Ciutadilla, Castellserà, Agramunt, Palacio de Anglesola, Bell-lloc, Bellvís, Alamús, Juneda, Bovera, Torregrossa, Torrefeta, and Florejacs… Bread ovens, especially small ones, have been proliferating in rural areas in recent years. Although still tentative, the opening of new businesses is counteracting a trend that seemed dramatic. "What was in decline until now seems to be a trend," says Toni Frias, the current president of the Bakers' Guild of the Lleida region. But this is no coincidence. At least, not in the eyes of the industry. "It was the result of time and a lot of dedication," Frias states. In recent years, the Guild has dedicated significant effort to promoting and organizing courses and training for new bakers and shopkeepers who have converted to traditional bakeries. "Now we are reaping the rewards," concludes the president of the organization.

Antoni Gorgues was still living at home with his parents when he decided to make a radical change in his life. He was 24 years old and had been working as an accountant for a company in Lleida for some time when, in 1996, he decided to leave it all behind to dedicate himself to his great passion: music. Exactly thirty years ago, from his teenage bedroom, he founded Guerssen, an exclusive label now known for reissuing psychedelic rarities. "It all started with few resources, simply with a lot of enthusiasm and little knowledge," recalls Gorgues himself, who is now immersed in the commemorative events, which have kicked off with the release of a collection of fifteen limited and numbered singles, featuring garage, psychedelic, and other sounds and bands. freakbeat and hard rock, mainly from the sixties, with some surprises from the eighties such as the two singles featuring the earliest demos by Los Negativos, never before released on vinyl. On March 28th, the Morera Museum in Lleida will host a talk about the history of Guerssen, featuring Antoni Gorgues himself along with some of his collaborators: Álex Carretero, Marc Argenter (the label's designer), and journalist Àlex Oró. Following the talk, the documentary will be screened. The Negatives: Graduated from Underground (Víctor Carrey, 2024) on the history of the group. Also at the Museu Morera, a small exhibition on the history of Guerssen will be on display, featuring records and memorabilia. Finally, the Café del Teatro will host a performance by Los Negativos with a lineup that includes two founding members of the band, Carles Estrada and Robert Grima, along with a string section, performing the entire album. Kaleidoscopic Piknik as never before.

Deep, guttural vocalizations. Loud, thunderous screams. Lamentable sounds in the purest Cro-Magnon style. Facial expressions of extreme torment. A whole testosterone-fueled menagerie that the free weight rooms and machine rooms shelter day in and day out. It's also true that this type of user isn't the only one found in gyms. The diverse range of people who share these spaces fosters a biodiversity that, at the very least, is healthy.

After a long professional career almost always linked with Televisió de Catalunya, the communicator Mari Pau Huguet (Estopanyà, 1963) has been Recognized this March as an Emblematic Woman by the Hera association of LleidaShe has been working in the Audience Services Office for over fifteen years, but continues to participate in audiovisual projects and host many events.

Trini Porta, a 52-year-old resident of Montoliu de Segarra, lives alone with a dog and two cats. Last January, she suddenly lost Cupi, a powerful dog she adopted from the Cervera pound ten years ago. An irreversible liver disease forced her to have him euthanized to prevent further suffering. The void he left is still raw. She doesn't hesitate to compare this loss to the loss of a person. "I've lost a member of my family, and many people don't understand that," Porta admits.

The story of the Urgell Canal, one of the most crucial hydraulic infrastructures for the development of contemporary Catalonia, will once again be brought to life through music and theater with the return ofOpera in the veinsA stage and musical production will arrive next April at two emblematic venues. The show will premiere again on April 19 at the Teatre de la Lonja in Lleida, and the following day, April 20, it will move to the Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona, ​​in a double performance that will conclude the tour begun last year.

Cervera will once again become one of the epicenters of Catalan classical music this Easter. From March 26 to April 4, the capital of the Segarra region will host the 16th edition of the Easter Festival, a unique event within the country's musical landscape because it is the only one dedicated entirely to this repertoire. The program will include 14 concerts held in various venues throughout the city, featuring a combination of symphonic, choral, chamber, and contemporary music. Among the invited ensembles and performers are the Julià Carbonell Symphony Orchestra of Lleida, the Chamber Choir of the Palau de la Música Catalana, Polifemo Consorte, the Cobla Sant Jordi, and the Prysma Quartet, as well as soloists such as Marta Mathéu, Miquel Villalba, and Joel Bardolet.

