Valencia and CaixaBank Foundation Forge Framework for Social, Educational, and Cultural Cooperation
In Valencia, Ximo Puig, president of the Generalitat Valenciana, and Isidro Fainé, president of the La Caixa Foundation, signed a framework agreement that strengthens collaboration between the two institutions on social, educational, and cultural initiatives. The agreement is supported by the La Caixa Foundation’s social action programs in the community, with a 2022 allocation of 33 million euros, up from 32.5 million the prior year.
As Isidro Fainé notes, a long history in the Valencian Community culminates in 2022 with a turning point for the Foundation in the region. The planned CaixaForum inauguration is set to bring the Foundation closer to Valencians and enrich the city’s cultural landscape, while continuing to emphasize social, scientific, and educational priorities.
The main objectives of the agreement include improving living conditions, supporting vulnerable children, promoting active aging, providing comprehensive care for patients with advanced illnesses, and aiding people with disabilities or those at risk of exclusion. The framework also envisions actions in education, culture, and research, along with knowledge dissemination.
Several priority projects demonstrate the Foundation’s commitment to local needs:
- Caixa Proinfancia is a strategic program in the Valencian Community aimed at reducing child poverty. It targets children and adolescents aged 0 to 18 from at-risk or marginalized homes. In 2021, CaixaProinfancia reached 3,137 minors and 1,993 families in Valencia with an investment of 3.8 million euros.
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The program includes efforts to recruit groups in sensitive situations. In 2021, 2,751 jobs were created in the Valencian Community through regional cooperation with 834 local companies.
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The Comprehensive Care for People with Advanced Diseases program aims to improve the quality of end-of-life care for patients and support for their families. In 2021, the program assisted 1,155 patients and 1,342 relatives in the Valencian Community.
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The Old People program seeks to promote social inclusion for seniors, drawing on their experience as active contributors. It offers opportunities to participate in cultural, social, and technology projects, with 37 centers agreed between the institutions.
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The Social Enterprise Projects Assistance Program invested 1.16 million euros in 54 Valencian projects in 2021. In the current year, 3 million euros are allocated, reflecting a renewed regional approach to this program in the Valencian Community.
Other important goals include re-integrating people deprived of their liberty through education, scholarships, social outreach, and support for biomedical research projects. The La Caixa Foundation also partners with the CaixaBank financial network to encourage the development of social, environmental, cultural, and educational initiatives by providing financial assistance to nearby projects. In 2021, the network supported around 600 activities, with more than 3.7 million euros disbursed.
Biomedical research excellence remains a priority, with continued emphasis on combating prevalent diseases.
Exhibitions Draw Over 52,000 Visitors in the Valencian Community
In cultural outreach, the La Caixa Foundation promotes growth through knowledge via exhibitions in the Valencian Community. In 2021, more than 52,000 visitors explored shows such as S. Symphony in Alicante, Georges Méliès and the cinema of 1900 in Elche, and Picasso: Guernica’s Journey in Benidorm.
The Foundation also fosters the convergence of humanities, performing arts, and music through concerts and school-based performing arts events. The EduCaixa program, which encompasses the Foundation’s entire educational portfolio, continued to expand in 2021, reaching 266 schools in Valencia and involving 75,517 students in its resources and activities.
CaixaForum Valencia Opens Its Doors
The new CaixaForum Valencia, the cultural center of the La Caixa Foundation, is set to open on June 22, following a forthcoming inauguration in the Turia capital. CaixaForum Valencia aims to be a reference facility for culture and science in the city.
The venue seeks to bring culture closer to all audiences. It will host exhibits spanning ancient, modern, and contemporary art, alongside science and social themes; it will also stage concerts, poetry readings, media art, discussions on current issues, and a range of social, scientific, and environmental conferences. Educational and family workshops, as well as programs for older adults, will be part of its ongoing activity.