Following the success of the Circus Arts in Spain (2023) and Theatre and Illusionism (2024) Encounters, the CDAEM (Documentation Centre for the Performing Arts and Music) announces the 2025 edition of its Annual Encounters, this year dedicated to Independent Theatre during Francoism and its Legacy, as part of the Fifty Years of Spain in Freedom commemoration.

In the 1960s and 70s, Spain’s independent theatre collectives—united by their opposition to the Franco regime and their links to the international avant-garde—transformed the country’s stages. Emerging from popular culture, universities, and alternative circuits, this movement gave rise to a bold and politically engaged theatre that redefined artistic expression and civic participation.

Half a century after the end of the dictatorship, the CDAEM invites reflection on the enduring influence of Independent Theatre: its contribution to the alternative scene, the creation of new venues and companies, and the lasting legacy of its collective, political spirit.

PROGRAMME

Tuesday, 11 November
Teatro Real – Sala Gayarre

6:30 PM – From a Theatre without Rules to the Rules of Opera
By Joan Font

8:00 PM – The Legacy of Independent Theatre in Opera
Moderator: Alberto Fernández Torres
Speakers: Joan Font (Els Comediants), Carlus Padrissa (La Fura dels Baus), Àlex Ollé (Stage Director and Resident Artist at the Gran Teatre del Liceu), and Juan José Granda (Stage Director).

An essential event to rediscover the creative, rebellious, and transformative spirit that forever changed the history of Spanish theatre.