Elisabet Vallvé and Uri Ferre, directors of the Centre de Titelles de Lleida, have stated that the annual Puppet Fair can grow in quality but not in quantity. The pair, who unexpectedly took over the centre 14 years ago, spoke as the 37th edition of the fair began in Lleida.
"The fair has reached its limit in terms of quantity, but it can still grow in quality," Vallvé and Ferre told Segre. They explained that while they would like to improve resources for street performances, such as mobile stands, they face budgetary and logistical constraints, alongside a small team.
The Centre de Titelles has hosted nearly 700 companies over its 40-year history. With this year's fair, the total number of performances will reach approximately 2,200.
Future of the Santa Teresa Convent Headquarters
The directors also discussed the ongoing improvement plan for the centre's headquarters, located in the former Santa Teresa convent. They are in talks with the city council, and the mayor recently visited the site. "We hope that, as the old Santa Teresa convent is included in the Paeria's current Neighbourhood Plan, it can be fully rehabilitated, something we have been demanding for many years," they said.
Twenty-five years ago, the centre moved to the convent from La Caparrella with the understanding that the entire building would be dedicated to the Centre de Titelles. However, the project was left unfinished. "We have always hoped to complete it," they explained. "We do not want a space just for us, but one open to the city, which attracts visitors and artists from outside."
37th Puppet Fair Highlights
This year's fair features 27 companies presenting 29 shows, including 18 premieres. Among these are two absolute premieres, five in the Iberian Peninsula, one in Europe, and nine in Catalonia. For the first time, the Morera will be one of the fair's venues, hosting an installation based on experimenting with fans and paper puppets.
The fair also serves as a professional market, designed to allow attendees to see all performances without having to miss any. This involves using all existing stage spaces and adapting others. This year, the fair has brought back the 'critical spectator' role, inviting Fabrizio Montecchi, Secretary General of UNIMA International and founder of the Italian company Gioco Vita. Montecchi will review all shows and provide constructive feedback to each company.
City spaces are also being reused, including Plaça Sant Joan, which has not hosted performances for some time due to a lack of large-format shows. This year, a French company will present a show that fits the space well.
New Productions and Legacy
The Centre de Titelles is also premiering its own production, Bufairons. This symbolic show revisits the idea of a performance from the first Puppet Fair 37 years ago, but in a renewed format designed to tour across Spain.
Reflecting on their 14 years at the helm, Vallvé and Ferre acknowledged a difficult and chaotic start, but credited team and community support for their progress. They look to the future while honouring the founders, Joan Andreu Vallvé and Julieta Agustí. "Our desire is to continue dedicating ourselves to this as they passed it on to us: as a life project rooted in the city," they concluded.