The 7lletres literary prize is entering a new phase with a name change intended to reinforce its identity and cultural ambition. The 21st edition, presented at Concabella Castle, officially adopts the name 7letres. Manuel de Pedrolo Short Story Prize, a decision that explicitly links the award to the writer from Aranyó and strengthens its position within the Catalan literary scene. The presentation on Monday brought together representatives from the Segarra County Council, the Cervera City Council, the Els Plans de Sió Town Council, and the Tàrrega Town Council—the four institutions that promote the project and have renewed their collaboration agreement. This image of institutional unity reinforces a model of cultural cooperation that, from a local perspective, has successfully consolidated an initiative launched in 2006 with the aim of honoring Pedrolo and, at the same time, stimulating contemporary creative writing.

At the end of a sweltering May in 2025, a group of us were invited to one of the open rehearsals of the new show for all audiences at the Lleida-based company La Baldufa's venue. "It's a production that revolves around the Spanish Civil War," they told us. A soaring thermometer advised us to come prepared with fans. We were right! However, some of us thought we knew what to expect. Nothing could have been further from the truth!

When spring filters like a secret through the mist and the light timidly lengthens, the MUD rises once more as a refuge for restless ears. Nineteen editions later, the Festival Músicas Dispersas exudes maturity and consolidates a singular perspective: understanding roots music not as a museum piece, but as living, permeable matter, capable of mutating by engaging with the present without losing the essence that anchors it. In times of algorithms and predictable programming, the festival persists in its purpose with theopen minded folkOpening up daring spaces for discovery, and connecting tradition and contemporary art without abandoning the commitment that nourishes it. From March 12 to 15, venues such as the Café del Teatro, the Enric Granados Auditorium, and the Teatro de la Lonja will host an eclectic program that will take us from the dub from South Asian influences, passing through the folk American influences leading back to the roots of Ebro tradition.

Catalonia's oldest university – founded in 1300 as the Estudi General – now has a woman's face. The woman from Lleida. Maria Àngels Balsells Bailón is the first rector of the University of Lleida And one of only three in the entire Catalan university system. She shies away from individual triumphs and attributes it to "a collective advance." "I hope that one day this won't be news and people will simply talk about merit," she says.

A total of 443 children and young people from the Segarra region are participating this year in a new edition of The Enchanted MirrorA cultural and educational project that, since 2019, has linked education, culture, and the local community through a collaborative process. The initiative connects schools, teachers, students, institutions, and cultural professionals in a program that combines artistic training, stage creation, and community participation. The project unfolds in two main phases throughout the school year. During the first term, participating students discover the string, wind, and percussion instruments that are part of the performance through instrumental discovery sessions, vocal technique training, and physical education. In the second phase, corresponding to the second term, the project focuses on musical and stage rehearsals with the aim of refining the songs and the dramatic action of the show. The Enchanted Mirror It is based on Jaume Ferran's work, *Cuaderno de música* (Music Notebook), with an adaptation of a text by Montse Pont and music by Jordi Castellà. The show combines a children's choir, soloists, narration, and an instrumental ensemble, and is created by an artistic and pedagogical team made up of professionals from the fields of music, theater, and dance who work together with the participating teachers and students. The project, organized by the Regional Council, is based on a shared creative process that understands artistic learning as a demanding and collective experience. Children and young people actively participate in all dimensions of the work and are part of a collective effort that fosters cooperation, perseverance, and commitment to the creative process. This process will culminate in five performances of The Enchanted Mirror at the Municipal Theatre Ateneo of Guissona, scheduled for March 19 and 20, 2026. In each performance, approximately one hundred students will participate on stage, with the simultaneous presence of several educational centers, in a format that combines educational vocation and public projection.

Traditional Catalan is most evident in Lleida. It has almost never rained so much. The region has experienced an unusual winter. According to Aemet, the accumulated rainfall in Lleida since December 1st reached almost 200 mm, an amount four times the historical average. Almost the entire ground in Ponent is saturated with water, and all the reservoirs in the Ebro basin are technically full. The Ebro River Basin Authority (CHE) has estimated a total of 280 hm³ for this year.³ More water will come from snowmelt, an absolutely enormous amount compared to the amount recorded in 2023, which, due to high temperatures and evaporation, was reduced to only 20 hm³.³The water situation is not only good, but even exceeds what is desirable. Many recently planted cereal fields have been damaged by excessive moisture, and most farmers in the Pla de Lleida region do not plan to irrigate in the short term, despite the need to release water from the reservoirs for safety reasons. The water flows downstream, benefiting the sediments of the Ebro Delta. On March 8, the Urgell Canal irrigation community will hold a meeting to plan the next season and establish initial irrigation schedules, although the exact start date remains uncertain. "We are always dependent on the weather, whether it rains or not," admit technical sources from the community.

