‎-A total of 127 cultural facilities and 2,411 social centres across Catalonia currently form the ‎fabric of the Apropa community

‎-Since 2006, Apropa Cultura has accumulated a total of 284,106 user experiences (54,904 last ‎season), of which more than 12,000 are of women in a situation of vulnerability

‎-The 5th Apropa Week will take place from 21 to 27 October, with activities at the facilities ‎participating in the programme

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The 5th Apropa Week (from 21 to 27 October), which promotes the Apropa Cultura ‎programme with special activities for the participating facilities, gets underway today and ‎brings together the main actors in the cultural and social sectors across Catalonia. The ‎programme, now in its 13th year of facilitating access to culture for vulnerable groups, is ‎focusing for the first time on women in vulnerable situations (women suffering domestic ‎violence, migrant women, women with functional diversity, women deprived of liberty or ‎living in poverty, women linked to prostitution or at risk of social exclusion).‎

A total of 127 cultural facilities (theatres, auditoriums, museums, singular spaces and festivals) ‎and 2,411 social centres across Catalonia already form part of the Apropa Cultura network. ‎Since it was founded in 2006, the programme has generated 284,106 cultural experiences for ‎users (54,904 last season, breaking the barrier of 50,000 users in one year for the first time), ‎of which more than 12,000 are of users in the centres that work with vulnerable women.‎

At midday today, the Teatre Lliure in Gràcia hosted the presentation event of Apropa Week, ‎which was attended by the following: Mariàngela Vilallonga, Culture Councillor of the ‎Generalitat de Catalunya; Chakir el Homrani, Councillor of Labour, Social Affairs and Families ‎of the Generalitat de Catalunya; Laura Pérez, Deputy Mayor for Social Rights, Global Justice, ‎Feminism and LGTBI affairs of Barcelona City Council; Dani Granados, Cultural Rights Delegate ‎of Barcelona City Council; Alba Barnusell, Provincial Deputy of Equality Policies of the ‎Department of Social Cohesion, Citizenship and Welfare of Barcelona Regional Council; Anna ‎Font, Head of the Department of Cultural Activities of the Department of Culture and ‎Scientific Dissemination of “la Caixa” Banking Foundation; Carla Rigol, psychologist at the ‎Hèlia Dones Association; Lola Manfredi, a user of the Hèlia Dones Association and Laura ‎Gomis, coordinator of the group Atreveix-te a viure (Dare Yourself to Live), who ‎were joined by more than 50 representatives from cultural facilities and institutions across ‎Catalonia.‎

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‎#totesincloses ‎

We are currently experiencing a historic period of vindication and collective awareness of ‎gender inequalities, which are aggravated by the confluence of discrimination by social class, ‎functional diversity, ethnic origin, health and lifestyle, among many others.‎

Apropa Cultura’s aim is to make links with movements that promote an intersectional look ‎and gender perspective, to achieve together a more egalitarian and inclusive society. For this ‎reason, the 2019/2020 season is focused on the entities that work with vulnerable women; a ‎highly cross-cutting group with invisible problems as well as complex needs and challenges. ‎Apropa Cultura believes that culture and access to it can, and must, serve as a travel ‎companion, one that is committed and transforming. For this reason, the new Apropa Week ‎campaign will use the hashtag #totesincloses (everyone included) and focus on the entities ‎that work with this group of women. 139 entities have already registered with the ‎programme this year, but the goal is to continue growing.‎

‎-The 5th Apropa Week will run from 21 to 27 October. During the Week, various Cruïlles Apropa will take place. These are meetings in which different cultural ‎facilities and social entities that work with groups of vulnerable women exchange their ‎experiences. The Cruïlles planned for this year are:‎
‎•Teatre Nacional de Catalunya and Mujeres Palante ‎
‎•L’Auditori and Associació Benestar i Desenvolupament (Welfare and Development ‎Association)‎
‎•Auditori de Girona and Càritas Diocesana Girona
‎•Palau de la Música Catalana and l’Associació de Dones Gitanes – Drom Kotar Mestipen ‎‎(Romani Association of Women)‎


In addition, with the collaboration of social entities and cultural facilities, a programme of activities ‎has been designed in relation to women and culture, aimed at raising awareness of the work ‎carried out by these social entities and explaining how culture can help to achieve a more ‎inclusive society. This programme of activities begins on Monday 11 November at the Miró ‎Foundation, with the Jornada d’Accessibilitat i Diversitat 2019 ‘Museus i Dones en situació de ‎vulnerabilitat’ (Accessibility and Diversity Day – Museums and Women in a Situation of ‎Vulnerability) which will give us an insight into the different realities of vulnerable women, to ‎reflect on the role museums can or should play in their lives.‎


‎A growing and expanding network in Catalonia ‎

For the past 13 years Apropa Cultura has emphasised the transformative power of culture ‎and has been working to make it accessible to vulnerable groups in society. Since the start of ‎the programme, more than 2,400 cultural activities have been offered each season, with ‎‎214,261 tickets sold for shows, in addition to 69,485 tickets for visiting museums and ‎exhibitions.‎

During these 13 years, the Apropa Cultura network has expanded throughout Catalonia and ‎the programme is now present in most provinces. This season there has been a remarkable ‎increase in the number of municipalities in which Apropa is present, rising from 28 last year to ‎‎41 this year.‎

‎Download the dossier a>here.‎

‎Watch the video here.‎

‎View photos ‎‎here.‎