One of the biggest mental burdens for parents with school-age children is finding free time to enjoy as a family through activities that are fun, varied, and high quality.
In Alicante’s capital, Teatre Arniches sits within the Institut Valencià de Cultura on Avenida de Aguilera, a unique cultural space that hosts family programming. The venue presents Som Menuts from October through June, offering theatre, dance, circus, and magic performances on Sunday mornings at twelve o’clock.
Alicia Garijo, regional delegate of the IVC, emphasizes that the public from childhood is looked after with programmatic standards that are stricter for family programming. The aim is to strengthen and grow Som Menuts each season, turning Teatre Arniches into a true family theater where boys and girls form the audience, even though the audience size remains small and demand is significant and generous. This theater, she says, is a fortunate thing for the city.
Garijo notes that many children who first visited eight years ago now attend with friends or partners, a sign of a lasting cultural community taking shape.
Shows for all ages
Throughout its broader program, Teatre Arniches also offers One Tots Per shows in the afternoon, integrated into the regular schedule and regarded as performances for people of all ages, not just children.
“The Squirrel Tale” arrives in December, inviting audiences to reflect on diversity and hybridization.
Som Menuts performs some of the season’s best shows on the national circuit. They have earned multiple awards at major performing arts festivals and fairs in the country, including the European Performing Arts Fair in Gijón for children, the Mostra Internacional de Teatre in Ribadavia, the Fira de Titelles de Lleida, and other regional fairs.
22-23 season at Arniches
On Sunday, November 29, the company presents Sol y Tierra Founta, a rendition of the classic by Lope de Vega in which the town is embodied by a flock of sheep and the commander by a dog. The tale is transported into a fairy-tale world that feels more innocent and accessible to children’s sensibilities.
VI nit of the valencian circus will close November, highlighting Valencian circus performers and companies to promote circus as a unique performance art for all ages, from the youngest to the most mature.
In December, as a warm-up for Christmas, La Baldufa presents The Squirrel Tale, a show that invites reflection on difference and misfortune. La Baldufa received the National Performing Arts Award for Children and Teens in 2020. This time the show will feature live music and a performance without spoken words, part of the festive programming organized by the Alicante City Council in collaboration with Teatre Arniches.
From December 26 to 28, the program features From Nadal to l Arniches with three offerings set to redefine Christmas for the whole family.
Yllana and Töthem present TRAIN, a show that examines the consequences of overconsumption and recycling, and THIS H, a production by Teatre de lAbast and La Fam that reimagines classic Dickens tales as a lively contemporary musical and puppetry piece. Yllana and Töthem also present RUBBISH, a show that critiques extreme consumerism through humor, circus language, and music.
Arniches closes 2022 with a performance by renowned Valencian illusionist Nacho Diago, winner of the National Magic Award in 2005, presenting Playtime, a wordless magic show described as a visual poem that is surreal, funny, and surprising.
A brief look at 2023
January brings Estefanía de Paz Asín with a show about queenly prominence that reveals how history often erases women in professional roles such as artists, writers, composers, and even tightrope walkers like Remigia Echarren. This is a show designed for all audiences.
VI nit of the Valencian circus continues to highlight local talent, with Nerea Coll contributing thoughts on visibility for Valencian circus artists and companies.
La Chana Teatro will bring a new version of Snow White to the stage, and Labú Teatro will present Spirita for the youngest in the house in February. In addition to matinees, Arniches recommends many date nights and shows designed to entertain both adults and children with equal energy.
Marta Alonso Tejada will present Dance Now, a dance show for all audiences recognized with multiple awards, including the Revelation Show Galicia 2021, the 37th Ribadavia International Theater Show Audience Award, and the FETEN 2022 best show for nights.
School campaign
The Generalitat Culture supports a school campaign at Teatre Arniches that continues to grow each year, with a 20 percent increase in its bid this season. Six programs take place in the first semester, including a special free date on December 13 featuring the company’s own production Aphorisms, framed in memory of lAny Joan Fuster and inviting students to engage through electronic music and urban dance.
The campaign also integrates performing arts and cinema programming along with free educational activities, coordinated by La Filmoteca. Launched to align with the school year starting in September, the campaign has reached 80 percent of its capacity and is planned to run through May 2023.