The Petit, an art festival to strengthen the bonds between parents and children

BarcelonaFor 21 years, the Petit Festival has been working to expand the spaces and performance offerings aimed at the youngest audiences: children between 0 and 5 years old. "All the studies say so. At this age, children retain all their experiences and they help them in their daily lives. Art and aesthetics should be present in their lives," says Eulàlia Ribera, who co-directs the festival with Isabel Urpí. With this objective, Petit kicks off this Saturday and, until November 30, will host fifteen shows in venues in Barcelona, ​​Granollers, Igualada, Lleida, Olot, Sabadell, Sant Cugat del Vallès, Sant Esteve Sesrovires, Sant Quirze del Vallès, Viladecans, Benicàssim, and Sant Llorenç. Having become a leading international early childhood festival, it manages to gain new venues and expand its program year after year. This year, the Teatre Lliure de Montjuïc and the Ponent Penitentiary Center join the festival.

The Petit program largely features a selection of shows by Catalan companies that have been developed in recent months. This is the case, for example, of Sound (0-5 years), from the company LagunArte, and from Komunumo (+5 years), by the company Eléctrico 28, which were created from two residencies linked to the festival. Among the Catalan productions, the following also stand out Wave (+2 years), from La Súbita, and DO2 Wolves (+3 years), by Engruna Teatre, who have just been touring in South Korea after premiering last year Universe, their previous proposal, at the festival.

"Petit is a springboard for local companies that want to go further afield, but we don't aim to be a marketplace for shows, but rather a meeting place for professionals to showcase and reflect on the arts from all over the world," explains Ribera. The festival also hosts international companies such as the German Tangram Kollektiv with The shadow of things (+2 years), "a poetic and beautiful piece about the power of imagination through shadows," says the co-director, who adds that Petit seeks "contemporary and rigorously created artistic experiences for early childhood, which is not easy."

The magic of experience

Beyond being an exhibition platform, the festival also strives each year to raise public awareness of the importance of these artistic expressions. "One of the magical aspects of artistic experiences is sharing them. Many people who have come with their children had never seen a dance performance before. They experience the emotions together, there are powerful connections, and the bonds between parents and children are strengthened," Ribera points out. For all these reasons, the program is complemented by a series of workshops and training sessions linked to the participating companies. But for the festival to gain even more visibility and meaning, Ribera highlights the challenges they still face: "The companies need time to create for early childhood. We have to keep in mind that we work with limited capacity and that providing special attention to the audience is more than just opening a door."