If you are over 75 years old, live in the Raval neighborhood of Barcelona and you like the theater but find it difficult to leave the house, you are in luck. Not only because you will be able to go to the theater again, but also because you will be able to do so accompanied by a person under 30 years of age, who will come to pick you up and, after the performance, will accompany you home.
The Grans teatrerus initiative, promoted by Grup Focus, wants to “combat unwanted loneliness in older people,” declares Pepe Zapata, corporate relations director of the stage group and one of the promoters of this project. La Vanguardia spoke with two couples, after Wednesday's performance of Tot l'any pot ser Nadal, starring Joan Pera at the Romea theater.
“Last week, the young and old met at the Goya Theater to get to know each other, and Charo chose me,” says Carmen, a student of Environmental Sciences and Geology, who is 22 years old and works in the summer as a colony monitor. “I wanted to expand volunteering also with older people. And the meeting between older and younger people was like a first date,” she jokes.
Charo, who is 88 years old, was born in Madrid, but has lived a good part of his life in Junta de Comerç, the street next to the Romea. “I like opera and zarzuela,” says Charo, “but I couldn't go whenever he wanted, because it is very expensive. Now I am delighted and very grateful to be able to go to the theater, and in good company.”
Rosario is also from Madrid and, like her friend Charo, lives in the Raval. “I like flamenco,” she declares, “but the sight doesn't help me much anymore.” Rosario is 93 years old and she learned about the Grans teatrerus initiative thanks to the Escola de Salut del Raval, where the two friends carry out all kinds of activities.
His young partner, 21 years old, is Helena, an Art History student at the UB faculty near the Romea. “I found out about it from a university professor and, since I really like theater, I signed up,” remembers the couple from Rosario.
Zapata explains that they contacted the Raval Public Health Taula, coordinated by the Fundació Tot Raval, who proposed 25 elderly people. “This way there is a continuous evaluation and we can see what evolution he has,” he continues. And what better way to do this project than through theater, with people who used to go and now don't. We also observe that there are young people who have problems accessing theater, and in this way the idea has become not only a functional accompaniment, but also an intergenerational encounter through theater.”
The project begins this year with 25 couples, in a pilot test that offers free tickets. “We thought there would be a certain distrust and it was quite the opposite,” says Zapata. If its effectiveness is demonstrated, the project will be expanded to other theaters in the city, both Focus and those that want to be added.
“We gave a couple of training sessions, to avoid ageism and so that young people knew the reality of the Raval. And in January there will be parallel activities, so that they can get to know the theaters and some companies.” Zapata works with Eva García, an expert in community creation, who is the project coordinator.
At the end of the conversation, Charo with Carmen and Rosario with Helena looked at the programs to decide if the next play they would go to see would be Conqueridors at the Goya, or Lali Symon at the Romea.
Catalan version, here
