The Formentera Council's Office of Education and Culture unveiled its calendar of activities today for the commemoration of Saint George, or, as he is known in Catalan, Sant Jordi. In the words of department head Susana Labrador, the programme, which spans all of April, “was conceived as a way to bring our culture to local audiences both young and old”. Things kick off Saturday, April 1, with a performance of Acorar. Playwright and actor Toni Gomila helms a visceral monologue that takes audiences to the heart of Mallorca for a hog slaughter, any islander's go-to social gathering. The decadence of the event serves as shorthand for the decline of traditional Mallorca and, by proxy, the world as we've known it till now. The show, presented by Ferro, starts at 9.00pm in the cinema (Sala de Cultura).

Kids' activities
Sharing the opening slot of the children's events calendar are two events where kids will be able to use recycled materials to build their own dragons. The first workshop takes place Wednesday, April 5, at 5.30pm in the Sant Ferran library and the second on Friday, April 7 at 5.00pm in Marià Villangómez library. The following Saturday, April 8, is another day for the kids when the street theatre production “El niu de Dudu & Cia” hits plaça de la Constitució in Sant Francesc. This family-friendly show is a consummate work-in-progress: actors make their way down the street and neither words nor rules stand in the way of the surprises and laughs that emerge from interactions with the surrounding public.

Book launches
Monday, April 10, Òscar Mayans shares Espurnes de sensacions with Formentera readers. As the author's first solo publication, the book offers a glimpse into Mayans' inner workings. The launch and a talk with the author will be held at 8.00pm in Marià Villangómez library.

Friday, April 21, Obra Cultura Balear presents a launch of David Guinard and Artur Parron's Aurora Picornell (1912-1937). The event will take place at the Marià Villangómez library.

Concert
Also on Friday, local legends Uc perform on Formentera. Co-presented by Espai_F and Illenc at la Mola's Casa del Poble, the concert starts at 8.00pm.

Book stands
All morning long on Sant Jordi day (Sunday, April 23), books retired from the collections of Formentera libraries or donated from local cultural groups can be picked up for free at outposts across Sant Francesc's central plaza. Trade-ins will also be accepted.

Centennial celebration of 'Gabrielet'
The same day, at 12 noon in the cinema, winners will be announced for two children's contests that this year turn 18—a bookmark designing competition named for Antoni Tur “Gabrielet” and Robert Lewis Baldon's celebration of children's literature. Organisers of this year's edition say they hope to keep the memory alive of two seminal local figures. Both left Formentera with important legacies, artistic in one case and literary in the other. Councillor Labrador called the two competitions “a chance to promote reading and creative writing among Formentera youth”. As part of this year's centennial celebration of Tur's birth, participants will reflect on the prompt, “Art all around me”. Entertainment at the awards ceremony will be handled by Ho toquen tot.

Discussion, children's theatre and documentary
The activities continue Monday, April 24, with a look at Bartomeu Ribes' collection of poetry titled Els avisos. The evening, hosted by Maria Teresa Ferrer, Joan Ferrer and the author himself and presented by the local arm of Obra Cultural Balear (OCBF), begins at 8.00pm in Marià Villangómez library.

At 6.00pm on Friday, April 28, Formentera kids are invited to attend a storytelling session by Cristina Garcia at Marià Villangómez library called “Contes Salvatges” (“Savage Tales”).

At 8.30pm that same evening, Miquel Brunet presents his documentary Ferments to crowds in la Mola. The presentation is part of OCBF's Primavera Cultural programme.

Imaràntia, end of festivities
Capping the calendar of events, OCBF will host a 9.00pm concert by Imaràntia on Saturday, April 29 at la Mola's Casa del Poble.

Activities, coordinated by the CiF Office of Culture, had the support of local libraries and special collaboration from Formentera schools, as well as groups like Amics de la Biblioteca Internacional, OCBF, Espai_F, Ràdio Illa and Illenc.

Formentera Council's Office of Heritage has announced that workers at Cap de Barbaria II will soon begin consolidating and restoring sections two and eight of the archaeological site. The crew's roster of restorers and archaeologists includes Margalida Munar, Bernat Burganya, Antoni Puig and Pau Surera. The group is led by Munar and Burganya.

From 2014 to 2016 various portions of the site were restored and consolidated—area nine in 2014, six and seven in 2015 and one and three in 2016. That work occurred alongside the respective digs underpinning a research project into the archaeology, heritage and society of Formentera's prehistoric communities. The project ran from 2012 to 2016 and was co-directed coordinated by Sureda.

According to CiF heritage councillor Susana Labrador, the years-long efforts already carried out to restore Cap de Barbaria II mean there is all the more reason to continue. With roughly one third of the site already covered, Labrador estimates full restoration is not far off.