In an economic context marked by digital transformation, a shortage of qualified professionals in some sectors, and the increasing demand for competitiveness, talent management has become a key issue for any organization. Each new hire can determine the success of a project, the consolidation of a team, or a company's ability to innovate and grow. In this scenario, the human resources consultancy Talentea advocates a different way of understanding recruitment: with rigor, personal attention, and a strategic vision. Founded in 2021 in Lleida, Talentea began as a locally focused initiative with a broad perspective. In just a few years, it has evolved into a thriving company with a presence in Barcelona and projects throughout Catalonia. Its growth responds to a real market need: finding the right talent at the right time, and doing so with sound judgment and local knowledge. Connecting people and projects

The consultancy's motto, "Connecting talent and opportunities," encapsulates its philosophy. It's not just about filling vacancies, but about building genuine connections between people and companies. Behind every resume lies a journey, expectations, and an important decision; behind every organization, a project with values, challenges, and pivotal moments. That's why Talentea advocates for a selection process based on listening and a deep understanding of each individual case. The team works closely with companies to precisely define the required profile, the context of the position, and the objective of the new hire. Simultaneously, they support professionals throughout the entire process with transparency, honest feedback, and respect. This human-centered approach fosters strong and lasting relationships. "A successful onboarding can make the difference between staying put or growing," the consultancy explains. Specialization to provide concrete solutions

Over time, Talentea has structured its activity into four specialized units to adapt to the realities of each sector. Talentea Executive focuses on executive and middle management profiles, working with discretion and confidentiality on strategic processes. Talentea Professional handles the selection of qualified technicians and professionals who support the day-to-day operations of companies. Talentea Industrial addresses the shortage of skilled labor in production environments. And Talentea Salut selects medical and healthcare talent for hospitals and clinics. This specialization allows for the precise handling of complex projects, whether seeking an executive to drive organizational change or a hard-to-find specialist technician. In some cases, the consultancy even explores international relocation projects to meet specific industrial needs.

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Alba Caño was born in 2003 in Puiggròs, a tiny village in Les Garrigues, where a deep passion for football grew from a very young age. She learned to play at the Les Garrigues Football School, later played for a few seasons with AEM Lleida, and at just fifteen years old, joined Barça, where she even played for the first team in the last two seasons. But to gain the playing time that the Barça stars weren't giving her, she decided to radically change teams. Since January, she has been a midfielder for Boston Legacy FC, a newly formed team in the American professional league (the NWSL)

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A musician from Lleida and, above all, a fighter. Joan Mesegué He's now 55, lives with his partner by the Utxesa reservoir, and is starting a new life. Since his twenties, he's teetered between life and death, art and madness, the deepest depressions and the most creative bursts of clarity, traveling all over Europe and returning home in frustration… Diagnosed with bipolar disorder and recently brought under control with medication, he's embarking on a tour of pubs and record labels, performing some of his new songs.

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This week, the municipal budgets for Lleida for the 2026 fiscal year were automatically given initial approval. Lacking any support, the governing party of the Paeria (PSC), in a clear minority (9 of the 27 councilors), resorted to a legal avenue provided by the local government law to pass it. And they did so by risking their leader, at least in theory. The opposition parties had a full month to agree on a candidate to lead a motion of no confidence, an option permitted by the law itself. But they didn't even try. The arithmetic is what it is (a three-way tie with five councilors each for the PP, ERC, and Junts), and that left no room for negotiation. Mayor Fèlix Larrosa has managed to pass a budget for now without consensus, but with the uncertainty of what the city's politics will bring in the next fifteen months before the next municipal elections.

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Culture and social services. Theater and inclusion. Two areas severely lacking in public resources. If we add to this the fact that we're talking about Juneda, a town of 3,500 inhabitants in Les Garrigues, one could say that its continuity (never interrupted) is its greatest success.

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Perplexity. Unease. Indignation. These are some of the moods that frequently appear in our daily lives amidst an international landscape filled with uncertainty. Is the world falling apart? Answering this question may seem like a daunting task. However, there are many committed voices that give us a push to digest these and other doubts, and extend a hand to help us move forward.

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According to the dictionary, the cugula is a plant of the grass family, similar to oats, that frequently appears at the edges of cultivated fields. It is generally considered a weed. And, surely because of this, the rural world often used the term "cugula" to refer to what a pregnant woman carried in her womb: a girl.

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