celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2011, so the programme also includes some other very significant commemorations of the cultural history of Europe.
The International Festival of Music and Dance of Granada is a living instrument of cultural, educational, tourist and socioeconomic activity all within a common framework of EMOTION. This is reflected not only in the programmes and their contents, but also in the way in which these activities are presented to audiences.
The Nazrid palaces and centennial gardens of the Alhambra in Granada are this Festival’s most impressive sign of identity and a unique setting for its performances. At the beginning of summer hundreds of spectators enjoy the music and the dance, infused by the aroma of the lush vegetation of the gardens of the Alhambra and under the impact of the amazing Nazrid, renaissance and romantic architecture which has made of Granada the so-called Gateway to the South.
The social mission of the Festival has covered a variety of aspects over the years: it has championed the guarantee of accessibility and equal opportunities for all, it has set special prices for young people and pensioners, it has organised programmes of specific cycles for children and adolescents: it has included didactic-family programmes and special cycles devoted to the physically and mentally disabled. The Festival has also arranged activities for sectors of the population at risk from social exclusion, participatory programmes, the promotion of young talent, etc.
And side-by-side with the performances that take place in the Alhambra there is a broad mosaic of artistic events which extends throughout Granada and its province and is available for public enjoyment: this is the FEX which represents the extension of the Festival throughout the city and the province of Granada. The most spectacularly monumental sights of the city (the Cathedral, the Royal Chapel, the Monastery of San Jeronimo, the Sacromonte Abbey, the Carthusian Monastery, the Royal Chancellery, the Casa de Castril, the Casa de los Tiros and the churches), together with the contemporary buildings, the many squares and street corners make the Festival a popular event enjoyed by thousands; audience numbers are increased by visitors and tourists who come to Granada specially for the Festival. And Granada is not only the city but also the province. The province includes more than ten municipalities which every year make a contribution to this cultural fiesta with programmes which are also offered in the most suitable and unique venues.
Moreover, the FEX has assumed an important function in the promotion of the scenic arts among children and young people. This ranges from specially programmed shows for the youngest and teaching experiences with the municipalities of Las Gabias and Peligros, to the close participation of the teaching staff and students of the Manuel de Falla International Courses (historical music interpretation course, a course on the recovery and interpretation of the Latin American musical heritage, the workshop on dance, creators and the social scene, a photography workshop). There will also be roving musicians and dancers, fanfares, the bands and chamber groups of FEGRABAND, of the «Victoria Eugenia» Senior Music Conservatory of Granada… They will all be sharing with us their highest artistic standards. Adults will also be present at a contemporary dance workshop where art breaks all frontiers of participation.