The University of Alicante (UA) and the Mutua Levante Foundation have renewed their collaboration to enrich the cultural life of Alcoy, building on the first agreement signed in 2018. The refreshed pact aims to sustain a wide range of joint activities, spanning organization and dissemination, and leveraging both the Foundation’s venues and UA’s campus resources to host and circulate cultural events. The signing takes effect immediately this Wednesday, signaling a renewed commitment to shared cultural programming in Alcoy and beyond.
Under this renewed framework, UA-sponsored cultural offerings on the Alcoy campus will receive the Mutua Levante Foundation’s backing for the upcoming semester. The Foundation’s meeting room will host many of UA’s cultural activities, while exhibitions and other events will be staged at additional UA locations, expanding beyond Alcoy to include the university’s broader network. Catalina Iliescu, UA Deputy Rector for Culture, and Elena Turrión, Vice President of the Mutua Levante Foundation, highlighted both organizations’ joint efforts as representatives of the agreement’s leaders during the signing.
Turrión noted that the 2018 agreement had already proven highly productive, with sixty activities organized in 2022 as a clear indicator of ongoing momentum and social impact. The Foundation emphasizes a sustained drive to grow and a strong dedication to social progress, with a minimum contract term of two years and a possible one-year extension. The collaboration appears set to continue at least through the end of 2025, reinforcing a stable platform for cultural life in the region.
Iliescu described the Foundation as a longstanding guardian of cultural practice, reinforcing the university’s mission to bring cultural events to the public. She also recognized the pivotal contributions of those who develop these proposals, including Larissa Timofeeva, director of UA’s Cultural Secretariat, and Antonio Belda, the Alcoy campus’ coordinator for technical activities, whose work helps translate ideas into public programming.
Timofeeva outlined the cultural agenda planned for the upcoming semester at UA’s Alcoy campus, featuring a diverse cycle of talks on inherent risks. The series invites experts to discuss risk-related topics in accessible ways, under an engaging theme. The initial session will feature climate specialist Enrique Moltó on January 30, followed by a discussion on earthquakes on February 27, with Iván Martín, a UA professor, presenting as speaker. The schedule reflects a balance of informative content and broader engagement with the community.
The Culture Department leader emphasized the goal of usefulness for society, stressing the importance of bringing programs directly to people. These offerings are designed to meet regional needs and respond to community interests, with the Mutua Levante Foundation’s collaboration yielding tangible results. In May, AU’s Trobada d’Escoles Valencianes de l’Alcoià i el Comtat will take place, continuing a tradition of exhibitions and meetings. February will also feature exhibitions about Joan Fuster and a series of literary events linked to works by Isabel-Clara Simó, among others, enriching the local cultural calendar.
Alcoy’s Culture Councilor, Raül Llopis, welcomed the renewed alliance, expressing delight that UA remains deeply embedded in the city and committed to engaging with the community. The mayor praised the expansion of cultural offerings and anticipated that the Mutua Levante Foundation’s renewed agreement would endure for years, continuing to support the city’s cultural programs and activities.