Fifteen years since the castells touched the sky of the world
Around twenty groups were created as a result of the UNESCO declaration of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
The world of castellers is celebrating: November marks the fifteenth anniversary of UNESCO's declaration of the Catalan tradition as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This milestone represented a major recognition of the castells and was accompanied by an expansion of the activity, with the creation of some twenty new groups between 2010 and 2013; many of them in territories without a prior casteller tradition.
The idea to promote UNESCO's recognition arose, surprisingly, from the Castells MagazineThus, a committee was formed, comprised of the same magazine, the UNESCO Center of Catalonia, and the Coordinating Committee of the Castellers Groups of Catalonia (CCCC), which secured the unanimous approval of the candidacy for Parliament on March 17, 2008. This fact is especially relevant for Miquel Botella, president of the Coordinating Committee at that time, in conveying the high regard in which castells were held in Catalan society. He also emphasizes the amateur nature of the castellers in his book. Castells: A Success Story"If the castells had been built by professional athletes or circus acrobats, the structures would probably have been taller, but the castells wouldn't have been eligible for World Heritage status. Conversely, if the tallest castell built by the groups at that time had been the fourth out of seven, they would still have been included on the list."
The commemoration of culture
The main commemoration event will take place on Sunday, November 16th at the National Art Museum of Catalonia (MNAC), the exact day it was added to the list in 2010. "We want to use this as a platform to promote and advocate for greater recognition of our country's popular culture," explains Albert Torres, president of the Coordinating Committee. The date has caused some unease as it coincides with the morning celebration of the Minyons de Terrassa. Despite acknowledging some minor disagreements, Torres maintains that there is time to enjoy the performance in the morning and attend the commemoration in the afternoon. Alongside the celebration, the Catalan government is working on a law for Catalan cultural heritage. Torres emphasizes that it's important to highlight that castells are "one of the most powerful agents in the cultural and material sphere," involving 100 groups and 13,000 castellers throughout Catalonia. He stresses that it's crucial to recognize that "castells are part of the DNA of Catalan culture and society."
The culmination of a tough year
The event will come after a season with a very positive outcome for the castellers, but a complicated year in the offices of the Coordinating Committee. First, the renewal of image rights had to be negotiated, which didn't happen until July and only after much back and forth. Later, the departure of Jóvenes de Valls from the CCCC board also caused another crisis.
Despite the circumstances, Torres believes that this year the foundation has been laid for work that "must be done jointly by everyone, not just a few." On the one hand, he values one of the great positive points as having brought together "the large groups that were historically divided among themselves." On the other hand, he believes that the public image is good, since "many people highly value the work that is done because they see us as a necessary entity."
