Joan Santa Cruz, artistic director of the award-winning company strawberry theater, arrived at the address of the Show MIM International Swedish in place of Abel Guarinos after celebrating together the silver anniversary of the festival in 2014. Santa Cruz He jumped from technical coordination to the highest peak of the organizational chart to breathe freshness into a high-quality event that already enjoyed professional recognition and public dedication. We talk about the main festival in Spain dedicated to gestural theater and everything a reference European together with the Mime London Festival in London or the Mimos Festival in Périgueux. We chatted with this Swede about his childhood as a small MIM spectator, of street shows, of organizational missteps, objectives achieved and what remains to be done.
Street shows are fundamental for the MIM, but even 2017 There has not been a category in the MAX awards that values this type of creations. In fact, The first to receive the award was Mulier, a work of your company strawberry theater How do you explain it?
Street art is the best way to bring a stage show to a large and diverse audience.. Street performances surely have a much larger audience than those held in a theater or closed place.. With all this, I just want to argue the great value of a street show. I am happy to see that new times are arriving and the great work carried out by a large percentage of the sector that has been marginalized from recognition and is so important in the performing arts of our country is valued.. The street is the cultural heart of a society and it can still be exploited much more.
When you were not director of the MIM, I assume that you were a regular spectator of the festival, like a good swedish. What shows do you remember that especially marked you?? Which of those that you have programmed are you most proud of??
At four years old I could stay up late on a Thursday at midnight with my mother watching a show and skip the first classes at school.. There are many shows that were marked on my retina when I was little.: The family Vamp of visitors, The star of prosperous of theater of the Eye, Shhh! of Vol-ras, hybrid Semolina theater, or the Australian Stalker Theater, who fascinated me with their stilt show. I think I am proud of those shows that had not reached our audience and —even though it seemed crazy to take on a big production— The entire team made a great effort to be able to present them at the MIM. like the company Underclouds from France, Circa Australians, Svalbard Company from Oslo or the Chileans from Teatro del Silencio, that invaded the streets leaving the city in shock.
What difficulties have you had to deal with these years at the head of the MIM?? What has been the most delicate moment? The most stressful, I imagine, must be something like a big company going down at the last minute and having to be replaced in record time.…
Yeah, The MIM is full of exciting moments in which crazy things have to be done. Indeed, two years ago we had to cancel a big show at the sports center due to the injury of a performer. We could have canceled the performance three days before the festival, but we decided to look for an alternative. Find a large format show that was available, do all the production of an international company from four different countries, transport, logistics, technical infrastructure, stand assembly for 700 people... We do all this because we have a response from the public that gives meaning to all our efforts.
What is the main objective you set for yourself when you came to direct the festival?? Have you fulfilled it?
My goal was to maintain the artistic quality that the MIM has been accustomed to showing to viewers.. Street shows have been one of the big bets. The programming has doubled in recent years and this also increases the festive atmosphere that the city experiences during the five days of the festival..
What's left to do?
You can do many things, but unfortunately the festival's budget does not increase with each edition (as the spectators do) and this always generates major crises in the production team. We would like to do and improve many aspects, but it is impossible for us. The list of things to do would be very long and we know that every year many things are improved, with a lot of sacrifice from a large number of people passionate about the festival.
What other mime festivals can be seen in Spain? And in Europe? At what level is the MIM with respect to them?, at national and European level?
At the national level you can see the Cos de Reus festival, which dedicates its programming exclusively to the body and gesture., but throughout these thirty years, the MIM has become the main festival dedicated to gestural theater, becoming an international benchmark along with the Mime London Festival in London or the Mimos Festival in Périgueux.
Last year's leitmotiv was “the movement that speaks” and a commitment was made to dance. What will be this year's and why??
“30 years miming and town"will be the leitmotif of this edition. The MIM has become a great cultural value for the city of Swedish and this would not have been possible without the symbiosis between the festival and its population. It's thirty years and we want to celebrate it together.
What do you have prepared to celebrate??
We have many surprises prepared for the viewers, We are organizing a great anniversary involving and involving many groups in the city. We want to turn this edition into a great party and, above all, accompany it with great programming and companies that will surprise all audiences.
Tell us a little about this year's most notable works. What is there to see, yes or yes, and why?
This year you have to see all the shows! If something needs to be highlighted at a general level, is that all the works presented in this edition can be enjoyed with the family. We present some very intimate scenic gems for a demanding audience that are not to be missed., like the show Ponten pie, o Snails by All Toronell and Pere Hosta. Also some shows that premiere in our community such as Calm of William Alba o Ye Orbayu of the Cow Company. At an international level we will also enjoy very interesting proposals such as Cirque Inextremiste or that of the English Novit State Circus & Motionhouse. All of them promise to surprise and make viewers burst with emotions..
