark for artistic quality.

He will also be in charge of selecting independently produced and co-produced projects focused on the arts with an emphasis on heritage, based on the dissemination of folk culture, the crossover between contemporary creation and traditional roots, participation and broadening the social base of culture, world and folk music, music connected to roots from both traditional and contemporary perspectives, and the performing arts, especially those of the Mediterranean Arc. He will also promote bilateral co-production between festivals, fairs, shows and/or other exhibition spaces through collaboration agreements that enhance the visibility of the Fira.

When putting together the Fira’s programme, he will also take into account the agreements in force regarding the scheduling of the “offs”, the various prizes and competitions linked to the Fira and other agreements that may be allocated by the Fira Foundation’s governing bodies.

He will also implement and organise the Plan to Promote Roots Dance and future plans to promote artistic activities of a musical or performing arts nature or those linked to roots culture and cultural associations, which may be approved by the Foundation’s governing bodies, as well as the Roots Workshop, a support programme for artists who explore new paths based on roots and folk culture. Finally, the artistic director must also perform tasks related to representing the Fira and proposing initiatives for attracting new audiences.

Jordi Fosas’ background

Jordi Fosas has been involved in the world of folk culture for many years through the Cercle de Cultura Tradicional i Popular Marboleny and the Festival Ésdansa de Les Preses. In addition to his links with the world of folk culture, Fosas was selected on the basis of the content of the artistic project he presented, as well as his proven experience.

Born in Olot in 1976, Jordi Fosas was the president of the Cercle de Cultura Tradicional i Popular Marboleny from 1996 to 2019, an organisation that specialises in the research, training, creation and dissemination of traditional dance. From 2001 to 2019, he was the director of the Festival Ésdansa de Les Preses, where he also held the position of general manager from 2006 to 2007. Jordi was also professionally involved in the world of major event production, as a co-founding partner and managing director of the company La Caraba Produccions Serveis a la Cultura S.L., a company specialising in production and comprehensive technical services for events.

The assessment committee

The candidate assessment committee was composed of Cristina Sanchís, Head of the Promotion and Dynamisation Service of the Direcció General de Cultura Popular i Associacionisme Promoció Cultural (DGCPAPC), in her capacity as president; alongside Verònica Guarch, Head of the Research and Protection Service of the DGCPAPC; Pol Fàbregas, Senior Technician at the DGCPAPC; Jordi Basomba, Manager of Manresana d’Equipaments Escènics; Assumpta Bermúdez, Senior Technician of Culture at Manresa City Council, and Lídia Hinojo, Manager of the Fundació Mediterrània, as committee members.