Efforts to consolidate and restore are considered preventive archaeology. A piece of legislation titled “decret 14/2011” establishes a framework for archaeological and paleontological work in the Balearics, and the Cap de Barbaria II initiative has already received the favourable opinion of a related archaeological commission.

Open day
This Saturday an open day gathering and cleanup will take place at the Cap de Barbaria II site from 9.00am to 1.00pm. Organisers have reached out to local residents to ask for help clearing the area of overgrowth. Together with a snack, volunteers will be treated to explanations on the project by the ArqueoBarbaria team.

The Formentera Council's Office of Culture has announced plans to host a concert next Friday at 8.00pm in the municipal gallery. JANSKY, a Majorcan duo of self-proclaimed “electrovers” formed by poet Laia Malo and musician Jaume Reus, will share with Formentera audiences their blend of poetry and electronic music.

The concert is the preamble to a group art show titled Illes d'Art, an opportunity for seven artists from the region to exhibit their work. That exhibition, held in the same venue, the Council's sala d'Exposicions, opens Monday March 27 at 8.00pm and will carry on welcoming visitors through April 8. Culture councillor Susana Labrador hailed the initiative as a moment of artistic exchange in the Balearics.

Illes d'Art
The Illes d'Art project comes to Formentera from Minorcan cultural association esFar. In the spirit of promoting artistic creation, the group has selected six projects for display across the four Balearic Islands. After stops on Menorca and Mallorca, the show, now in its second incarnation, arrives on Formentera.

This time around, Illes d'Art comprises a range of artistic disciplines—photos from Majorcan artist Beatriz Polo, sculptures from Mallorca-native Toni Andreu Ferriol, paintings by Eivissa's Pablo pelluz and assorted work from the Minorcan artists Gianna Carrano (photos), Elena Ferrando (collage) and Laura Marte and Julieta Oriola (Salditos Menorca, comics).

Explained the organisers: “Starting with the vision of the artists as delegates of their respective islands, each creator set out to encapsulate his or her ideas in their work, with results that run the gamut from social critique to intimate, personal creations.”

The artists' Formentera visit will also serve as a vector for unity and knowledge sharing between the islands of the Balearics. It will also be an opportunity for the visiting artists to see the how culture and art are framed on Formentera.

The Formentera Council's Office of Culture has announced it will begin accepting photo submissions to the Beni Trutmann contest. Prints will be accepted through April 7. At fifteen, the competition is the longest-running of its kind on the island. Culture councillor Susana Labrador held up the event for the fervor it sparks among photography adepts of all stripes—whether their snapshots of choice are politically-steeped, landscapes or of deeply-rooted traditions.

From its outset focused on Formentera's natural surroundings—landscapes, flora and fauna, humans in nature—as a way to promote a commitment to the environment, the competition, according to Labrador, “was initially conceived as an homage to Beni Trutmann himself, who was absolutely instrumental for Formentera”. The photographer left the island with an archive of more than thirty thousand prints reflecting a deep love of Formentera's natural beauty.

Smartphone snapshots
In an effort to turn younger audiences on to the groundbreaking figure, organisers last year created a new category: smartphone snapshots. Boosted by the warm reception it received, the category returns this year. It is geared towards 12- to 18-year-olds, who are asked to email their submissions (a maximum of three) to concursfoto@conselldeformentera.cat. The initiative receives support from Polaroid, who will provide photo equipment prizes.

Colour and Black & White categories
Contenders in the Colour and Black & White categories can submit as many as three photo prints (analogue or digital), square, classic or panorama shots. They must choose whether to compete for the first, second or third prize in each category and will be eligible for €500, €300 or €200 prizes respectively.

Jury
The jury will be composed of someone from the Balearic group for ornithology and the defence of nature, a representative of Obra Cultural Balear de Formentera, three noted visual arts professionals plus a president and secretary.

Winning photos will become part of the local image and sound archive and property of the Formentera Island Council. They can additionally be used by the administration for graphic undertakings like posters, signs or for use on the Internet.

Long history
Fifteen years on, the Beni Trutmann competition has left the Council with a very valuable store of roughly 1,200 photos. Pointing to the more than 300 participants in the last five years alone, Labrador called the contest “a way for fans of the island to render Formentera as they see fit”. And with photographers hailing from Madrid, Barcelona, València, Lugo, Zaragoza and the countries of Europe, the the growth of the contest is evident.

Photo display and prizes
The contest culminates with a show of approximately fifty photos in the Council's exhibition space (Sala d'Exposicions) starting Monday April 24. It will also be the occasion to distribute prizes to the contest's winners. The display will remain open through May 6. For more information and details on participation, visit the Formentera Council website or the following link: http://www.caib.es/eboibfront/ca/2017/10626/591827/aprovacio-de-les-bases-i-convocatoria-del-concurs-