The Spring Festival blends theatre, circus, workshops, and visual arts with nature walks through the countryside and mountains as a living landscape. This mix has become a dedicated celebration of performing arts and nature, guided by Circarte at the Bancal Escènic de L’Assegador de Beniardá, now in its third edition.
Events began last Monday and run through the end of the week. The days are open to the public from Friday to Sunday, featuring a wide range of activities. The festival aims to consolidate artistic and cultural experiences in nature, outdoors, with local participation throughout the Guadalest Valley, turning culture into a space for celebration, reflection, and exchange, as articulated by the organizers.
One standout element of the program is the Artist Residences, now in its third edition. The residency runs from Monday through Friday, with an open exhibition on the research each artist pursued during the week.
Four creators were selected this year: Rosa Ros, Maëlle Bestgen, Carlos Baldovino, and Beatriz Coronado. They submitted a total of 42 proposals, spanning natural and plastic arts, with options for written or audio-visual artistic initiatives.
Rosa Ros, a dancer from Alicante, focuses on exploring a small unit of dance and movement. Maëlle Bestgen, from Zaragoza, presents a circus and physical theater project that investigates the Chinese pole among olive trees with a terrace view. Colombian juggler Carlos Baldovino centers his work on shaping forms using natural elements. Cartagena-based Beatriz Coronado, an audiovisual artist, photographer, and muralist, captures the research and creation processes of the other dwellings through her creative eye.
The artistic call seeks to continue questioning how stage spaces are designed and to bring the rural world closer to the public through creative manifestations.
Dormitories begin at 17:00 on Friday and conclude with an open day, including a guided walk from the Beniardá car park to Bancal Escènic.
activities
From April 7 to 9, a large number of free events will be available, with performances taking place in the Bancal Escènic scene during the afternoons, from 17:00 to 20:00 on both Saturday and Sunday.
Free workshops will also be offered with pre-registration. These are organized by Juan Gil-Albert of the Cultural Institute of Alicante, which has partnered with Spring Festival for a second year.
The Friday workshop will explore how creative processes interact with nature, examining how each creator is influenced by their environment.
Sunday will feature a Family Circus designed to promote the circus as a joyful activity for all ages, coordinated by experts from Espacio El Disparate in Alicante.
On Saturday, a free trade zone will be established under the banner Corner of Opportunities. On Sunday, from 13:00 to 17:00, Circarte will host a Family meeting and an information session.
Sunday also includes a seed exchange and a showcase of local initiatives from 16:00 to 17:00.
[Citations: Circarte program and local organizers press materials.]