It's the 6th edition of the most important professional music and performing arts market on the islands

The programme includes the works "Nua", "P-Acte Idiota", "Aquell carrer" and performances by Janksy, the OSIB, Albert Pinya and Joan Miquel Oliver

The Councillor for European Funds, University and Culture, Miquel Company, and the managing director of the Institute of Balearic Studies (IEB), Mateu Malondra, presented the calendar and poster for the 6th edition of the professional music and performing arts market of the Balearic Islands, Fira B! 2021.

Fira B! will be celebrated from 11 to 14 November in Palma (Mallorca) with the aim of showcasing and promoting the latest and most representative creations of the artists of the Balearic Islands. In this 6th edition, there will be 34 concerts and 18 performances of performing arts. Among these performances are Janksy, as the opening concert, and the closing show by Hermanas Picohueso, who will present "P-Acte Idiota", a show made in collaboration with Fira de Tàrrega. Also noteworthy are the performances of "Bravura", a beneficiary of the 2020 call for creation, and "Fils de Vida", by the company Iguana Teatre, which is now 35 years old.

The director of the IEB, Mateu Malondra, emphasised the importance of being able to "continue to give visibility to authors within the territory and to build brand loyalty". "After a difficult year marked by the pandemic, we are back with a lot of strength, eager for the public to see the high level of both performing arts and music on the Balearic Islands," said Malondra. 

This year's programme of performing arts includes text theatre, dance, new languages, physical theatre, performance, circus and street theatre. "The organisers have made an important effort to make it easier for the public and the programmers to see all the shows," explain the organisers.

Regarding the musical programme, Fira B! differentiates 5 stages based on the different styles: pop/rock/indie, jazz, electronic, classical, world and contemporary music. On Thursday, November 11, music concentrates a large part of the programme with folk and traditional music at the Teatre Xesc Forteza and two stages at the Es Baluard contemporary art museum, where there will be pop rock, electronic music and other intimate performances. On Thursday, November 12, jazz will be the protagonist and on Saturday, November 13, it will be dedicated to classical and contemporary music.

The councillor Miquel Company highlighted the fact that the Fira B! programme includes representation from all the islands. "The fair brings together, apart from the cultural and professional sector, also the territorial sector", he said. 

Fira B! is also a meeting place for professionals to encourage the external promotion of artists from the Islands. Thus, within the framework of the fair, the Fira B! Professional Days are held, which are a good way of giving the whole artistic community of the Islands the opportunity to present their projects to local and foreign programmers and professionals, as well as to establish synergies and collaborations with other artists. This professional conference includes both face-to-face and online events, with the aim of creating an interesting and useful space for discussion that contributes to the education of artists, and to deal with useful topics for promoters when organising festivals.

In a very special year marked by the pandemic caused by COVID-19, the organisers have decided to focus on promoting local talent. Thus, most of the musical and scenic proposals that make up the programme of Fira B! 2021 are from the Balearic Islands, with the exception of performances resulting from collaborations with other industries and virtual interventions with some European festivals and special guests. Among these collaborations are the Fira de Tàrrega, the Mercat de Música Viva de Vic, TROVAM, Focus Wales, Indie Week, Future Echoes, Kultur LX, Wide Days, New Colossus Festival, MiRR, Yeldegirmeni Spring Jazz Festival and Embassy of Israel. 

The organisers of Fira B! also wanted to promote the role of women. This year there is a female presence in many of the proposals.

Fira B! takes place in Palma and its programme will be held at emblematic venues and stages of the city, such as the Teatre Xesc Forteza, the Teatre Catalina Valls, the Teatre Mar i Terra, the Teatre Principal, Es Baluard and the Plaça Major.

The Fira B! programme is the result of the selection of proposals from an open call for proposals. The music jury was composed of Maria Lladó (Institut Ramon Llull), Pep Tur (Ajuntament d'Eivissa), Mark Van Shaick (InJazz, Països Baixos), Naiara Lasa (Sala Apolo), Alexandra Archetti (Oslo World, Norway), Martyna Markovska (Institute of Culture Fatowice/Europe Jazz Netxork, Poland). The performing arts jury was composed of:  Marion Betriu (TNT), Anna Giribet (Fira Tàrrega), Toni Casares (Sala Beckett), Ariadna Miquel (GRANER- Dance and living arts creation center), Giulia Poltronieri (Teatres del Servei de Cultura de l'Ajuntament de Terrassa), Stéphane Segreto-Aguilar (ARTCENA- Centre National des Arts du Cirque de la rue et du Théâtre/Circostrada, France). The large number of applications received, a total of 163, reflects the growing interest in this event, which is key to the culture of the islands.

The organisers of Fira B! are the Institut d'Estudis Baleàrics (IEB) and the Conselleria de Fons Europeus, Universitat i Cultura del Govern de les Illes Balears, with the collaboration of the Palma City Council, Consell de Mallorca, Institut Balear de la Joventut (IBJOVE), Teatre Principal, COFAE, Es Baluard Museum, Ramon Llull Institute, Fira de Tàrrega, Mercat de Música Viva de Vic, Balearic Islands Symphony Orchestra Foundation, European Music Exporters Exchange, Trovam, Generalitat Valenciana, Institut Valencià de Cultura, Ircam Centre Pompidou, Indie Week, Focus Wales, Future Echoes, Arts Council Luxemburg, CulturaBuzz, Windmillls Jazz Festival and Collectif de Musiques Creatives.