The company is facing a crisis. There is a debate about the need for bowling, even when it exists, because survival hinges on more than one activity.
What is happening? Costs are rising, and the team is young, with ten people constantly on tour. Programmers report budget cuts for the current year, making them hesitant to back risky initiatives. The risk factor is heightened by youth, lack of broad recognition, and uncertain reception from the venues that host their work.
Gemma Polo and Glòria Ribera share insights from the José y sus hermanas company, a troupe that began in 2017 with a piece about banks handing out sandwiches and chorizo and later earned two Barcelona Critics’ Awards. Recently they performed at Teatros del Canal in Madrid with their fourth production, and their only concert since the November 2022 debut at Teatre Lliure. José y sus hermanas is a young company consisting of five members aged between 28 and 38, spanning Generation Z to Generation Y. They have already become festival veterans, pursuing shared goals while producers handle many applications and emails, slowly grasping what risk-free means in practice.
The team explains that the stagnation in risk is not merely about theater’s finances. It reflects a broader political issue, or lack thereof, since there is no national cultural policy protecting workers and young artists. The presence of such works on public and private stages would enrich society, they argue, and should be supported as a priority.
In the latest production, the youth feel disappointed by promises left unfulfilled. A culture of forced effort and nonstop productivity marks a generation of creators under thirty who have yet to find regular opportunities in public programming after training in drama schools and private theaters. They often fund projects themselves, mix theater or dance with part-time jobs, and struggle to communicate with programmers, distributors, and journalists about how a company can be started and sustained, or how grants can be justified. This landscape, marked by gaps, is a key context for Girona Z Festival.
unicorns in sight
Jordi Duran, director of Festival Z at the University of Girona, notes that theaters pose many doorways that feel cold and hard to pass. The ERAM Arts School, backed by the Joan Bosch Foundation, began in 2021 and navigates a pandemic era. Market research in Girona over three seasons shows that only a small share of planned performances—about 4 percent of nearly 400—were created by people under 30. This warning spurred the creation of a space where projects can be scheduled, funded, and developed in a relaxed setting.
The festival, running July 6–9 under the banner Unicorns in Sight, will showcase 17 shows across Girona and Salt. A jury under 30 pre-selects entries, with senior industry professionals providing final approval. The competition includes three categories: completed shows with a higher prize pool determined by company size, open rehearsals of work in progress, and ten-minute presentations of embryo projects to programmers and distributors.
Duran stresses the importance of connecting with professionals beyond the usual concert circles. While programmers seek reliable pieces, the current risk-averse system remains a reality, says Eva Ferré, coordinator of professional events for the competition. Ferré underscores the need for spaces where artists can showcase work and earn fair wages while experimenting and learning.
Who represents us?
The question arises: does the industry reflect the creator’s reality on stage? If representation is lacking, should artists reintroduce themselves to the scene? La Última Mierda Collective, including Elaine Grayling, will pose these questions at a festival assembly. Grayling, 26, trained at ERAM and works across landscape projects while juggling a rental job and seeking rehearsal spaces and scholarships. She advocates for collective, noncommercial partnerships capable of changing the system, even as she acknowledges the need for spaces of representation created by young people who are not confined to a single niche.
Gerard Franch, 27, presents a festival piece about three characters in a retired space that once hosted a brothel. He explains the creation came during a two-month residency at a Barcelona municipal center, paying homage to dissidents from the city in the eighties and to figures like Ocaña and operatic inspirations.
Since leaving the Institut del Teatre in 2019, Franch has launched multiple projects and now lives by juggling scholarships, housing, and grants. He describes a shift toward diversified management and programming that avoids repeating the same voices and texts. The aim is to invest in new audiences beyond a familiar theatrical poster with a well-known actor.
Julia Godino attends the festival with two street dance performances alongside Alexa Moya. They describe fatigue from wearing many hats as creator, producer, distributor, and technician, all while chasing funding. Even when rehearsals are ready to begin, energy wanes because work demands too many tasks. Yet there is still ambition and a belief that ongoing experimentation yields results.
The overall scene shows creators fighting to maintain momentum in an environment where resources are scarce and navigating options remains challenging. The shared sentiment is that progress comes from collaboration, resilience, and a readiness to test new routes to reach audiences. [citation: festival reporting, artist interviews].