The peasant revolt inspires the new Brots del Baix Empordà festival, lovingly distanced from the major summer musical events.

FontclaraThe peasant revolt, expressed in noisy demonstrations, but also in provocative actions such as turning village entrance signs upside down, has inspired the new Brots festival, which will be held from October 30 to November 2 in several villages in the Baix Empordà region. It will combine music, dance, and visual arts as a tribute to a land where "for millennia, the people of the grove worked their backs off to extract green gold from the olive trees." Organized by the Musical Youth of Torroella de Montgrí, Brots is an anti-festival that deliberately distances itself, in terms of its conception and dates, from the large summer festivals that attract crowds and are mostly held by the sea. "It's an initiative designed for everyone, but especially for the people of the country and the farmers, and to highlight that hinterland that is discovered when you look at land and not at sea," says Martí Sabrià, festival advisor.

Compared to other major summer festivals, Brots also stands out in that 99% of the artists participating in its first edition are from the region. Thus, they rely on local talent for a "bold" initiative that aims to "return to the land what the land gives," explains the festival's artistic director, Montse Faura. The idea for the festival stems from her. "It was born in a very poetic way, during a few days of January drought, observing the altered signs of the villages in the Bajo Empordà region where I passed. I thought it was wonderful that the peasants could create a work of art out of their revolt, and I began to seek out partners to find a way to translate that protest into an artistic movement," Faura recalls.

The result is a festival that is not just a musical event, nor a craft market, nor an art fair, but "an invitation to explore the Bajo Empordà region where invited artists engage in dialogue with peasant artisans and heritage spaces, giving rise to unique, ephemeral and unrepeatable works".

Among the heritage spaces hosting performances at the Brots festival are the Chapel of Bellcaire del Empordà Castle, where composer and pianist Clara Peya will perform on Friday 31 October, or the Church of Sant Genís in Monells, which will host the Brots festival on Sunday 2 November. The Figueral, a polyphonic choral piece directed by Rusó Sala and featuring the voices of Judit Neddermann and Anna Ferrer, among others.

The so-called TourBrots, scheduled for Saturday, November 1st, proposes an intense route through several villages in the Baix Empordà region, where at each stop the spectator can enjoy an artistic action linked to the territory and its producers.

In Fonteta, in addition to an oil tasting, visitors will discover the art of glossing with the Empordà glossators Margalida Joanmiquel and Txell Garcia, accompanied by Marta Rius from Pónica and the musician Guillem Ballaz. The route will continue in Peratallada, where inside the church of Sant Esteve, the artist Fina Miralles will exhibit an installation that evokes the olive tree as a symbol of time and permanence. Outside the church, one of the most anticipated Brots actions will be held: A sound action, entitled The revolt, in which the Empordà farmers' tractors and the church bells will be used as instruments in a unique concert directed by Carles Marigó. Afterwards, you'll re-enter the church to enjoy the installation. Oil Constellation and the performance Liquid gold, directed by the artist Mar Serinyà, with music by Tricinium.

In the village of Fontclara, Maike Burgdorf and Yoyo Balagué will unite music and visual arts in the church of Sant Pau, and the Ortiga company will offer a circus and puppet show in the village square.

Another of the small towns included in the TourBrots is Sant Iscle d'Empordà, where Frances Barlett on the cello, SEEDs Company and CobosMika will mix sound, dance and the aroma of essential oils in a performance outside the village church. Fonolleres will be the final point of the route, where the church of Sant Cristòfol will host the show of Three-Time Pulse, by Malcus Codolà and Eduard Frigola, followed by a concert by Pol Batlle.

The spirit of the festival, which is intended to be conveyed in each of the activities, will be evident in the opening show, which will take place on Thursday, October 30th at the Espacio Ter in Torroella de Montgrí: on the building's façade, filmmaker Pol Roig and visual artist Martina Rogers will project a show that combines image and sound. Inside, in the Auditorium, pianist Emma Stratton will perform with a set made from plant fibers and 450 kilos of olives.

In homage to the artisans, the Plaça Mayor in La Bisbal de Empordà will be the scene of a performance directed by Marcos Pacheco and in which forty ceramists will participate, who in an unprecedented sound and visual experience will work in shifts from 2 in the morning to 9 in the morning the following day, to create around 2,000 plates, which will be used to cover the square with ceramic art.

Artists linked to the Baix Empordà such as the musician Carles Sanjosé, the rhapsodist Adrià Pujol, the DJ Max Wagberg, The Swing Lyons, the band Gili Bonmatí Hot Jazz Cats or The Gramophones All Stars Big Band, will perform on the last day of the festival in Monells Oil on a lamp, which in addition to music offers tastings of local products, wines and DO Empordà oils.